According to LinkedIn, skills are the new currency of the job market. In fact, one in five jobs posted on LinkedIn no longer requires a four-year degree. This is expected to grow as companies are moving beyond degrees and job titles to focus more on skills for a job.
Which resume skills are in most demand? Jobscan analyzed over 10 million job listings to find out.
In this guide, you will learn what skills employers want, how you can develop these skills, and how you can showcase them on your application.
What are the different types of skills for a job?
There are generally three types of skills: hard skills, soft skills, and transferrable skills.
- Hard skills
Hard skills are specific skills often learned in school and acquired through training, certifications, or work experience.
Examples of hard skills include data analytics, project management, accounting, search engine optimization, and other technical skills in different fields and industries.
- Soft skills
Soft skills, also known as interpersonal skills or people skills, are what you use to interact and relate with other people.
Soft skills include communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership.
- Transferable skills
Transferable skills (also called portable skills or universal skills) are skills that you can apply or transfer across different jobs, fields, and industries.
Having transferable skills can make you a valuable asset to any company or organization. All soft skills, including time management, organization, and communication, are tranferable, but some hard skills are transferable as well, including data analysis, project management, and MS Office.
Top 7 hard skills employers look for
Employers value hard skills because they directly contribute to the specific requirements for a job.
Although the hard skills employers want vary across industries and sectors, here are the top 7 hard skills that are in high demand.
- Digital literacy
Digital literacy includes knowing how to use software, devices, and online tools. One report says that it is a top skill required for employees to thrive in the workplace by 2025.
Because many companies will adopt technology, you should improve your digital skills to stay relevant.
EXAMPLES OF DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS
• Email management
• Internet browsing and online research
• Social media usage
• Digital communication (e.g., chat tools, video conferencing)
• Basic photo and image editing
• Cloud storage and file sharing
• Word processing
- Data analysis
Data analysis means organizing and looking at data to solve problems for a company. If you’re good at this, you can find patterns in data and use that information to help the company reach its goals.
Since companies are using data to make decisions, the field of data analysis has become really big.
EXAMPLES OF DATA ANALYSIS SKILLS
• Understanding charts and graphs
• Recognizing patterns in data
• Basic statistical analysis
• Data visualization understanding
• Interpretation of key performance •indicators (KPIs)
• Research skills
- Product management
Product management skills help make products people want. It involves everything from ideation, planning, and launching the product to making sure it’s what customers want. Companies that are good at this are much more likely to do better than their rivals.
EXAMPLES OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS
• Requirement gathering and analysis
• Customer journey mapping
• Minimum viable product (MVP) development
• Pricing strategy development
• User experience (UX) design
- Customer service
Customer service skills are the qualities you use to interact with customers, provide them assistance, and give them an exceptional experience to foster long-term relationships. These skills can make or break a company.
EXAMPLES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS
• Conflict resolution
• Attention to detail
• Sales skills
• Cash handling and math skills
• Product knowledge
- Project management skills
Project management involves planning, organizing, budgeting, controlling, and executing projects to meet company objectives. The Project Management Institute (PMI) projected that between 2017 and 2027, jobs demanding project management skills will increase by 33%.
EXAMPLES OF PROJECT
• MANAGEMENT SKILLS
• Planning, scheduling, and executing projects
• Task delegation
• Budget management and forecasting
• Quality assurance
• Risk management
- Finance skills
Finance skills include the ability to analyze, understand, manage, and interpret financial information to arrive at effective decisions to contribute towards an organization’s success. According to Business Talent Group, finance skills top the list of most in-demand skills for 2023.
EXAMPLES OF FINANCE SKILLS
• Financial analysis and reporting
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Risk management
• Cash flow management
• Knowledge of accounting principles and regulatory compliance
• Read our full skills guide: Financial Analyst Skills
- Sales
Sales skills include the individual’s abilities to persuade customers, negotiate, and close deals. Sales skills directly impact revenue and business success, and so they continue to be an in-demand skill across different industries.
EXAMPLES OF SALES SKILLS
• Closing deals
• Building customer relationships
• Product knowledge
• Negotiation skills
• Market research and understanding
Top 7 soft skills employers want
While hard skills are important to an organization’s success, employers increasingly value soft skills during the hiring process. A report by Deloitte showed that by 2030, two-thirds of all jobs will be soft-skill intensive.
Here are the 7 examples of soft skills employers look for in a job candidate.
- Communication
These encompass an individual’s ability to give information clearly and effectively in the workplace. Studies show that companies that practice effective communication are 3.5 times more likely to beat their competitors.
EXAMPLES OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Constructive feedback delivery
• Clarity in email correspondence and any written communication
• Active listening during meetings and discussions
• Effective presentation of information
• Conflict resolution conversations
- Leadership
Leadership skills enable you to effectively motivate and inspire a group of people toward a common goal. Effective leadership in a company directly impacts its growth and success. About 83 percent of enterprises believe that it’s critical to develop leaders across all levels in a company.
EXAMPLES OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS
• Taking initiative
• Mentorship and coaching
• Problem-solving and decision-making
•Team building and fostering a collaborative environment
•Conflict resolution
- Collaboration
Collaboration skills are used when working with different individuals and teams and sharing ideas to solve shared problems or achieve common goals. Organizations encouraging collaboration are five times more likely to increase performance and productivity.
EXAMPLES OF COLLABORATION SKILLS
• Cross-functional team projects
• Virtual collaboration
• Brainstorming sessions
• Joint decision making
• Shared responsibility and task allocation
- Critical thinking
Critical thinking skills include the ability to conceptualize, analyze, evaluate, and arrive at effective solutions to solve problems and make sound decisions. People with critical thinking skills can assess information, weigh options, make judgments, and innovate.
EXAMPLES OF CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
• Analytical reasoning
• Data interpretation
• Problem identification
• Innovative thinking
• Strategic planning
- Problem-solving
Problem-solving is the ability to determine which issues to solve, assess the root cause of the issues, brainstorm possible courses of action, and identify the most effective solutions. It is one of the top skills that will grow in importance in the next five years.
EXAMPLES OF PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS
• Research
• Pattern recognition
• Gathering accurate information
• Analyzing situations based on facts
• Optimizing existing processes and systems
- Time management
Time management skills refer to your ability to plan and organize your day to allocate time effectively to tasks of varying priority. Time management in the workplace is critical to increasing productivity, preventing delays and inefficiencies, improving performance, and reducing stress.
EXAMPLES OF TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
• Setting clear goals and prioritizing tasks
• Time blocking
• Delegating tasks
• Setting realistic deadlines. •Knowledge of time management tools
- Adaptability
Adaptability allows you to adjust and cope in times of changes, delays, and detours. It is the ability to change strategies when needed as new situations and conditions arise.
Adaptability skills are important in the workplace because of the rapidly changing technological environment and the changing business dynamics.
Employees who have adaptability can navigate through uncertain situations, pivot when needed, and foster resilience.
EXAMPLES OF ADAPTABILITY SKILLS
• Learning new software and technologies
• Taking on new tasks and challenges
• Remote work adaptation
• Adjusting to new processes and systems
• Changing priorities and pivoting
How recruiters look for skills
Recruiters use different ways to identify and evaluate job candidates based on their skills. Understanding how recruiters search for skills will help you showcase your skills on your application and stand out.
Here are three ways they do it:
- Skills-based assessments
According to a report, 76% of employers use skills-based hiring to find new hires, and 55% use role-specific skills tests. These help recruiters assess whether your actual capabilities match what’s on your resume.
These tests could include code-writing, case studies for leadership and problem-solving skills, and situational tests.
- Behavioral interviews
Recruiters may also use behavioral interviews to assess whether you have the right skills and competencies required for the job. They do this by asking questions about how you will deal with certain workplace situations and how you have applied skills in real-life situations.
- Keyword searches and applicant tracking systems
To automate screening applicants, recruiters also use applicant tracking systems. These systems filter resumes by keywords provided by recruiters and hiring managers.
Keywords can include the following:
• Job titles
• Industry-specific jargon
• Relevant skills
The ATS uses these keywords to find the best matches for the job. If your resume doesn’t have these keywords, it might not be seen by recruiters.
