How many skills should I put on my CV?

Usually between six and twelve, chosen for the job you are applying for. A short, relevant list is easier to read than a long one, and each skill should be one you can talk about in an interview.

Should I rate my skills with stars or percentages?

It is better not to. Stars and percentages mean different things to different readers and many ATS cannot read them. Name the skill and, if useful, a level in words or the tools you use.

Where does the skills section go on a CV?

Often after your profile summary or after your experience. For a fresh graduate or a career change, putting skills nearer the top can help, because they are your strongest evidence.

Do I need different skills for each job?

Adjust them for each application. Keep your core skills, then move the ones the advert mentions to the top and use the advert's wording.

Skills for a CV: Soft and Technical Skills, With Examples

The skills section is one of the first places a recruiter, and an applicant tracking system (ATS), looks on your CV. Yet many CVs fill it with the same vague words: hard-working, team player, good communicator. The skills that work are the ones that match the job advert, are written in the advert's own words, and are backed up somewhere else on the CV by an example or a result. This guide gives you lists of soft and technical skills to choose from, shows how to write them well, and explains how to prove them.

3 min read

Soft skills and technical skills: the difference

Technical skills, sometimes called hard skills, are specific abilities you can learn and measure: Excel, accounting, a programming language, a design tool, a second language. Soft skills are about how you work with people and tasks: communication, problem solving, time management, teamwork.

Most jobs ask for both. A strong CV lists the technical skills clearly and shows the soft skills through what you have done, because anyone can write "good communicator" but few can show it.

Soft skills employers often ask for

Pick the ones that appear in the job advert and that you can support with an example. Five or six well-chosen skills are better than a long list.

Communication, written and spoken.
Problem solving and critical thinking.
Teamwork and collaboration.
Time management and organisation.
Customer service.
Adaptability and learning quickly.
Attention to detail.
Negotiation and influencing.
Leadership and delegation, for more senior roles.

Technical skills by field

Name the tool or method, and your level if it helps. "Excel: pivot tables, XLOOKUP, charts" says much more than "computer skills".

Office and data: Excel, Google Sheets, data analysis, Power BI, SQL.
Finance and accounting: bookkeeping, reconciliations, financial statements, accounting software.
Marketing: social media management, content writing, SEO, digital advertising, analytics.
Technology: programming languages, networking, cloud basics, cyber security, quality assurance.
Design and media: graphic design tools, UI and UX design, video editing.
Languages: Arabic and English, with a level such as fluent, professional or basic.
AI at work: using AI tools, prompt writing, checking AI output.

How to write skills on your CV

Start from the job advert. Copy the exact names of the skills it asks for, so both the ATS and the recruiter see the match. Then group your skills so they are easy to scan, for example under "Technical skills" and "Languages".

Show your soft skills in your experience section instead of only listing them. A line such as "Handled about 40 customer enquiries a day and resolved most on the first contact" proves customer service and communication better than the words alone.

Two skills you can measure in a few minutes: your English level with the free English level test, and your typing speed with the free typing speed test. Write the result next to the skill, for example "English: B2" or "Typing: 45 words per minute".

Weak: "Good with computers." Stronger: "Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP), Google Sheets, Power BI basics."
Weak: "Team player." Stronger, in experience: "Coordinated a team of four volunteers to run a weekly event."
Weak: "Fast learner." Stronger: "Learned the company's accounting software in my first two weeks and trained a new colleague on it."

Skills for a CV with no experience

If you are a student or a fresh graduate, your skills still come from somewhere: your studies, projects, internships, volunteering, part-time work and online courses. Use those as your examples.

Technical skills matter even more here, because they are easy to check. Basic Excel, a language level, a design or coding tool you have used in a project: each is a concrete reason to invite you to an interview. See also how to write a CV with no experience.

Prove your skills instead of just listing them

Recruiters know that a skills list is easy to write. What sets a CV apart is proof: a result in your experience, a project they can look at, or a test result they can check.

On Talaskill you can take free skills tests in Excel, accounting, communication, data and more. A passed test becomes a verified result you can add to your CV with a QR code, so an employer can check it in seconds. You can then build your CV with the free CV maker, which keeps the layout ATS-friendly.

Common questions

How many skills should I put on my CV?: Usually between six and twelve, chosen for the job you are applying for. A short, relevant list is easier to read than a long one, and each skill should be one you can talk about in an interview.
Should I rate my skills with stars or percentages?: It is better not to. Stars and percentages mean different things to different readers and many ATS cannot read them. Name the skill and, if useful, a level in words or the tools you use.
Where does the skills section go on a CV?: Often after your profile summary or after your experience. For a fresh graduate or a career change, putting skills nearer the top can help, because they are your strongest evidence.
Do I need different skills for each job?: Adjust them for each application. Keep your core skills, then move the ones the advert mentions to the top and use the advert's wording.