100+ Best Soft Skills to Put on Resume [According to Statistics]

“Soft skills help to set you apart from the rest of the candidates who have a similar set of hard skills.”

In today’s job market, it’s not enough to be a subject matter expert. In order to be successful, you need to have the right set of soft skills.

Professional resume writers craft personalized resumes by including related hard skills, professional skills to pass the ATS software, and a sprinkle of highly targeted soft skills to make your resume stand out from the crowd in the eyes of the recruiter.

While hard skills are important for getting your foot in the door, soft skills are what will help you succeed once you’re hired.

What Are Soft Skills on a Resume

Soft skills are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, attitudes, and emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) that enable people to interact effectively with others.

Soft skills are not often easy to demonstrate in the skills section of your resume.

When writing your resume, you should demonstrate your soft skills through specific examples from your work experience, which is objective and evidence-based.

Why Soft Skills Are Important

Soft skills improve one’s ability to work with others and can have a positive influence on the overall work environment. Soft skills can help you better manage relationships, navigate difficult situations, and work more effectively in a team.

Unlike hard skills, soft skills are often developed internally within a person through the individual’s experience and self-development.

These are personal attributes and traits that are non-quantifiable that allow you to interact with others and get the job done.

Soft skills complement hard skills (technical ability and knowledge) which are the quantifiable, teachable, and measurable abilities required to perform a specific task in a more effective and efficient manner.

While your resume may list your technical skills and qualifications, it is your soft skills that will help you stand out from the competition and land the job.

List of Best Soft Skills For Resume

Soft skills help to tell how a potential candidate interacts with others in the team, how the individual will react under pressure, and the overall character of the person.

Depending on the roles and job positions that the candidate applies for, different soft skills may be required to perform in the job role.

Some employers prioritize soft skills over hard skills, as hard skills are learnable, while soft skills aren’t.

Top 10 most common soft skills written on a resume:

While these are the most common soft skills listed on a resume, there are some soft skills that are in-demanded by most employers but not listed in all resumes.

Top 10 most important soft skills in the workplace ranked by employers:

“6 out of 10 most in-demanded soft skills rated by employers are typically “people-related skills”; communication, courtesy, integrity, interpersonal skills, positive attitude, and teamwork.”

1. Communication

Communication refers to the act of conveying information from one individual to another. The ability to communicate effectively is considered a key soft skill, as it is essential for building relationships, sharing knowledge, and exchanging ideas.

Communication is a critical soft skill for several reasons:

• Effective communication can help reduce misunderstandings and conflict.
• Strong communication skills can help build trust and credibility.
• Clear and concise communication can help increase efficiency by reducing the need for clarification and revision.
• Good communication can help improve team morale by promoting open dialogue and positive feedback.
• Excellent communication skills are often key to success in negotiations or other important interactions.

The most in-demanded communication-related skills are:

• Verbal communication
• Written communication
• Non-verbal communication through body language
• Presentation
• Providing feedbacks
• Active listening

2. Courtesy

Courtesy refers to the ability to show respect and consideration for others. It is a key skill to cultivate a good working environment which can help improve the team’s productivity and ability to perform.

Courtesy is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• Creates a positive and productive work environment.
• Foster a sense of teamwork and cooperation.
• Prevent conflict and misunderstandings.
• Create positive relationships at work with our coworkers.
• Build professional relationships with peers and clients.

In-demanded courtesy-related work attitude displayed at work:

• Good manners
• Professional etiquette
• Understanding of business etiquette
• Being gracious
• Being appreciative
• Being respectful

3. Flexibility and Adaptivity

Flexibility and adaptivity allow individuals to quickly and easily adjust to new situations. This skill allows individuals to be open-minded and to think outside the box when necessary.

With the ever-changing landscape of the workplace, it is essential to be able to adapt to new situations quickly and efficiently.

This skill can be extremely beneficial in work environments where changes are constantly taking place.

The ability to be flexible and adapt is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• It allows employees to continue functioning effectively despite the challenges that may arise.
• Being able to adapt to different situations can also help build one’s resilience.
• Being adaptable demonstrates an ability to cope with adversity.
• Demonstrates a willingness to learn new things and grow as a professional.

Skills that show the ability to be flexible and adaptivity:

• Willing to learn
• Embrace challenges
• Optimistic
• Work well under stress
• Self-motivated
• Self-management

4. Integrity

Integrity is a soft skill that is often overlooked, but it is extremely important. Integrity refers to a person’s ability, to be honest, and ethical. It also includes being reliable, having a strong moral compass, and being able to maintain confidentiality.

Having integrity means that you are someone who can be trusted. This is important in both personal and professional relationships.

People who have integrity are typically respected by others and are seen as leaders.

Integrity is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• Having integrity means that you are someone who can be trusted.
• Integrity helps you to gain respect from others and are seen as a leader.
• It is a demonstration of commitment to do what is right when no one is watching which gains trust and respect.

Powerful words that demonstrate integrity skills:

• Honesty
• Ethical
• High morals
• Personal values
• Does what’s right

5. Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are the abilities one possesses to interact with others effectively through verbal, or non-verbal means.

There are a number of reasons why interpersonal skills are important soft skills

• Interpersonal skills can help individuals to better understand and relate to others.
• Allow individuals to build and maintain strong professional relationships with coworkers and clients.
• Helps to resolve conflicts, when we are able to effectively communicate and work through disagreements, we are more likely to find mutually beneficial solutions.

Skills associated with interpersonal skills:

• Ability to show empathy
• Great sense of humor
• Ability to network
• High self-control
• Sociable
• Approachable
• Friendliness
• Diplomacy

6. Positive Attitude

A positive attitude can be defined as having a hopeful and optimistic outlook towards life and oneself.

An individual with a positive attitude indicates that an individual is likely to be a team player, adaptable, and have a strong work ethic.

Candidates with a positive attitude is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• Create a more positive work environment.
• Increased productivity for oneself and for the team as a whole.
• More resilient and adaptable to change than those who are negative.

Soft skills that are related to a positive attitude:

• Optimistic
• Enthusiastic
• Passionate
• Encouraging
• High self-confident
• Calm

7. Professionalism

Professionalism refers to the conduct, behavior, and appearance that is expected of a person who is engaged in a particular activity.

The ability to display professionalism is important for individuals to be taken seriously and to maintain a level of respect from others.

The ability to display professionalism is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• A way of demonstrating respect for oneself and for others.
• A way of demonstrating a commitment to one’s work and to the organization one works for.
• A way of demonstrating pride in one’s work and in oneself.
• A way of setting oneself apart from others who may not be as professional.
• A way to build positive relationships with those they work with

Professionalism is a soft skill that can be demonstrated in a few different ways:

• Use businesslike languages
• Write in formal English without aberrations
• Dress formally and applicable to the event
• Composed attitude

8. Responsibility

Responsibility is a measure of an individual’s character and determines how dependable they are. Individuals who are responsible are typically reliable, trustworthy, and honest.

The ability to be responsible is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• The ability to be responsible is essential for forming positive relationships with others.
• Taking responsibility for one’s own actions can build trust and credibility with others.
• Being responsible shows that you are mature and capable of handling important tasks and projects.
• Demonstrates to others that you are reliable and can be trusted to follow through on your commitments.

Skills that are associated with demonstrating being responsible:

• Being accountable
• Reliable
• Someone who always gets the job done
• Resourceful
• Self-disciplined
• Conscientious

9. Teamwork

Teamwork is the ability to work together in a group or a team of 2 or more individuals to accomplish tasks that are assigned. Employers value teamwork because it helps to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

When workers are able to collaborate effectively, they can share ideas and resources, which can lead to better results.

Teamwork is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• Allows individuals to work together toward a common goal.
• Help to build relationships and trust between people.
• Help to improve communication and collaboration between people.
• Helps to build morale for the team and the organization.

Soft skills that are associated with teamwork:

• Agreeable
• Cooperative
• Collaborative
• Coordination
• Conflict management
• Gets along with others
• Helpful
• Supportive

10. Work Ethic

Work ethic encompasses a person’s willingness to do their best in their job, and to be reliable and disciplined. Work ethic is a set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence.

A strong work ethic is essential in any job, and it is especially important in jobs that require physical labor or that are customer-facing.

Strong ethics is an important soft skill for a few reasons:

• Encourages employees to be productive, efficient, and reliable.
• A society with a strong work ethic is more likely to be prosperous and stable.
• Can be counted on to show up on time, work hard, and be respectful of others.

People with strong work ethics are identified by a few common characteristics:

• Hard-working
• Willing to work the extra mile
• Loyal
• Know how to take initiative
• Self-motivated
• On-time
• Good attendance

100+ Soft Skills Examples For Resume Of 10 Common Careers

“Wondering what soft skills you should put in your resume?”

Here, we’ve compiled some of the best soft skills you should have for each of the different careers!

Accountants

An accountant is a professional who performs financial accounting, auditing, and tax services.

Accounting is a critical function in any organization as it provides information that is used to make decisions about how to allocate resources.

Here are the 10 most popular accounting soft skills.

Customer Service

Customer service is about building relationships with people, and it is a career that relies heavily on soft skills, especially when communicating on the phone, email, or face-to-face.

The purpose of customer service is to satisfy the customer’s needs and wants.

Here are the 10 most popular customer service soft skills

Business Analyst

A business Analyst is one of the most in-demanded professionals as the world progress to the digital age. Business Analysts play a vital role in the software development process, acting as the link between the business stakeholders and the technical team.

Here are the 10 most popular business analysts’ soft skills.

Designers

Designers are creative professionals such as UX designers, graphic designers, marketing designers, etc. Designers are professionals who use their artistic skills to develop visual solutions to communicate a message between the stakeholders and the audience.

Here are the 10 most popular designing soft skills.

Developers

Developers are technical experts who create software, applications, or website through coding or programming languages. Developers include web developers that work on the frontend or backend of websites, software developers, or data scientists.

Although developers require hard skills such as C++, Phyton, Ruby, Java, Javascript, etc, most developers need to have strong soft skills in order to be successful. They need to be able to communicate clearly, work well in a team, and be able to solve problems.

Here are the 10 most popular developer soft skills.

Engineers

Engineers are professionals who develop economical solutions to technical problems. They are problem-solvers that link their work to commercial applications that meet societal needs. Engineers include chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers who often manage, plan projects, and coordinate activities in industrial, governmental, and other organizations.

Here are the 10 most popular engineering soft skills.

Educator

Educators are teachers, lecturers, trainers, mentors, or a coach who is responsible for providing education and guidance to students.

Educators typically possess excellent soft skills in both written and verbal communication and exceptional interpersonal skills, as well as a deep understanding of their chosen subject matter.

Here are the 10 most popular educators’ soft skills.

HR

Human resource (HR) professionals require a high level of soft skills, as most of their job roles are people related. HR is responsible for managing employee relations. This includes recruiting, hiring, and training employees.

Essential soft skills include communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. These skills are essential for any manager, and HR managers need to be especially good at them in order to be successful.

Here are the 10 most popular HR soft skills.

Management

Management is often the leader or the brains of a team, organization, or company. Professional who are involved in management relies heavily on their soft skills to be effective in allocating resources in order to achieve desired goals.

Management professionals require to possess the necessary soft skills to motivate and inspire others to work together harmoniously towards a common goal.

Here are the 10 most popular management soft skills.

Healthcare

Healthcare consists of careers such as nursing, doctors, counselors, physiotherapist, and psychiatrists. It is a profession that centers around the delivery of health services to individuals, families, and communities.

Soft skills in healthcare play an important role when professionals want to effectively communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals. These soft skills are essential in order to provide quality care and improve patient outcomes.

Here are the 10 most popular healthcare soft skills.

Sales

The sales profession is about persuading potential customers to purchase a company’s goods or services. While hard skills like product knowledge and market analysis are important for success in sales, soft skills like communication, negotiation, and customer service are also essential.

By developing strong soft skills, salespeople can build relationships with customers, understand their needs, and close more deals.

Here are the 10 most popular sales soft skills.

Read Also:

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• How to Answer “Tell me about a time you overcome a setback” Job Interview Question (Tips and Examples)
• How to Answer “Tell me about a time you built something from scratch” Job Interview Question (Tips and Examples)
• How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Handled an Ethical Dilemma” Job Interview Question (Tips and Examples)
• How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time You Dealt With a Difficult Team Member” Job Interview Question (Tips and Examples)