Reviewed by a certified professional resume writer (CPRW) with US corporate recruiting and ATS screening experience
Good skills to have for a job combine role-specific hard skills employers search for in ATS, demonstrable soft skills proven in work history, and digital literacy with named platforms. Employers hiring through Workday and Greenhouse expect you to build these through projects, training, and daily work—not only list them on a resume.
Job seekers often ask which skills matter most before they ever open a resume template. The answer depends less on a universal master list and more on what employers in your target role repeatedly name in postings, how you developed those abilities, and whether your file proves them in language applicant tracking systems can extract. This article covers the hard skills, soft skills, and digital literacy US employers expect across functions, practical ways to build each category, and how to translate real ability into ATS-friendly resume language. For which terms belong in your skills section specifically, see what are good skills to put on a resume —here we focus on the skills themselves and how to earn them.
Key Takeaways
- Good job skills span hard skills, soft skills, and digital literacy—not one category alone
- Employers search ATS for named tools and methods; vague labels score near zero
- Build skills through paid work, projects, certifications, and deliberate practice
- Prove every priority skill in both the Skills heading and experience bullets
- Tailor eight to fifteen posting-aligned terms per application in Workday and Taleo uploads
Hard skills employers expect across most US roles
Hard skills are teachable, measurable abilities tied to tools, methods, and domain knowledge. They carry the highest weight in applicant tracking systems because recruiters filter on exact keyword matches: SQL, Salesforce CRM, financial modeling, Epic, Six Sigma. What are good skills to have for a job at the hard-skill level starts with understanding which categories repeat across postings in your field.
Technical and software skills: Named platforms employers search literally—Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), Python, Tableau, SAP, Jira, HubSpot, Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD. The product name matters more than the category label. Write Salesforce CRM, not CRM experience.
Methods and frameworks: Repeatable processes that signal how you work—Agile, Scrum, Lean, A/B testing, UX research, root cause analysis, GAAP reporting, instructional design. Methods often appear in requirements without a brand name attached.
Domain and industry vocabulary: Specialized terms that filter candidates on regulated or technical roles—HIPAA compliance, SOX controls, B2B SaaS metrics, supply chain planning, clinical documentation, underwriting standards. Domain terms separate generalists from role-ready hires.
Quantitative and analytical skills: Data interpretation, statistical reasoning, budget forecasting, variance analysis, and KPI reporting appear across finance, operations, marketing, and product functions. Pair the method with a named tool: cohort analysis in SQL, not data analysis skills.
Certifications and credentials: PMP, CPA, RN, CompTIA Security+, AWS Solutions Architect, SHRM-CP. Credentials signal verified hard-skill depth and give ATS systems additional keyword anchors.
O*NET OnLine publishes technology and skill inventories by occupation. Cross-check your target role against O*NET OnLine occupation profiles to confirm which hard skills employers in your field name most often before you invest months building the wrong stack.
Key Takeaway: hard skills are named tools, methods, domain terms, and credentials—write them exactly as postings spell them for ATS keyword matching.
Soft skills employers value when you can prove them
Soft skills describe how you work with people, manage ambiguity, and communicate results. They matter enormously to hiring managers but carry less ATS weight than hard skills unless the job description names them and your bullets demonstrate them. Good soft skills to have for a job are specific interpersonal abilities—not personality adjectives.
Communication: Stakeholder reporting, executive presentation, technical writing, client-facing updates, and cross-functional briefing. Employers want evidence you can translate complex work into decisions others act on.
Collaboration: Cross-functional project coordination, vendor management, mentoring junior staff, and workshop facilitation. Collaboration skills appear in nearly every US posting; proving them requires named teams, projects, and outcomes.
Problem-solving and critical thinking: Root cause analysis, process improvement, prioritization under constraints, and structured decision-making. Replace problem solver with a bullet describing the problem, your approach, and the measurable result.
Adaptability and learning agility: Picking up new tools quickly, adjusting to reorganizations, and owning unfamiliar workstreams. Show adaptability through a career change bullet or a project where you learned a new platform on deadline.
Leadership without a management title: Influencing without authority, mentoring, running working groups, and owning initiatives end to end. Individual contributors who demonstrate informal leadership stand out in Greenhouse semantic scoring when bullets include scope and stakeholder count.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers surveys employers annually on which competencies matter most at hire. Review NACE hiring trend reports to see which soft skills US employers rank highest for entry-level and experienced hires in your industry.
For phrasing that sounds credible rather than generic, read soft skills on resume phrases that sound credible to recruiters .
Expert tip: list one to three posting-named soft skills under Skills only when experience bullets prove each with scope, action, and outcome.
Digital literacy: the baseline skill employers no longer list explicitly
Digital literacy goes beyond knowing how to send email. US employers in 2026 expect fluency with collaboration platforms, cloud file systems, video conferencing, basic data hygiene, and role-specific software—often without writing digital literacy in the posting. What are good skills to have for a job in the digital category means naming the tools, not the abstract concept.
Workplace productivity suites: Microsoft 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint) and Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Drive, Meet). Advanced Excel functions remain one of the most requested skills across finance, operations, and administrative roles.
Collaboration and project tools: Slack, Asana, Monday.com, Notion, Confluence, Miro, and Smartsheet. Remote and hybrid teams filter on these names because daily work runs through them.
CRM and customer platforms: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow, and industry-specific client systems. Sales, support, and account management roles expect named CRM proficiency.
Data and security basics: Understanding permissions, phishing awareness, clean file naming, version control with Git, and responsible handling of sensitive information. Cybersecurity awareness certifications like CompTIA Security+ signal baseline digital responsibility.
AI-assisted workflows: Using approved AI tools for drafting, research, and automation while maintaining accuracy and confidentiality. Employers increasingly expect candidates to describe how they use AI productively without replacing judgment.
| Skill category | Examples employers search | How to develop | Resume proof pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard — technical tools | SQL, Python, Salesforce CRM, Epic | Certifications, paid projects, coursework | Named tool + scope + outcome in bullet |
| Hard — methods | Agile, Six Sigma, financial modeling | On-the-job use, formal training | Method name + project context + result |
| Soft — interpersonal | Stakeholder communication, mentoring | Lead meetings, present to leadership | Audience size + deliverable + impact |
| Digital — collaboration | Slack, Teams, Jira, Confluence | Daily team use, admin setup | Platform + team size + workflow improved |
| Digital — data hygiene | Excel, Google Sheets, data validation | Practice datasets, internal reporting | Function names + error reduction metric |
| Transferable — analysis | KPI tracking, variance analysis | Cross-functional reporting assignments | Metric + timeframe + business decision |
Digital literacy rule: name the platform, describe the workflow, and quantify the outcome—never write computer skills or tech savvy alone.
How to develop good skills for a job before and during your search
Building employability skills is a deliberate process—not something that happens passively while you list traits on a resume. What are good skills to have for a job becomes actionable when you map posting requirements to development paths and document outcomes as you go.
Step 1 — Build a posting frequency audit: Collect ten job descriptions for your target title. Highlight every repeated tool, method, soft skill, and certification. Rank terms by frequency. Your development plan should target the top fifteen recurring keywords first.
Step 2 — Rate your honest inventory: Label each term strong (used in paid work with outcomes), developing (used in projects or training), or gap (not yet practiced). Be ruthless—skills you cannot discuss in a thirty-minute interview belong in the gap column until you close them.
Step 3 — Close gaps with structured practice: Use vendor certifications (AWS, Salesforce, Google Analytics), community college courses, Coursera or LinkedIn Learning paths, volunteer projects, open-source contributions, and internal stretch assignments. One completed project with a measurable outcome beats three courses with no application.
Step 4 — Document as you build: Keep a running log: skill name, tool version, project context, your role, scope (team size, budget, timeline), and result (revenue, time saved, error reduction). This log becomes your bullet-writing source material when you update your resume.
Step 5 — Seek feedback from practitioners: Ask managers, mentors, or peers to review your work on new skills. External validation helps you write credible bullets and prepares you for behavioral interview questions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook describes skills and training paths by occupation. Browse BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entries for your target role to confirm which credentials and experience levels employers typically require.
After you update skills on paper, upload a draft to HireFlow's free ATS resume checker and confirm your new terms extract into the skills field. Development only helps your search when parsers and recruiters can see the evidence.
Development principle: one project with a named tool and measurable outcome beats five courses listed without application proof.
How good skills show on resumes for Workday and Taleo ATS
Having good skills and showing them on a resume are different problems. Applicant tracking systems extract skills as structured data separate from your experience narrative. Workday and Taleo—two of the most common US employer platforms—index keyword phrases under a standard Skills heading and score contextual overlap with dated work history.
Write skills twice: once as keyword phrases under Skills and again as proof in experience bullets. A term that appears only in the skills field ranks lower in Greenhouse semantic scoring than the same term repeated with scope in work history.
Use standard headings and plain text: Skills, Technical Skills, or Core Competencies in the document body—not sidebars, text boxes, or designed graphics. Comma-separated lists or labeled subgroups (Technical:, Methods:, Domain:) parse reliably across platforms.
Match posting spelling exactly: Microsoft Power BI, not PowerBI; stakeholder communication, not communication skills. ATS keyword matching is literal.
Tailor per application: Keep a master inventory of every skill you have developed, then select eight to fifteen posting-aligned terms per upload. Swap tool names and domain vocabulary to mirror each job description. For count guidance, read how many skills you should list on your resume .
For exact phrasing under the Skills heading, follow what to write under skills on a resume . For how parsers classify terms, see how ATS interprets skills vs tools vs technologies .
ATS rule: skills written only in a sidebar or skills cloud often parse as empty—place every keyword in the main document body on page one.
Before-and-after: proving good skills in experience bullets
Skill development means nothing on a resume without proof bullets recruiters and ATS systems trust. Compare these common mistakes with targeted rewrites that show real employability:
Operations analyst — soft skill declared without evidence
- Strong communicator and problem solver with excellent teamwork skills. Used Excel and data analysis to support operations.
- Presented weekly variance analysis to a 12-person operations leadership team using Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), reducing reporting cycle time from three days to six hours across four warehouse sites.
Marketing coordinator — hard skill named vaguely
- Managed social media and email marketing. Skilled in analytics and content creation. Good with marketing tools.
- Ran HubSpot email campaigns and Google Analytics 4 reporting for a B2B SaaS portfolio, increasing qualified leads 28% over two quarters through A/B-tested subject lines and landing page optimization.
Project manager — digital literacy implied but not named
- Coordinated cross-team projects using standard office software. Comfortable with remote collaboration and project tracking platforms.
- Led three concurrent Agile sprints in Jira and Confluence for a 15-person cross-functional team, delivering a product launch two weeks ahead of schedule while maintaining daily Slack standups across US and EU time zones.
Customer support lead — skills listed without ATS-friendly keywords
- Helped customers with issues. Trained new hires. Used the company ticketing system and CRM daily.
- Resolved 40+ Zendesk tickets weekly with 96% CSAT while mentoring four new agents on Salesforce Service Cloud workflows, cutting average handle time 18% in one quarter.
Bottom line: name the tool, define the scope, and attach a number—hard skills, soft skills, and digital literacy all follow the same proof pattern.
How Greenhouse, iCIMS, and SuccessFactors score the skills you built
Platform behavior varies, but the same proof rules protect good skills across employers. Understanding how major ATS products index and weight skills helps you format evidence before every upload.
- Workday: maps a standard Skills heading to a dedicated field; sidebar and two-column layouts often drop right-column content entirely
- Greenhouse: scores semantic overlap across skills and experience bullets; keywords without contextual proof in work history rank lower
- Taleo: strips table-based skill matrices aggressively—write plain comma lists only
- iCIMS: indexes the first recognizable Skills heading; nested tables inside the section may parse as empty
- Lever: favors skills written under Skills and repeated in at least one dated experience entry
- SuccessFactors: weights early-page content higher on two-page files—place Skills on page one
- ADP Recruiting: struggles with graphical proficiency indicators and non-standard section headings
A common failure mode: strong skills developed on the job but written only as vague traits while the Skills heading lists unrelated keywords. Parsers extract terms but score low on contextual match. The fix is structural repetition—write the tool in Skills and show how you used it with scope and outcome in a bullet.
Employability skills checklist
- Posting frequency audit completed for target role (ten job descriptions)
- Hard skills inventory rated: strong, developing, or gap
- At least one project or certification closing each priority gap
- Soft skills limited to posting-named terms with bullet proof
- Digital literacy written as named platforms—not computer skills
- Eight to fifteen tailored keywords per application under Skills
- Every priority skill repeated in two or more experience bullets
- Standard Skills heading in document body on page one
- Posting-exact spelling for all tools and methods
- Parser test completed before Workday or Taleo portal submit
Parser insight: build skills through real work, write them as keywords, prove them in bullets, and test extraction before every submit.
What are good skills to have for a job is not a static list—it is a combination of hard skills employers search for, soft skills you can prove with real examples, and digital literacy written as named platforms. Build them through projects, certifications, and daily work. Document scope and outcomes as you go. Then translate that evidence into ATS-friendly keyword phrases under Skills and proof bullets recruiters trust.
Start with a posting frequency audit, close your highest-priority gaps with one project each, and tailor eight to fifteen terms per application. Run your file through HireFlow's free ATS resume checker after every update—skills that parsers cannot extract will not reach a recruiter even when your experience is a strong match. Build the ability, write the keywords, prove them in bullets, and let Workday and Greenhouse do the matching work for you.
Frequently asked questions
Good skills combine role-specific hard skills employers search for in applicant tracking systems, demonstrable soft skills backed by work examples, and digital literacy with named platforms. Communication, problem-solving, data analysis, project coordination, and proficiency with workplace software appear across most US postings regardless of industry.
Employers value named technical tools, methods, and domain vocabulary tied to the role: SQL and Python for analysts, Salesforce for sales, Epic for clinical staff, GAAP for accountants, Agile for product teams. Hard skills score highest in Workday and Taleo keyword matching because recruiters filter on exact product names.
Soft skills that help are the ones job descriptions name and your bullets prove: stakeholder communication, cross-functional collaboration, conflict resolution, executive presentation, and written documentation. Generic traits like team player or detail-oriented carry no ATS weight and little recruiter trust without evidence.
Yes. Digital literacy means fluency with collaboration tools, cloud platforms, data hygiene, and security basics—not just email. Employers expect named proficiency with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, CRM systems, and role-specific software. Listing digital literacy without naming tools fails ATS extraction.
Develop skills through paid projects, volunteer work, certifications, coursework, internal stretch assignments, and deliberate practice. Document each skill with scope, tool, and outcome so you can later write ATS-friendly bullets. Build a master inventory, then tailor eight to fifteen terms per application.
Good skills appear twice: as keyword phrases under a standard Skills heading and as proof in experience bullets with action, scope, and outcome. Applicant tracking systems in Greenhouse and iCIMS score higher when the same term appears in both the skills field and dated work history.
Keep a master inventory but tailor eight to fifteen posting-aligned terms per application. Swap tool names, methods, and domain vocabulary to mirror each job description. Core transferable skills stay consistent; role-specific hard skills change with each posting.
Avoid hobbies, generic computer literacy, outdated tools, unverifiable claims, personality traits, and soft-skill filler with no bullet proof. Do not bury skills in sidebars, rating graphics, or designed templates parsers cannot read. Skills you cannot discuss in an interview should not appear on the file.
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