Reviewed by a certified professional resume writer (CPRW) with US corporate recruiting and ATS screening experience
What are some great skills to put on a resume are posting-aligned hard skills grouped by function—named platforms, repeatable methods, domain terms, and certification acronyms written as comma-separated keyword phrases under a standard Skills heading. Great skills use exact job description spelling, appear in both the skills block and experience bullets, and map to outcomes Workday and iCIMS index before recruiters open your file.
Generic skills lists—computer skills, communication, problem solving—fail ATS keyword fields and recruiter scans alike. Great skills differ because they combine employer demand, parser-readable product names, and bullet proof. This article provides curated inventories by function—software engineering, data analytics, product, marketing, operations, finance, healthcare, and customer success—with ATS wording patterns for each. For hard versus soft skill categories, see what are good skills to put on a resume —here we focus on high-value function-specific terms and how to phrase them.
Key Takeaways
- Great skills are named products and methods—not vague category labels
- Select eight to fifteen posting-aligned terms per tailored application
- Group by function using Technical:, Methods:, and Domain: subgroups
- Match job description spelling exactly for ATS keyword fields
- Repeat top skills in experience bullets with scope and outcomes
Great skills for software engineering and data roles
What are some great skills to put on a resume for technical roles starts with named languages, cloud platforms, and frameworks employers search in ATS keyword indexes—not umbrella labels like programming or cloud experience.
Software engineering — Technical: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Node.js, Go, Java, C++, AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, Git, REST APIs, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines.
Software engineering — Methods: Agile, Scrum, unit testing, integration testing, code review, system design, microservices architecture, API development, performance optimization, security best practices (OWASP).
Data analytics — Technical: SQL, Python, R, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Snowflake, dbt, Apache Spark, Google BigQuery, Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), Looker, Alteryx.
Data analytics — Methods: cohort analysis, A/B testing, regression modeling, financial forecasting, ETL pipeline design, data visualization, dashboard development, statistical hypothesis testing, churn analysis.
ATS wording tip: write Microsoft Power BI and Google Analytics 4 with exact product spelling—parsers match literal strings. Place programming languages under Technical, not Languages. Repeat your top three posting tools in two experience bullets with deployment scope or query volume.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook describes technology skills employers expect by occupation. Browse BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entries for software developers and data scientists to confirm standard vocabulary.
Key Takeaway: lead technical skills blocks with the three tools the posting repeats most—then methods, then domain terms.
Great skills for product, marketing, and growth roles
Product and marketing roles reward skills that connect tools to measurable pipeline, acquisition, and retention outcomes. Great skills here pair platform names with methods employers search together in posting requirements.
Product management — Technical: Jira, Confluence, Figma, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics 4, SQL, Aha!, Productboard, Miro, Notion.
Product management — Methods: user research, roadmapping, backlog prioritization, A/B testing, OKR planning, go-to-market strategy, stakeholder workshops, usability testing, feature specification, Agile, Scrum.
Marketing and growth — Technical: Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Meta Business Suite, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Mailchimp, Hootsuite, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, Shopify.
Marketing and growth — Methods: SEO, SEM, content strategy, email automation, conversion rate optimization, paid social advertising, brand positioning, marketing attribution, landing page optimization, copywriting, editorial calendar management.
ATS wording tip: write SEO and SEM as separate terms when the posting lists both—do not collapse into digital marketing. HubSpot and Salesforce CRM are distinct parser keywords. Pair each platform with a method in bullets: improved organic traffic 22% through on-page SEO and Google Analytics 4 audits.
| Function | Great ATS phrasing | Weak phrasing | Why it scores higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Jira, Figma, user research, A/B testing | product development, design tools | Named products match ATS keyword indexes |
| Marketing | Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, SEO, SEM | analytics, marketing software | Exact product names parsers recognize |
| Engineering | Python, AWS, Docker, CI/CD, REST APIs | cloud computing, coding languages | Literal strings score in Workday fields |
| Data | SQL, Tableau, cohort analysis, Snowflake | data skills, visualization tools | Methods plus tools raise semantic match |
| Operations | SAP IBP, demand forecasting, S&OP | supply chain experience | Domain terms filter specialized roles |
| Healthcare | Epic, HIPAA, clinical documentation | healthcare background, EMR | Regulated vocabulary signals compliance fit |
For exact text placement under the Skills heading, read what to write under skills on a resume .
Expert tip: copy the three most repeated tools from the posting into summary, skills, and two bullets before you finalize any function-specific list.
Great skills for operations, supply chain, and finance roles
Operations and finance roles filter on enterprise platforms, compliance vocabulary, and quantitative methods written as searchable terms—not broad labels like operations management or financial skills.
Operations and supply chain — Technical: SAP S/4HANA, SAP IBP, Oracle SCM, Kinaxis, Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), Power BI, Tableau, MS Project, Smartsheet, WMS platforms, ERP configuration.
Operations and supply chain — Methods: demand forecasting, S&OP, inventory optimization, lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, vendor management, logistics planning, capacity planning, KPI dashboard development.
Finance and accounting — Technical: Microsoft Excel (financial modeling), SAP FI/CO, Oracle Financials, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Workiva, Bloomberg Terminal, Adaptive Insights, BlackLine.
Finance and accounting — Methods: GAAP reporting, financial modeling, variance analysis, budget forecasting, accounts payable/receivable, audit preparation, SOX compliance, consolidation, revenue recognition (ASC 606), month-end close.
Certifications worth writing: PMP, Six Sigma Green Belt, CPA, CMA, CSCP, CPIM, CFA—write acronyms under Skills; full credential lines with issuer and date belong in a separate Certifications section.
O*NET OnLine publishes technology inventories by occupation. Cross-check operations and finance terms against O*NET OnLine occupation profiles before you finalize wording for a specialized posting.
Domain note: regulated finance and supply chain roles reward domain terms—SOX compliance, ASC 606, S&OP—as much as platform names.
Great skills for healthcare, sales, and customer success roles
Healthcare, sales, and customer success postings combine clinical or CRM platforms with compliance vocabulary and relationship methods. Great skills name each layer with posting-exact spelling.
Healthcare and clinical — Technical: Epic, Cerner, MEDITECH, Athenahealth, HIPAA compliance documentation, clinical informatics, EHR implementation, HL7, FHIR, medical coding (ICD-10, CPT).
Healthcare and clinical — Methods: patient safety protocols, quality improvement (QI), clinical documentation improvement, infection control, care coordination, regulatory audit preparation, interdisciplinary team leadership.
Sales and customer success — Technical: Salesforce CRM, HubSpot, Gong, Outreach, Salesloft, Zendesk, Gainsight, Microsoft Dynamics, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo.
Sales and customer success — Methods: pipeline management, account expansion, churn reduction, contract negotiation, QBR presentation, customer onboarding, upsell strategy, territory planning, MEDDPICC, solution selling.
ATS wording tip: write Salesforce CRM—not CRM software. HIPAA and ICD-10 are distinct parser keywords for clinical roles. Pair platform names with outcome bullets: reduced patient wait times 15% through Epic workflow redesign.
For count guidance when selecting from these inventories, read how many skills you should list on your resume .
Quick note: clinical and enterprise sales roles often require certification acronyms—RN, PMP, SHRM-CP—written alongside platform names in the same skills block.
ATS wording patterns that make great skills extract correctly
Great skills fail when wording breaks parser extraction. Workday and iCIMS—common US employer platforms—index skills as structured data separate from experience narrative. Three phrasing patterns protect function-specific inventories across uploads.
Pattern A — Labeled subgroups (best for technical and hybrid roles):
Skills
Technical: SQL, Python, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Snowflake
Methods: cohort analysis, A/B testing, financial forecasting
Domain: B2B SaaS metrics, churn analysis, subscription revenue modeling
Pattern B — Single comma-separated block (best when space is tight):
Skills
Jira, Confluence, Agile, Scrum, MS Project, Smartsheet, risk registers, stakeholder reporting, budget tracking, PMP
Never write full sentences, rating bars, or skill clouds under Skills. Parsers optimized for keyword extraction skip graphical indicators and narrative phrasing. Save proof in experience bullets.
After you write function-specific skills, upload a draft to HireFlow's free ATS resume checker and confirm your terms extract into the skills field. The parsed preview often reveals terms hidden by layout choices your PDF displays correctly.
For how parsers classify tools versus methods, see how ATS interprets skills vs tools vs technologies .
Pro move: audit every great skill against the posting—delete terms that do not appear in requirements; irrelevant keywords dilute match scores worse than a shorter list.
Before-and-after: great skills wording by function
Function-specific wording fixes often produce larger ATS gains than adding more terms to a vague list. Compare these common mistakes with great skills phrasing:
Data analyst — vague labels instead of named tools
- Skills: data analysis, BI tools, spreadsheets, programming, visualization, teamwork, problem solving
- Skills — Technical: SQL, Python, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Snowflake — Methods: cohort analysis, A/B testing, financial forecasting — Domain: B2B SaaS churn analysis
Marketing manager — collapsed platform names
- Skills: digital marketing, social media tools, analytics platforms, SEO/SEM, email marketing software, content creation
- Skills: SEO, SEM, Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, content strategy, email automation, Meta Business Suite, A/B testing, conversion rate optimization
Supply chain analyst — missing domain terms
- Skills: supply chain, logistics, Excel, data analysis, ERP systems, inventory management experience
- Skills — Technical: SAP IBP, SAP S/4HANA, Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), Power BI — Methods: demand forecasting, S&OP, inventory optimization, lean manufacturing — Domain: discrete manufacturing supply chains
Registered nurse — clinical skills without platform names
- Skills: patient care, teamwork, EMR, hospital experience, IV therapy, medication administration, compassionate caregiver
- Skills — Technical: Epic, Cerner, HIPAA compliance documentation, ICD-10 coding — Methods: patient safety protocols, quality improvement (QI), clinical documentation — Certifications: RN, BLS, ACLS
Bottom line: named products, posting-exact spelling, and labeled subgroups turn function inventories into great skills parsers and recruiters score higher.
How Workday, Greenhouse, and Taleo read great skills lists
Platform behavior varies, but great skills phrasing rules protect function-specific inventories across employers. Understanding how major ATS products index the Skills block helps you choose wording before every upload.
- Workday: maps a standard Skills heading to a dedicated field; sidebar and two-column layouts often drop right-column skill content entirely
- Greenhouse: scores semantic overlap across skills and experience bullets; great skills without bullet proof 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 skills content higher on two-page files—place great skills on page one
A common failure mode: copying a full function inventory without tailoring. Forty terms dilute match scores in Workday and SuccessFactors worse than eight to fifteen posting-aligned great skills with bullet proof.
Great skills checklist
- Selected eight to fifteen terms from one function inventory per application
- Named products written with posting-exact spelling
- Labeled subgroups: Technical:, Methods:, Domain:, Certifications:
- Keyword phrases and comma lists—no full sentences under Skills
- Top posting tools repeated in two or more experience bullets
- Standard Skills heading in document body—not sidebar or text box
- No rating bars, skill clouds, or nested tables
- Soft skills limited to one to three posting-named terms with proof
- Section placed on page one when tools define the role
- Parser test completed before portal submit
Parser insight: great skills are tailored inventories—not paste-in lists. Write for extraction, mirror the posting, and prove every priority term in bullets.
What are some great skills to put on a resume depends on your target function and the posting you apply to—not a universal master list. Select eight to fifteen named products, methods, domain terms, and certification acronyms from function inventories. Write them as comma-separated keyword phrases under a standard Skills heading with posting-exact spelling. Repeat top terms in experience bullets with action, scope, and outcomes. Great skills beat good skills because parsers and recruiters can verify them—not because the list is longer.
Build a function inventory, tailor per application, and verify parser extraction before every upload. Run your file through HireFlow's free ATS resume checker after you finalize great skills—a missing or mangled skills field costs interviews even when your background matches. Mirror posting language, prove it in bullets, and let parsers match what employers search for.
Frequently asked questions
Great skills are posting-aligned hard skills grouped by function: named software and platforms, repeatable methods, domain terms, and certification acronyms employers search in ATS keyword fields. Software engineers lead with Python, AWS, and CI/CD; marketers with Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, and SEO; analysts with SQL, Tableau, and financial modeling. Tailor the list to one posting—not a generic inventory.
Great skills combine high employer demand, ATS-searchable product names, and proof in experience bullets. Good skills may be accurate but vague—data analysis instead of SQL and Tableau. Great skills use exact posting vocabulary, appear in both the skills block and work history, and map to outcomes recruiters verify during screens.
Yes when your target roles cluster in one function. Use labeled subgroups—Technical:, Methods:, Domain:—with terms standard for that function. A data analyst writes SQL, Python, Tableau under Technical and cohort analysis under Methods. Cross-functional candidates may use two labeled blocks showing range without exceeding fifteen terms per application.
Write comma-separated keyword phrases under a standard Skills heading—never full sentences or rating graphics. Match job description spelling exactly: Microsoft Power BI, not PowerBI; Jira, not project tracking software. Repeat top terms in experience bullets so Greenhouse and Lever score semantic overlap between skills and work history.
Most tailored US resumes perform well with eight to fifteen terms per application. Deep technical stacks may reach twenty when every term is relevant. Overloading forty generic terms dilutes match scores in Workday and SuccessFactors worse than a shorter posting-focused list.
Use these lists as inventories—not paste-in blocks. Select only terms the posting names and you can prove in bullets. Copy exact spelling from the job description. A great skill you cannot discuss in an interview should not appear on your resume.
Repeat top posting keywords in your professional summary and at least two experience bullets per recent role. Skills written only under a Skills heading without contextual proof in dated work history rank lower in semantic ATS scoring than terms repeated with scope and outcomes.
Prioritize transferable methods and tools that bridge your old and target function—Agile, SQL, stakeholder reporting, financial modeling, UX research—plus domain terms from the new field. Lead with tools you used in projects, bootcamps, or volunteer work that mirror posting language, not every skill from your previous industry.
Done for you
Turn this advice into an interview-ready resume
Professional writers rebuild your resume for ATS + recruiters — unlimited revisions, interview guarantee.