{"id":13228,"date":"2026-06-23T23:07:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T03:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/135-best-soft-skills-for-a-resume-and-job-applications\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T23:07:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T03:07:12","slug":"135-best-soft-skills-for-a-resume-and-job-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/135-best-soft-skills-for-a-resume-and-job-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"135 Best Soft Skills for a Resume and Job Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Profit<\/a>
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ooking for a way to stand out in today’s competitive job market?<\/p>\n

While degrees, certifications, and technical expertise are important, they’re only part of the equation. Employers are increasingly looking for candidates who can communicate effectively, work well with others, solve problems, and adapt to changing situations.<\/p>\n

These qualities are known as soft skills, and they often play a major role in determining who gets hired, promoted, and trusted with greater responsibilities.<\/p>\n

The best part is that soft skills aren’t something you’re simply born with. They can be learned, practiced, and strengthened over time, helping you become a more valuable employee, leader, and team member.<\/p>\n

In this article, you’ll discover what soft skills are, why they matter, and 135 valuable soft skills you can start developing to advance your career and personal growth. Be sure to grab the free Goal Planner Printables at the end of the article to help you set goals and track your progress as you build these important skills.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What Are Soft Skills?<\/h2>\n

Soft skills are qualities that are innate to your personality and aren’t part of a formal education, like a college degree<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

(Sidebar: If you’d like to learn how to build more skills into your life,\u00a0check out our review of the Skillshare platform<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Simply put, soft skills are personal skills. These are your natural abilities or character traits that influence your ability to carry out your job and, more importantly, interact with others.<\/p>\n

Soft skills are also often referred to as \u201cpeople skills\u201d because they are strongly associated with a person\u2019s emotional intelligence.<\/p>\n

Why Is It Important to Include a Soft Skills Section on Your Resume?<\/h2>\n

A strong set of the right soft skills on your resume is not only essential to getting the job you want but also necessary for career growth. The soft skills section is so important that\u00a094% of recruiters believe that having them would help promote you to a leadership position.<\/a><\/p>\n

Listing soft skills on your resume allows you to demonstrate your expertise. They are good for the summary paragraph and achievement sections of your resume. When listing your soft skills, keep them short and simple. Each bullet point should highlight and summarize an example of a time you demonstrated the soft skill you have chosen to highlight.<\/p>\n

An employer won’t typically hire someone with weak soft skills. They do not want to invest in a new hire that won’t be long-term. One poor hiring decision can affect productivity, collaboration, and morale.<\/p>\n

You’re probably wondering what kinds of soft skills you already possess and where you could use some improvement. We have broken down everything into six categories so you can see areas in which you are strong and where you could use some improvement.<\/p>\n

What Is the Difference Between Hard and Soft Skills on Your Resume?<\/h2>\n

Hard skills refer to the tangible and technical qualifications that you possess. Soft skills are people-based and are mostly fine-tuned as you interact with others.<\/p>\n

A hard skill refers to job-related knowledge and abilities that a person needs to perform their job more effectively. Soft skills are personal qualities that a person has and allow them to thrive in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Hard skills are all about your technical ability and will be teachable as well as measurable. Some hard skills include writing, reading, math, and your ability to use a computer system or program. On the other hand, soft skills examples include etiquette, communication, listening, and people skills.<\/p>\n

Related Article:<\/strong> \u00a0Learn more about the difference between soft skills and hard skills.<\/a><\/p>\n

If you want to build soft skills for your resume, then here are 135 soft skill examples to help you get started:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Communication Soft Skills<\/h2>\n

Communication skills are perhaps the most important among all the soft skills listed here. No matter what your position is, you need to be able to\u00a0communicate effectively with the people you work with<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. Verbal Communication<\/h2>\n

Speaking clearly and conveying your thoughts and ideas to other people through speech is vital for success. Those with\u00a0good verbal communication skills<\/a>\u00a0can grab people’s attention and communicate a specific and concise point to those around them.<\/p>\n

Strong verbal communication allows people to engage with each other in person and reach mutually agreeable conclusions.<\/p>\n

Related Article<\/strong>: Check out these tips on how to become a good communicator.<\/a><\/p>\n

RELATED: Habits that Stick!<\/p>\n

Want to build a new habit that will stick for the rest of your lifetime? In this video, you will discover a simple 9-step process about building habits that you can immediately implement.<\/p>\n