How to Showcase Soft Skills on Your Resume (+80 Examples)
Soft skills help employers understand how you communicate, collaborate and solve problems, not just what technical abilities you have. We reveal which soft skills employers value most, how to choose the right ones, and share 50+ resume-ready examples.
When it comes to building a strong resume, it’s not all about your technical abilities. Hard skills can get you an interview, but soft skills could help you seal the deal. Employers want to know how you'll work with colleagues, how you handle pressure, and how you treat clients.
In the following guide, we will be covering:
- What soft skills are
- The difference between soft and hard skills
- 80+ examples you can use on your resume
- How to choose the right soft skills for a specific job
- How to showcase them effectively throughout your resume.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are personal traits that impact how you work and interact with others. Prime examples include communication, teamwork, and adaptability. Unlike hard skills, they rarely come from a training course or certificate, which makes them harder to measure.
When it comes to your resume, soft skills show employers what you'd be like as a colleague, manager, or point of contact for clients. That way, they know what to expect should they hire you. Of course, the strongest soft skills on resumes come with a side of evidence.
Soft skills vs. hard skills
Before we go any further, you need to understand the difference between soft skills and hard skills. Here's a quick breakdown:
- Hard skills are specific, measurable abilities you gain through education, training, or work experience. You can usually prove them with a qualification or test.
- Soft skills relate to how you work with people and approach your job. Bonus: they carry over into almost any industry.
Let’s take a look at some examples to help you get the picture:
Soft skills | Hard skills |
How you work with others and handle your responsibilities. | Technical, job-specific abilities you can learn and demonstrate. |
Communication | Excel |
Teamwork | Python |
Adaptability | Bookkeeping |
Leadership | Foreign languages |
Emotional intelligence | Project management software |
The best employers look for candidates who bring a mix of both. Hard skills show you can do the work from day one, while soft skills show you can work well within the company.
Expert Tip
Include soft skills on your resume to show employers that you have the qualities necessary for career growth within the company. Many recruiters say that possessing key soft skills is more important than extensive experience when it comes to internal promotion.
Top 10 soft skills employers look for in 2026
While every role is different, there are some winning soft skills that many employers look out for. Whatever career you happen to have, you’ll likely find the same skills being asked for time and time again. Below are 10 of the most in-demand soft skills, along with why they matter and how they look in practice.
Soft skill | Why employers love it | Example |
Communication | Clear communication prevents mistakes, keeps projects moving forward, and builds trust with clients. | Writing a concise project update that helps your team spot a delay before it slows down the deadline. |
Teamwork | Few people work in isolation. Showing that you can collaborate with a team means you can hit the ground running. | Covering a coworker's tasks during a busy period so the team still hits its weekly targets. |
Adaptability | Priorities and processes change often. Luckily, adaptable staff keep performing when they do. | Learning how to implement AI into your workflow, while keeping your work accurate. |
Problem-solving | Employers value people who spot issues fast and find a solution without extra direction. | Spotting a recurring billing error and creating a checklist that stops it from happening again. |
Time management | Good planning keeps work on schedule and quality high, even when you’re under pressure. | Using a weekly spreadsheet to balance three client projects. |
Leadership | The ability to lead means you can move the team forward and get more done. | Supervising a small team while your manager is on leave. |
Emotional intelligence | People who read and manage emotions well can build stronger working relationships. | Calming a frustrated customer by listening properly to them. |
Critical thinking | Critical thinking means you can make sound decisions rather than acting on assumptions. | Reviewing sales data to find out why a product underperformed as a first step. |
Work ethic | Committed employees need less supervision and earn trust quickly. | Meeting deadlines consistently and following through on commitments. |
Creativity | Thinking outside the box gives the business fresh insights. | Suggesting a new social media format that boosts engagement. |
80+ soft skill examples for your resume
Ready to jazz up your resume with some soft skills? Let’s take a look at more than 80+ examples you can use for your next application, divided by categories.
Communication skills
Communication skills are critical in almost any industry, but especially in sales, management, and human resources positions.
- Confidence
- Public speaking
- Verbal communication
- Non-verbal communication
- Written communication
People skills
The better you can get along with people, the easier your work life is likely to be. The following help you collaborate and make connections:
- Empathy
- Active listening
- Friendliness
- Humor
- Emotional intelligence
Networking skills
Similarly, networking skills impact how well you will get along with others within the company as well as clients or customers.
- Mentoring
- Diplomacy
- Collaboration
- Relationship building
- Mediation
- Agreeableness
- Building rapport
Teamwork Skills
The ability to work on a team is extremely important for many industries and is indicative that you will be a pleasure to work with and a valuable addition to a team setting.
- Cooperation
- Coordination
- Exchanging ideas
- Negotiation
- Delegation
- Conflict management
- Influencing
- Respectfulness
Leadership skills
Leadership skills are essential for high-level positions, and they can help you get promoted quickly within a company or be given more responsibility.
- Project management
- Management skills
- Trust
- Mentorship
- Cultural knowledge
- Humility
- Ability to motivate a team
Management skills
Management skills are very similar to leadership skills. However, they impact how you work on a day to day basis with your team.
- Hiring skills
- Training ability
- Ability to give feedback
- Patience
- Clear communication
Critical thinking skills
Critical thinking skills mean you can not only collect data, but you will know what to do with that information. Critical thinking skills are valuable in a wide variety of industries and positions.
- Analysis
- Evaluation
- Extrapolation
- Explanation
- Inference
- Interpretation
Work ethic skills
Having a strong work ethic is always desirable in a job applicant. Some examples of work ethic skills include:
- Responsibility
- Discipline
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Commitment
- Self-motivation
- Professionalism
- Assertiveness
Adaptability skills
Things don’t stay the same for long in the business world. The ability to adapt is critical in fast-paced work environments where things change quickly.
- Decision making
- Ability to pivot and adapt quickly
- Quick thinking
- Versatility
- Fast learner
- Self-management
Self development skills
Personal and professional development are always certain to impress employers. Having the following soft skills is a huge plus:
- Self-confidence
- Self-motivation
- Open-mindedness
- Open to new things
- Optimism
Problem-solving skills
Employers will be pleased to know that if a problem arises in the workplace, you are equipped to handle it by finding and implementing a solution.
- Logic
- Reasoning
- Lateral thinking
- Analysis
- Observation
- Persuasion
Creative skills
While creativity skills are of course most important in creative fields, they can be useful in almost any industry.
- Inspiration
- Imagination
- Reframing abilities
- Mind mapping
- Innovation
Time management skills
Effective time management ensures that tasks will be completed on schedule and company time won’t be squandered. These will also be very valuable for any job that requires office skills.
- Goal setting
- Prioritization
- Self-starting abilities
- Planning
- Scheduling
- Stress management
- Multitasking
- Resource management
Soft skill examples by profession
Not sure which soft skills to put on your resume? The answer may come down to your profession. For example, a nurse needs to stay calm under pressure, while a sales professional relies on persuasion and relationship building. Here are some key examples:
Profession | Soft skills |
Nurse | Empathy, communication, calmness under pressure, attention to detail, teamwork |
Teacher | Patience, communication, adaptability, creativity, conflict management |
Accountant | Attention to detail, critical thinking, integrity, time management, problem-solving |
Customer service reps | Active listening, patience, empathy, conflict resolution, positive attitude |
Project manager | Leadership, organization, delegation, communication, decision making |
Software developer | Problem-solving, collaboration, logical thinking, adaptability, openness to feedback |
Sales professional | Persuasion, relationship building, resilience, negotiation, active listening |
Marketing professional | Creativity, communication, analytical thinking, collaboration, adaptability |
Soft skills for remote and hybrid workers
Over 32.6 million Americans now work remotely with many more adopting a hybrid set up. These roles certainly give you more freedom over where and when you work but they also change how you connect with colleagues. Employers hiring for remote positions pay close attention to the soft skills that help you thrive without being in the office.
- Self-motivation: Remote workers often set their own pace most days. Employers want people who start tasks without prompting.
- Written communication: Much of remote work happens over email, Slack, Teams and project management tools. Clear, well-structured messages save everyone time and stop small misunderstandings.
- Time management: Working from home blurs the line between work hours and personal time. Strong planners block out time for focused work and know when to log off.
- Accountability: When managers can't see you working, they judge you on results. Delivering what you promised builds trust quickly.
- Organization: Remote teams rely on shared drives, digital calendars, and task boards. Keeping your files, notes, and to-do lists in order makes it easy for everyone.
- Collaboration (across virtual teams): Remote teams often span different time zones and cultures. Good virtual collaborators share updates proactively and come to video calls prepared.
- Adaptability: Remote setups change often, from new software to shifting meeting schedules. Flexible employees can adjust their routines without losing productivity.
How to list soft skills on your resume
Now that you’re clear on the best soft skills for your resume, let’s talk about where you can list them. Follow our simple steps to naturally include them in your next application.
Step 1: Identify soft skills in the job description
Look carefully enough and most job adverts tell you which soft skills the employer wants. Scan the responsibilities and "about you" sections for behavioral keywords. Phrases like "works well under pressure," "strong communicator," or "takes initiative" all point to relevant soft skills.
Use these keywords in your resume to show you have the qualities the employer wants. Customize your resume for each application to pass an applicant tracking system (ATS) scan.
Example job advert excerpt:
We're looking for an organized self-starter who can manage multiple priorities and communicate clearly with clients and colleagues. You'll work closely with a small team, so a positive attitude and flexibility are a must.
The highlighted phrases in above are the soft skills. For this example, the employer would be looking for someone who is a good communicator, adaptable, and a self-starter.
Step 2: Match the skills to your experience
It’s important to show, not tell. Only include soft skills you can back up with real examples. You may have to go into more detail during the interview so be 100% honest here. Be selective in the skills that you include. For example, if the job advert stresses teamwork and problem-solving, put those front and center instead of listing every strength you have.
Step 3: Demonstrate your soft skills through achievements
To give your application more weight, tie each one to a responsibility, achievement, or measurable outcome. Whenever possible, include metrics. Quantified data, such as numbers, percentages, team sizes, or timeframes, makes seemingly abstract qualities easy to grasp.
Weak example | Strong example |
Excellent communication | Presented quarterly reports to senior stakeholders across four departments. |
Team player | Collaborated with cross-functional teams to launch three successful product campaigns. |
Leadership | Led a team of six employees during a successful software implementation. |
Step 4: Add them throughout your resume
While you can include soft skills in a list, they tend to work better if you sprinkle them throughout your resume. If listing soft skills in several places would make your resume longer than one page, keep them in your experience section only.
In the standard reverse chronological format, your work experience section gives you the most room to show soft skills in action. Including a short summary at the top and a skills section at the bottom can then reinforce the same qualities.
Of course, if you use a functional or skills-based format, your skills section takes the spotlight. Pair each soft skill with a brief example.
Seattle, WA
•
Collaborative Business Analyst with 10+ years of experience. Applies strong analytical and problem-solving skills to spot inefficiencies and grow revenue, with a track record of increasing sales by over 30% in two previous roles.
Business Analyst, Heart Life Inc.
2021
-2026
Seattle, WA
- Provided analysis and data extrapolation of business processes for a 200-person sales division
- Identified inefficiencies and problem-solved to create a new reporting workflow
- Collaborated with finance and operations teams to roll out solutions that grew sales by over 30%
- Mentored two junior analysts through their first year in the role
Soft skills: Critical thinking, Collaboration, Problem-solving
Hard skills: SQL, Tableau, Excel, Salesforce
If you want to discover more ways to include your soft skills in your resume, be sure to check out our resume examples.
Other places to mention your soft skills
Want to emphasize your skills? You can also work soft skills into your resume headline, resume summary, or resume objective. Here are examples of how to do that.
Resume headline example:
Collaborative and Innovative Business Analyst with 10+ Years of Experience
Resume summary example:
Eager to join SmartWise Company and apply strong analytical and data extrapolation skills to increase sales and revenue. Grew sales by over 30% in two previous roles by identifying inefficiencies, problem-solving, and implementing practical solutions.
Resume objective example:
Adaptable and detail-oriented retail supervisor looking to move into an operations coordinator role, bringing proven organization, team leadership, and customer communication skills.
How to make your soft skills stand out
Overlooking soft skills is a huge mistake. Follow these key takeaways when including them in your next resume:
- Pick your three to five strongest qualities for the role instead of listing everything you can think of.
- Match your soft skills to the job description and mirror the employer's wording where it fits naturally.
- Use examples and measurable outcomes, such as numbers and percentages, to show how your soft skills helped you get results.
- Work your soft skills into your headline, summary, objective, and work experience as well as your skills section.
Ready to put your soft skills front and center? Jobseeker's resume builder lets you enter your details once and switch between professional resume templates, styles, fonts, and color schemes in seconds. Want to compliment your CV with a strong cover letter? Use our cover letter builder and compliment your resume. Check out our cover letter examples and templates for inspiration. Create a polished resume and cover letter to win over employers today.
Frequently Asked Questions about soft skills
Should I include soft skills in my resume and cover letter?
Yes, in most cases. Your cover letter could be the ideal place to give employers a fuller picture of who you are and how you'll fit into their team. Many hiring managers now hire for attitude as well as ability, so demonstrating your skills matters.
What’s more, if you're applying for a highly technical position, you may want to prioritize hard skills on your resume. In that case, let your cover letter show your soft skills.
What are the top most wanted soft skills?
Of course, every role is different. However, similar soft skills appear in job descriptions across almost every industry. These include communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, time management, leadership, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, work ethic, and creativity.
How do I identify my soft skills?
Consider your past achievements and ask what qualities helped you succeed. You can also review old performance appraisals, think about the compliments colleagues and managers have given you, or ask a trusted coworker what they see as your strengths.
How do I improve my soft skills?
If you’re looking to grow your soft skills, practice makes perfect.Volunteer to lead a meeting or small project, ask your manager for honest feedback, or take an online course.
How many soft skills should I list on a resume?
Aim for three to five soft skills that match the job description. A short, focused selection backed up by real examples makes a stronger impression than a long list.
What's the difference between soft skills and interpersonal skills?
Interpersonal skills are a type of soft skill. They cover how you communicate and build relationships with other people. Soft skills, however, form the wider category. Alongside interpersonal skills, they include personal qualities that show how you work.
Should you include soft skills on your resume?
Including soft skills on your resume helps give potential employers a more well-rounded idea of who you are as a person. In recent years, employers have placed more of an emphasis on hiring for attitude and other soft skills rather than hiring strictly for hard skills.
After all, it’s much easier to teach someone who is personable how to perform job-specific tasks than it is to teach someone who is technically proficient how to be friendly.
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