Skills to Add in CV and What a Resume Should Include
This guide covers the skills to add in a CV for common Indian jobs, hard skills recruiters search for and soft skills interviewers probe, followed by a checklist of what a resume should include and what to leave out.
By Umer Sattar Updated 21 Oct 2026
Hard skills vs soft skills
Hard skills can be tested (Tally Prime, Excel, Selenium, AutoCAD, panel wiring). Soft skills describe how someone works (communication, leadership, teamwork). ATS software mainly matches hard skills, while interviews test soft skills, so list hard skills clearly and show soft skills through achievements.
Skills to add in CV by field
| Field | Hard skills and tools |
|---|---|
| Accounts / finance | Tally Prime, GST returns, TDS, bank reconciliation, MS Excel |
| IT / software | Java or Python, SQL, Git, REST APIs, testing tools, cloud basics |
| Marketing | Campaign planning, Meta and Google Ads, SEO, GA4, CRM, Canva |
| Construction | Site supervision, BOQ, bar bending schedule, AutoCAD, quality control |
| Electrical / ITI | Wiring, panel and motor maintenance, measuring instruments, safety |
| Healthcare | Dispensing, patient counselling, clinical documentation, EMR |
| Teaching | Lesson planning, CBSE curriculum, assessment, Google Classroom |
For a full list for your exact job title, use the resume keywords generator.
How many skills should a CV list?
About 8–12, relevant to the job. A long list of unrelated skills weakens the ones that matter.
What should a resume include?
- Name, target job title, phone, email, city
- A two-line objective or professional summary
- Experience (or internships and projects for freshers) with numbers
- Education with year and percentage or CGPA
- Skills: tools first, then a few soft skills
- Certifications, achievements, languages
- Declaration, place and date where expected
What to leave out
- Salary details unless asked.
- Personal details like religion, caste or marital status for private jobs (they belong in a biodata, if anywhere).
- Hobbies that add nothing, and photos unless requested.
- Skills you can't explain in an interview.
Skills to Add in CV: FAQ
What skills should I add in my CV?
8–12 job-relevant hard skills and tools named as in job posts, plus a few soft skills shown through achievements.
What should a resume include?
Contact details and job title, objective or summary, experience or projects, education, skills, certifications, and a declaration where customary.
Should I add soft skills to my CV?
Yes, a few, but prove them in experience bullets rather than just listing them.
What should not be in a resume?
Unasked salary details, unnecessary personal details, irrelevant hobbies and skills you can't back up.