50+ Soft Skills for a Resume (Soft Skills List for 2024)

You know that soft skills are a necessity in this day and age. But which ones matter in your profession? Are any of them in demand? Is there a point in adding them to a resume?

This article explains it all. Start learning about soft skills for a resume now.

In this guide:

• List of 50+ soft skills for resumes.
• How to add soft skills to your resume effectively.
• Tips on developing soft skills to aid your career development.

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• Critical Thinking Skills for a Resume
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• Key Skills for a Resume (Best Resume Skills Examples)
• Management Skills on a Resume: Examples & Writing Advice
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Soft Skills on a Resume—Example

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are personal qualities and abilities that affect your work performance and interaction with coworkers. In contrast to hard skills, soft skills are not job-specific. As they’re highly desirable by employers, it’s worth knowing how to list soft skills on a resume correctly.

Soft skills are unique because they can’t be learned through traditional training methods. Books, courses, or schooling aren’t enough to develop them, as they require interaction with others.

Why Are Soft Skills Important?

For many years, soft skills were not deemed essential for all professions. Of course, they were expected from teachers, therapists, social workers, and customer assistants. But nowadays, they’re a part of every job imaginable.

Why?

It’s because well-developed soft skills not only help to work with other people but also make you more resilient. Research has shown that training focused on developing specific soft skills can lead to a long-term productivity boost. Sadly, the prevalent schooling system doesn’t put enough emphasis on developing them, which leads to a skills gap in modern workplaces.

I will talk about how to improve soft skills later on in this article, but for now, let’s focus on examples of soft skills for resumes.

Which Are the Most Desirable Soft Skills for a Resume?

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact number of soft skills. However, some of them are more desirable than others. Below, you can see the 10 essential soft skills to put on a resume that are important for any workplace. 

The 10 Most In-Demand Skills for a Resume (For any Profession) Are:

1. Adaptability

Adaptability helps you adjust to changes in the workplace. This soft skill makes it easier to manage disruptions in the workflow, unexpected situations, interruptions in schedules, and other events that can potentially cause stress. A person who is highly adaptable can easily deal with changes and accept new ways of working.

Adaptability skills include:

• Accepting feedback
• Collaboration
• Critical thinking
• Growth mindset
• Open-mindedness
• Prioritizing
• Strategic planning

2. Collaboration skills

Working with others is unavoidable. No matter if you’re in a corporate environment, or you’re a freelance artist—you need collaboration skills to succeed. These soft skills help you find common ground with business partners or clients, help you accept other people’s points of view, and value other people’s input.

Examples of collaboration skills include:

• Active listening
• Communication skills
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Inclusion & diversity
• Open-mindedness

3. Communication

Communication is a skill that people take for granted. But the truth is, many people have problems expressing themselves clearly. And that’s why these soft skills are very desirable at most jobs that require frequent communication with clients or between departments.

Communication skills examples are:

• Active listening
• Body language
• Presentation skills
• Sharing feedback
• Verbal communication
• Written communication

4. Conflict resolution

Let’s be honest—have you ever worked at a place with zero drama? Conflicts arise everywhere. Sometimes they’re over minor annoyances, but quite often they escalate to something very serious. Being able to handle such situations is a valuable soft skill.

Conflict resolution skills include:

• Accountability
• Assertiveness
• Emotional intelligence
• Empathy
• Problem-solving
• Stress management

5. Critical-thinking skills

Critical-thinking skills are complex cognitive abilities. They can help you assess situations, distinguish between fact and opinion, and solve problems in a creative way. In the era of fake news and deep fakes, they are indispensable.

Examples of critical-thinking skills include:

• Assessing and analyzing information
• Interpreting information
• Making informed decisions
• Open-mindedness
• Problem-solving

6. Flexibility

Similar to adaptability skills, flexibility helps you to adjust to changing circumstances. Flexibility skills can help you go the extra mile when it’s necessary. For example, a flexible employee will be able to adjust their schedule to support the business during peak seasons or will be able to handle additional duties when a colleague is on leave.

Examples of flexibility skills include:

• Multitasking
• Planning
• Scheduling
• Time management

7. Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills help you to interact with other people effectively—that’s why they’re also often called social skills. They’re highly desirable in all work environments, allowing people to collaborate better.

Interpersonal skills include:

• Active listening
• Conflict resolution
• Cultural sensitivity
• Empathy
• Inclusion & diversity
• Patience
• Positive attitude
• Relationship building
• Teamwork skills

8. Leadership skills

Yes—people in leadership positions need soft skills, too. It’s not just Machiavellian ideals anymore. In the 21st century, leaders are expected to motivate and inspire others. They should gain respect by setting a great example for others.

Examples of leadership skills include:

• Adaptability
• Agility
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Effective communication
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Goal setting
• Innovation
• Inspiration
• Negotiation

9. Time management

There are many tools that can make time management easier, yet it still remains a key soft skill for the modern workplace. Employers want to work with people who can organize their work efficiently.

Time management skills include:

• Goal setting
• Planning
• Prioritizing
• Scheduling
• Working with deadlines

10. Problem-solving skills

A problem-solving attitude is priceless for employers. Individuals who can easily identify and find solutions to problems can help to boost productivity and introduce innovative ideas. What’s not to like?

Examples of problem-solving skills are:

• Analytical skills
• Brainstorming
• Communication
• Creativity
• Decision-making skills
• Dependability
• Mediation
• Prioritization

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How to List Soft Skills on a Resume?

Adding soft skills to a resume isn’t just about pasting a long list of them onto the document. You must be selective—use only the skills that match the job requirements. Then, include examples of how you used these skills in various resume sections.

Take a look at the steps outlined below:

1. Add soft skills to the resume profile

Let’s start with the way you introduce yourself on a resume. Your resume profile should include some examples of soft skills straight away. No matter if you choose to write a resume summary or a career objective, it’s good to show a glimpse of the personal traits that make you a great employee.

For example, if a job offer calls for a person who is motivated and demonstrates excellent time-management skills, the profile below shows an excellent candidate:

Soft Skills on a Resume: Summary Statement

Motivated exhibition manager with 5+ years of experience. Eager to coordinate temporary shows at the Avalon Art Museum while cutting overhead costs and achieving all project goals. Successfully led a gallery project worth $350,000 within established timeframes while reducing expenses by 11%.

2. Include soft skills in the work experience section

The best way to include soft skills in your resume is to mention them when describing your work history. The work experience section should include resume keywords that reflect the job requirements posted in the advertisement. So if your desired company wants someone with time-management skills, collaboration, communication, and mentoring skills—the example below should inspire you.

Soft Skills for a Resume: Example of Work Experience

Exhibition Manager

Avalon Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

January 2017–present

Key responsibilities:

• Coordinated the exhibition calendar of the in-house temporary exhibitions and the permanent gallery collection.
• Created schedules and project workflows for gallery operations, including milestones and regular check-ins to ensure adherence to deadlines.
• Collaborated with the gallery director, curators, and artists to ensure smooth and effective communication.
• Mentored and provided regular feedback sessions to gallery assistants and interns.

Key achievement:

• Led a gallery expansion project with a budget of $350,000 while cutting the costs related to permanent exhibitions by 11%.

3. Use soft skills to improve the education section

If you’re writing an entry-level resume, adding soft skills to the education section is a great idea. You can mention them when describing your academic achievements, projects, or extracurricular activities.

Soft Skills in Resume Education Section

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

California State University San Marcos

September 2009–May 2013

GPA: 3.88

Extracurricular activities:

• Organized a network of study buddies for freshmen students that helped to reduce the dropout rate by 8%.
• Led art club activities for children at the local community center.

4. Make a skill list that includes soft skills

The skill section of your resume shouldn’t be a list of random abilities that came to your mind. Tailoring it to the job ad will help you create a targeted resume.

Here’s how to craft a great skill section:

• Consider the skills you’ve mastered, including professional knowledge, technical abilities, and soft skills.
• Compare them with the requirements outlined in the job advertisement.
• Select 4–6 hard skills and 3–4 soft skills that match the employer's needs.

Just like in the example below:

Listing Soft Skills on a Resume: Example

Skills

• Strategic planning
• Budget management
• Scrum and Agile methodologies
• Written and verbal communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Organizational skills
• Time management
• Creative thinking

5. Refer to soft skills in additional resume sections

You might think hiring managers skip the additional sections on a resume. Do you know when it happens? When the information listed there is irrelevant. Don’t make a mistake like that, and use the extra sections to highlight your soft skills.

For example:

• List certifications on your resume if you completed a course that helped to develop your cultural sensitivity.
• Mention languages to show that you communicate effectively in various settings.
• Prove you collaborate with others well by adding volunteer work to your resume 
• List personal interests and hobbies to highlight that you use leadership skills to run a local book club.

Soft Skills on a Resume: Examples of Extra Sections

Volunteer Work

• Created a community outreach program for local teenagers and organized charity events at the Avalon Gallery to raise over $42,800 for disadvantaged youth in 2021.

How to Improve Your Soft Skills?

You might’ve realized that your soft skills aren’t on point. Congratulations—being aware of the problem is a great starting point for personal development! Now, you can try various methods to work on your soft skills. Choose the one that suits you best.

1. Get Feedback from Others

Sometimes it’s difficult to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses. That’s when people around you can help. Ask your family, friends, and colleagues for feedback. It might feel uncomfortable, but it will give you a broader perspective of your abilities.

You can ask them specific questions, such as “Should I try to improve my verbal communication skills?” or more open ones, such as “How could I make our work relationship better?”

2. Prioritize Areas for Improvement

Browsing through lists of soft skills could be overwhelming. But I’ve got good news: you don’t have to work on all of these skills all at once. That would be simply impossible.

As always, be selective—choose which skills you want to develop first. Make SMART goals. For example, instead of going for a vague “I want to be a better leader”, try “I want to get better at giving feedback to my subordinates.” Small steps are better than no steps.

3. Try Online Courses

That’s the easiest way to learn a skill nowadays. There are millions of online courses dedicated to all topics imaginable. Try listening to experts on YouTube or browsing through popular e-learning platforms like Udemy or Coursera. For example, have a go at the People and Soft Skills for Professional and Personal Success Specialization course to improve your communication, listening, and presentation skills.

4. Find Useful Resources

If online courses are not for you, try other learning resources such as self-help books, blogs, or in-person coaching sessions. A popular book that can help you develop communication skills is How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships, written by Leil Lowndes. You can easily find books on other topics related to soft skills by browsing through Amazon or any other online bookstore.

5. Work with Your Supervisor

Many workplaces provide regular performance evaluations for employees. So why not ask your direct supervisor for feedback on your soft skills? If you both decide that it’s an area for improvement, you could also create a development plan together. There’s a chance that your company provides in-house soft skills training, so make sure to inquire about that.

6. Practice

Yep, I’m afraid so. There isn’t really a better way to develop soft skills than practicing. Yes, it will put you out of your comfort zone, but it will be worth it. Want to improve communication skills? Talk to your colleagues more often. Working on being more adaptable? Volunteer to try new work methods and practice staying calm when changes happen. Want to work on collaboration skills? Ask your supervisor to sign you up for team projects.

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Key Points

Now you know everything about the importance of soft skills in the workplace.

Want a quick reminder of the top 10 in-demand soft skills? Here we go:

1. Adaptability
2. Collaboration
3. Communication
4. Conflict resolution
5. Critical thinking
6. Flexibility
7. Interpersonal skills
8. Leadership skills
9. Time management
10. Problem solving

Have you got any questions about putting soft skills on a resume? Want to share any tips on how to develop soft skills? Let me know in the comments below!