Resume skills for freshers: technical and soft skills lists by field, with examples
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Short answerList 6 to 15 skills you can show, grouped by type (languages, tools, subjects), and copy the exact wording from the job post. Skip rating bars and vague soft skills such as "hard-working".
The skills section is where recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS) look for a match. For a fresher it matters even more, because you have fewer jobs to prove your ability. This guide shows what to write, how to group it and what to leave out.
The free resume builder has a Skills section that takes Label: item, item lines, and its ATS check tells you if you have fewer than five.
The rules
- List 6 to 15 skills. Fewer looks thin and more looks padded.
- Group them. "Languages", "Tools" and "Subjects" are easier to scan than a single long list.
- Use the job post's words. If the advert says "Power BI", write "Power BI", not "dashboard software". ATS software matches words.
- Only list what you can show. Expect to be asked about every item.
- No star ratings or progress bars. They mean nothing to a reader and ATS cannot read them. Write "Python (intermediate)" if the level matters.
- Keep soft skills for your bullets. "Team player" proves nothing; "Led a 4-person team for the final-year project" does.
Languages: Python, SQL, JavaScript Tools: Git, Excel, Power BI, VS Code Subjects: Data structures, DBMS, Computer networks
Technical skills by field
Copy the lines that are true for you.
IT, software and data
Languages: Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, SQL Web: HTML, CSS, React, Node.js, REST APIs Tools: Git and GitHub, VS Code, Postman, Docker (basic) Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB Subjects: Data structures and algorithms, OOP, DBMS, operating systems
Analysis: SQL, Python (pandas, NumPy), Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP) Visualisation: Power BI, Tableau, Matplotlib Methods: Data cleaning, A/B test basics, dashboards, basic statistics
Commerce, finance and accounts
Accounting: Tally Prime, GST basics, TDS basics, bank reconciliation Tools: MS Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables), Google Sheets Subjects: Financial accounting, cost accounting, taxation
Marketing, content and design
Digital: Instagram and LinkedIn posting, Canva, basic SEO, Google Analytics (basic) Writing: Captions, blog posts, email copy, proofreading Tools: Canva, Meta Business Suite, Google Docs
Design: Figma, Canva, Adobe Photoshop (basic) Skills: Wireframing, layout, colour and typography Portfolio: Link to Behance or your own page
Engineering (non-IT)
Software: AutoCAD, SolidWorks, MS Project (basic) Practical: Workshop practice, measurement, basic estimation Subjects: Thermodynamics, strength of materials, fluid mechanics
Customer support, data entry and administration
Typing: 40 words per minute (English) Tools: MS Word, MS Excel (basic), email, Google Sheets, CRM basics Languages: English, Hindi, Tamil
Soft skills: how to show them
Soft skills matter, but a bare list reads like filler. Show them in the work instead.
| Instead of this | Write this |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Led a 4-person team for the final-year project |
| Communication | Presented project to a panel of 3 faculty members |
| Teamwork | Coordinated 12 volunteers for the college fest |
| Time management | Delivered the project 2 days before the deadline |
| Problem solving | Fixed a login bug that blocked 30 test users |
If you do list a few, put them in one line at the end, such as Communication: Written and spoken English, Hindi.
Match the skills to each job
- Open the job post and underline the tools and skills it names.
- Keep every one that is true for you, in the same words.
- Move those to the front of each group.
- Paste the advert into the job match box of the resume builder. It lists the skills the advert wants that your resume does not mention. Do not add one just to raise the score; add it only if you really have it.
Skills to leave out
- "MS Office" with no detail: write Word, Excel or PowerPoint, and what you can do in them.
- Basic things everyone has: "Internet browsing", "email" (unless the role is clerical).
- Anything you did once in a tutorial and cannot talk about.
- Lists of 25 tools. The reader will not believe them.
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Frequently asked questions
What skills should a fresher put on a resume?
Put the tools, languages and subjects the job asks for and that you can actually use, grouped by type. Add one line of languages you speak. Keep it to 6 to 15 skills.
Should freshers list soft skills?
Show them through bullets (led, presented, coordinated) rather than a list. If you do list them, keep it to a single line.
Where should the skills section go on a fresher resume?
After education and projects, which come first for a fresher. If the job is very skills-heavy (a coding role, for example), you can move Skills up under the summary. The builder lets you drag sections into any order.
Can ATS read a skills section with columns or icons?
It often cannot. Use plain lines of text. See what makes a resume ATS-friendly.