Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

What are hard skills?

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that can be measured, tested, and demonstrated. They are usually learned through formal education, training programmes, certifications, or on-the-job experience. A recruiter or hiring manager can verify whether you have them — often through a practical test, portfolio, or credentials.

Examples of hard skills include:

• Programming languages (Python, JavaScript, SQL)
• Foreign languages (Spanish, Mandarin, French)
• Software proficiency (Excel, Salesforce, AutoCAD)
• Certifications (CPA, PMP, AWS Certified, RN)
• Technical trades (welding, electrical work, plumbing)
• Data analysis and statistical modelling

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are interpersonal traits and behavioural competencies — the "people skills" that determine how you work with others, handle challenges, and conduct yourself professionally. They're harder to quantify but just as important as technical ability, and often the deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates.

Examples of soft skills include:

• Communication and active listening
• Leadership and team collaboration
• Adaptability and resilience
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Emotional intelligence and empathy
• Time management and organisation

Key differences at a glance

Hard Skills	Soft Skills
Specific and teachable	Interpersonal and behavioural
Learned through training or education	Developed through experience and reflection
Measurable and verifiable	Harder to quantify
Role-specific (e.g. SQL, AutoCAD)	Transferable across roles and industries
Listed in a skills section	Demonstrated through bullet-point examples
Assessed by tests or portfolios	Assessed in interviews and references

Which matters more?

The short answer: both, but for different reasons and at different stages of the hiring process.

Hard skills get your resume through the ATS filter and prove you can do the job. Applicant tracking systems scan for specific keywords — "Python," "Salesforce," "PMP" — and resumes without them often don't reach a human reader. This is why matching your hard skills to the exact language in the job description matters so much.

Soft skills determine whether you get hired. Once your resume reaches a hiring manager, they are looking for someone they can work with, trust, and who will grow in the role. Interviews are largely an assessment of soft skills — how you communicate, how you handle difficult situations, how self-aware you are.

Examples by industry

Technology

• Hard: Python, AWS, Docker, React, SQL, CI/CD pipelines
• Soft: Collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability, communication

Healthcare / Nursing

• Hard: IV insertion, Epic EMR, BLS/ACLS, phlebotomy, ICD-10 coding
• Soft: Empathy, patient advocacy, critical thinking, stress management

Marketing

• Hard: Google Analytics, SEO, Mailchimp, Facebook Ads, A/B testing
• Soft: Creativity, storytelling, analytical thinking, collaboration

Teaching

• Hard: Google Classroom, IEP development, formative assessment, Canvas LMS
• Soft: Patience, communication, classroom management, cultural responsiveness

Construction

• Hard: Blueprint reading, OSHA 30, AutoCAD, concrete work, welding
• Soft: Teamwork, attention to detail, reliability, leadership

How to balance both on your resume

The most effective resumes include both types of skills and use them strategically across different sections.

Skills section — lead with hard skills

Your dedicated skills section should be keyword-rich and ATS-friendly. Prioritise the hard skills that appear in the job description. Group them by type — "Technical Skills," "Software," "Certifications" — for readability. You can include 3–5 soft skills here if they're particularly relevant to the role (e.g. "Stakeholder Management" for a senior PM position).

Experience section — demonstrate soft skills

Back up your soft skills with evidence in your bullet points. Instead of listing "leadership" in a skills section and leaving it there, prove it: "Led a cross-functional team of 12 to deliver a $2M infrastructure project 3 weeks ahead of schedule." That bullet shows leadership, project management, and results simultaneously.

Tailor to each role

Every job posting signals which hard and soft skills matter most. Use our Skills Matcher to paste in the job description and instantly see which skills to highlight for that specific application.