What are hard skills? Examples and CV tips

What are hard skills?

Hard skills are the technical, measurable skills required to carry out a particular job. Most job descriptions or adverts have a list of essential skills, and at least some of these are likely to be hard skills. Without a mastery of these skills, your chances of success in your job application are significantly reduced.

Hard skills are distinct from soft skills because they are specific industry skills or knowledge that you need for a certain job or profession. While soft skills tend to be transferable and relate more to innate personal strengths that make you a good colleague or employee, hard skills relate more to your specific ability to carry out certain tasks or duties. Hard skills also tend to be more teachable than soft skills, and you may learn specific hard skills through your studies or training.

Why Hard Skills Are Essential for a CV in the UK

Hard skills are essential for a CV in the UK because they are one of the simplest and quickest ways to show an employer you’re suitable for a job. If you’re unable to show a recruiter or hiring manager in your CV or cover letter that you have the necessary hard skills for the role, you’re likely to be quickly discounted from the running.

Hard skills on a CV are also essential for helping your application pass the ATS stage of the selection process. ATS software scans and sorts CVs based on how well they match the job description. Your CV skills list is one of the things an ATS application will scan for keywords, so mentioning the necessary hard skills for the job gives you a better chance of proceeding to the next stage of selection.

In the UK, employers and recruiters will expect your CV to be concise and to-the-point. Depending on the role, industry sector and your seniority, the recommended CV length is typically between one and two pages of A4. As such, make your specific hard skills as prominent as possible in your CV, so the reader can quickly and easily assess your suitability for the role.

Top Hard Skills by Industry

The best hard skills for your CV will depend heavily on the job role, your industry sector and your level of experience. While some hard skills, such as project management, data analysis, programming, computer skills and marketing are useful for a wide range of roles in the UK in 2025, other hard skills are far more specific to a particular job. Here are some of the key hard skills for various UK industry sectors:

Tech sector hard skills

• Programming languages
• Cybersecurity certifications
• Data analysis
• Cloud computing

Finance sector hard skills

• Financial modelling
• Proficiency in Excel
• Regulatory compliance
• Financial reporting

Healthcare sector hard skills

• Patient care techniques
• Medical software
• Compliance with NHS standards
• Laboratory skills

Creative sector hard skills

• Graphic design tools
• Video editing
• UX design
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Construction/engineering sector hard skills

• Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software
• Blueprint drafting and reading
• Surveying skills
• Project management

How to Identify Your Hard Skills

Some of your hard skills should be evident from jobs you’ve done in the past, or qualifications and training you’ve undertaken. However, if you’re having trouble identifying your hard skills, there are several things you can do to make yourself more aware of them.

Firstly, you can conduct a skills self-assessment. There are various ways to do this, and you can even find tools available online to help you identify and assess your skills. Most assessments will help you to create a list of your skills and examples of when you’ve used them. They can help you identify the strength of your skill and discover skills gaps or areas to improve upon.

You can also gain a deeper understanding of your hard skills through feedback from colleagues and managers. Look at previous appraisals and performance reviews to understand the things colleagues think you do well, and things you could do better.

If you’re unsure whether your skills match those in the job description, conduct a skills matching exercise before you apply. Simply make a list of all the skills mentioned in the job description, then identify which of them match your own skills, providing evidence of how you meet each required skill.

Formatting, Presenting and Highlighting Hard Skills on a CV

The presentation of your hard skills on a targeted CV can make or break your chances of success. Employers will want your CV skills to be easily identifiable, so choose a CV template that is as readable as possible. Here are a few tips for presenting your hard skills in the most impactful on your CV:

• Reference your key hard skills throughout your CV. Use your CV summary, work experience section and education section to show how you’ve put your skills to use in your career to date.
• Use bullet points in your work experience section to make each entry more concise and readable, and try to include at least one valuable skill in each bullet point.
• Include a skills list with a handful of your most valuable and powerful hard skills.
• Add context and examples in your skills list, outlining how and where you’ve used your hard skills (if space allows).
• Reference your hard skills more prominently in your CV summary and work experience section for technical roles. For a less specialised position, hard skills may be less important and referencing them in your skills list will probably suffice.

Here are some CV examples of how to present your hard skills in different CV sections:

CV summary:

Work experience section:

Education section:

Skills section:

For more examples of how to present your skills on your CV, see Jobseeker’s CV articles.

Hard Skills and ATS: What UK Job Seekers Need to Know

ATS software is playing an increasingly prominent role in hiring processes (1). Employers and recruiters use ATS software to manage applications and automate certain aspects of the hiring process. One of these processes is initial CV screening. ATS software scans and parses applicant CVs, before ranking them according to their likely match to the job description. They do this mainly by scanning each CV for keywords and phrases that mirror the job description. This helps lighten the workload of hiring managers, by prioritising which CVs to review in most detail.

To ensure your hard skills stand out, and your CV stands the best chance of progressing through the ATS stage of the selection process, follow these simple tips:

• Use a clear, simple heading for your skills section, such as ‘Skills’ or ‘Hard Skills’ and ‘Soft Skills’.
• Include your hard skills using the same wording and terminology as the job description (for example, if the job description references ‘programming’, use this word instead of ‘coding’).
• Use bullet points for a clear, concise layout with short sentences that are easy for ATS software to scan and parse.
• Avoid adding your hard skills in a secondary column. Instead, opt for a single column layout, or make sure your hard skills are listed in the main body column of the CV design.
• Save your CV in a compatible format, such as a Word document or a PDF. If saving your CV as a PDF, ensure you save it in a format for electronic distribution and accessibility (rather than for printing).

Emerging Hard Skills in the UK Job Market for 2025

While the best hard skills for your CV will depend heavily on your profession, some hard skills are growing in importance in the UK job market. Take a look at these hard skills, which will increase your employability and future job prospects in the UK:

• AI/machine learning
• Programming (Python, Javascript, SQL and others)
• Project management
• Data analysis
• Cybersecurity
• Cloud computing
• Digital marketing (SEO, design skills, analytics)
• DevOps, UX design, UX development
• Green technologies (engineering, environmental science, sustainability, environmental law)

To increase your chances of success in the UK job market, you might wish to focus on developing one or more of these skills. If you work in a sector relevant to any of these skills, or for a company that offers a professional development programme, you may be able to develop these skills through your employer. However, you can also work on these skills in your leisure time by completing online training and professional certifications.

Hard skills are essential for a CV in the UK because they are one of the simplest and quickest ways to show an employer you’re suitable for a job.

Key Takeaways for Hard Skills on Your CV

Listing hard skills on your CV is essential if you want to show employers you have what it takes to do the job. Presenting your hard skills in an accessible, readable and easy-to-digest format will help employers to easily understand your credentials, so choose CV layouts and cover letter templates that are clear, simple and professional. Jobseeker offers a wealth of CV and cover letter tools to help you craft a winning job application. Sign up today to access CV templates, cover letter articles and other useful resources to boost your chances of job application success.

Sources:

(1) UKTN, How to beat the ATS bots when applying for a job