As we move into 2026, hiring is becoming more skills-first. Recruiters and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are actively scanning your resume for the right mix of technical, digital, and soft skills. It’s not enough to simply list “hardworking” and “team player” anymore — your skills section needs to speak the language of the job description.

In this guide, we’ll break down the essential skills you should consider adding to your 2026 resume, along with how to present them in an ATS-friendly format. If you want to instantly check whether your skills match a specific job, you can upload your resume to our ATS Resume Checker and get a detailed match report.

1. Core Digital & Technical Skills for 2026

No matter your industry, basic digital literacy has become mandatory. Employers expect you to be comfortable using tools, software, and platforms that keep teams productive and connected.

• Productivity & collaboration tools: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Notion, Trello, Jira
• Data handling & analysis: Excel/Sheets (formulas, pivots), basic dashboards, data visualization tools
• AI & automation tools: AI writing assistants, ATS-friendly resume builders, workflow automation tools
• Industry tools: CRMs, ERPs, design tools, coding languages, or any software named in the job description

When you add these skills, don’t just dump tool names in a list. Prioritize skills that appear in the job description and that you can back up with achievements in your Experience section.

2. AI, Automation & Data Skills That Stand Out

Employers are increasingly looking for candidates who can work alongside AI and automation rather than be replaced by it. Even non-technical roles benefit from basic AI and data awareness.

• Prompting AI tools to research, summarize, or generate drafts
• Using data to make decisions (reports, dashboards, simple analytics)
• Automation of repetitive tasks (rules, templates, macros, workflows)

To identify the most important skills for your role, you can use an AI-powered keyword analysis approach: compare the job description with your resume and see which core capabilities are missing. Our CV Chackr keyword analysis does this automatically.

3. Human Skills Employers Still Care About

While tools and tech change fast, human skills are still at the core of high-performing teams. In 2026, recruiters are especially interested in candidates who can communicate well, adapt quickly, and collaborate in hybrid or remote environments.

• Communication: clear writing, stakeholder updates, presentation skills
• Collaboration: cross-functional teamwork, remote coordination, conflict resolution
• Problem-Solving: breaking down issues, proposing options, implementing solutions
• Adaptability & learning: upskilling, ability to work with new tools or processes
• Ownership & accountability: taking responsibility for outcomes

Instead of listing generic phrases like “good communication skills”, show impact in your bullet points, for example: “Led cross-team collaboration between product and sales, reducing feature launch delays by 20%.”

4. Domain & Role-Specific Skills

In addition to general tech and soft skills, every resume needs role-specific skills. These are the skills that prove you’re not just employable — you’re employable for this particular role.

Examples:

• Marketing: SEO, performance marketing, marketing automation, content strategy, analytics
• Software development: languages (e.g., JavaScript, Python), frameworks, version control, testing
• Finance: financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, compliance
• HR: recruitment tools, ATS platforms, employee engagement, HR analytics

To get inspiration, look at multiple job descriptions or explore role examples in your industry. You can also check what’s trending in 2026 resume trends to align with modern expectations.

5. How to Structure the Skills Section on Your Resume

Once you’ve identified your skills, you need to present them clearly so both humans and ATS can read them easily. Use a simple, single-column layout like we recommend in our ATS resume formatting guide.

Here’s a simple structure you can follow:

1. Skills heading: “Skills” or “Core Skills” (avoid creative alternatives)
2. Grouped skills: Organize skills under 2–4 categories, e.g., “Technical Skills”, “Tools”, “Soft Skills”
3. Bullet form: Use commas or bullets, not full sentences
4. Job-specific: Move the most relevant skills to the top of each group

For example:

Technical Skills: Excel (advanced), Power BI, SQL (basic), CRM tools, workflow automation
Soft Skills: Stakeholder management, problem-solving, presentation, cross-functional collaboration

6. Skills You Should Avoid Listing in 2026

Some skills do more harm than good on a modern resume. They either sound outdated, too generic, or don’t add real value in an ATS scan.

• Very basic computer skills (“MS Word”, “Email usage”) unless explicitly requested
• Buzzwords without proof (“hardworking”, “go-getter”, “quick learner”)
• Skills unrelated to the job (hobbies, random certifications not aligned to your career)

Instead, focus on skills that you can prove through achievements in your Experience section. If you’re not sure which skills look outdated or irrelevant, upload your resume to our Resume Check tool — it will highlight weak areas and missing keywords.

7. Check If Your Skills Match the Job

The most important question is not “How many skills do I have?” but “How many of my skills match this job posting?”. A target job in 2026 may require fewer, but sharper and more aligned skills.

Here’s a quick process you can follow:

1. Take the job description and highlight all the skills and tools mentioned.
2. Compare them with your current skills section.
3. Add or reorder your skills to better match the job (without lying, of course).
4. Use an ATS checker like CV Chackr to measure your keyword and skills match score.

For more help optimizing your resume end-to-end, explore our other guides in Resume Tips or see practical examples in our Use Cases section.