This guide to CV skills shows you how to select, write, and present skills that catch the eye of UK hiring managers and applicant tracking systems. You will learn which skills to highlight, how to tailor them to a job advert, and concrete UK-specific examples you can copy into your own CV.
The advice is practical and focused on improving your chances at each stage of the UK recruitment process.
Building a Skills For resume?
Skip the blank page. Start with a template built for this role, then tailor it for each job you apply to.
Tip: use the template as a starting point, then swap in your own numbers and project names.
Why skills for CV matter
Skills on your CV are a quick way for employers to see what you can do, especially during an initial screen. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems scan for key skills to filter candidates, so listing relevant skills increases your chances of progressing to an interview.
Presenting skills clearly helps you match the job requirements while demonstrating how you have solved problems in past roles.
Types of skills to include
Group skills into hard skills, soft skills, and transferable skills so recruiters can scan them quickly. Hard skills are measurable abilities like programming languages, tools, or certifications.
Soft skills are interpersonal strengths like communication, time management, and leadership. Transferable skills are abilities you can bring across roles, such as project planning or data analysis.
How to pick the right skills for CV
Start by reading the job advert and extracting the exact skills and phrases the employer uses, then match those terms to your experience. Prioritise skills you can prove with accomplishments, not just claimed traits.
If a role lists three required skills, make sure those appear prominently in your Skills section and in related bullet points under Experience.
How to format your skills section
Choose a format that fits your experience and the job. For technical roles, use a concise 'Technical Skills' list grouped by category, such as Languages, Frameworks, Tools, and Databases.
For non-technical roles, use a 'Core Competencies' list with 8 to 12 items, and reinforce them with examples in your work history and professional profile. Keep the CV clear and scannable, and where helpful, link skills to outcomes that matter to UK recruiters.
Where to include skills on your CV
Place a short skills section near the top of your CV so recruitment teams and ATS see it early. Also weave key skills into your professional profile, experience bullet points, and project descriptions to provide context and proof.
When you mention a skill in an Experience bullet, add a measurable result so the skill has demonstrated impact.
Writing example bullet points that show skills for CV
Use bullets that start with a strong action verb and include context, actions, and measurable results. Tailor bullets to the role and level you are applying for, and sprinkle the most important skills throughout.
Examples:
Examples
Analysed data from multiple sources to identify churn drivers and delivered a product tweak that increased retention by 9%.
Led a cross‑functional team of 6 to deliver a £250,000 project two weeks ahead of schedule, improving customer satisfaction by 12%.
Implemented a new CRM workflow that reduced response time by 40% and cut manual data entry by 30%.
Designed and delivered training for 20 staff on new compliance procedures, improving audit pass rate from 88% to 98%.
Additional Tips
- 1Maintain a master list of your skills with concrete examples so you can tailor your CV quickly for different roles in the UK job market.
- 2Where possible, include timeframes and scale (for example number of users, revenue, or percentage improvements) and present salary figures in £.
- 3Ask colleagues or mentors to check that the skills you list are supported by the evidence in your CV bullet points.