Technical Skills vs Soft Skills: Examples, Differences & Career Impact

Learn what the hard and soft skills are, and how to add them to your resume.

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Hard and soft skills are equally important for building a successful career. Hard skills mostly mean your technical abilities and specialized industry knowledge, and soft skills refer to your ability to interact with others. When hiring new talent, employers look for a combination of both technical skills and soft ones. This is why understanding the difference between technical skills and soft skills is crucial for professional growth.

Today, we will look into the definition of hard skills and soft skills and their key differences. In other words, we will compare technical skills vs soft skills and explore practical examples. Plus, we will explore how to develop your skills and how to feature them effectively on your resume, while keeping in mind that recruiters often weigh soft skills vs technical skills depending on the role.

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What Are Technical Skills?

Technical skills are the abilities and knowledge needed to perform specific tasks that are often practical, measurable, and tied to a particular industry or profession. The technical skills meaning can be understood as specialized expertise required to carry out job-related duties efficiently. In other words, if you’ve ever wondered what is the meaning of technical skills, it refers to competencies that can be taught, measured, and evaluated. A clear technical skills definition and examples would include programming, data analysis, accounting, engineering, or operating specialized machinery. Since these are measurable skills, they are often highlighted on resumes as core job-related skills. With technology constantly evolving, continuous technical upskilling has become essential for professionals who want to stay competitive in the workforce.

Hard skills refer to professional skills essential to do your job well. You can learn them, and the level of proficiency in these skills is easy to measure through tests and assessments. They are associated with job-related processes and technologies and thus you'll need different skills for each industry and role.

For a software developer, the essential technical skills are Java and Python programming languages and data analysis tools. An accountant needs to have skills in AP/AR, MS Excel, QuickBooks, and tax accounting.

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are personal attributes and social abilities that define how you interact and collaborate with others in a professional setting. While sometimes called soft technical skills, they differ from hard, measurable abilities because they focus on interpersonal skills, people skills, and overall workplace skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving. One of the key advantages of soft skills is that they are transferable across industries, making them valuable in any career path. Qualities like emotional intelligence play a crucial role in leadership, conflict resolution, and building strong professional relationships. Employers often assess these competencies during behavioral interview questions, since soft skills reveal how a candidate is likely to perform in real-world situations.

Soft skills are interpersonal skills that determine how we interact with other people and act in various workplace situations. Unlike hard skills, they are more difficult to acquire and are next to impossible to measure. Yet, they are highly important. According to research by Harvard University and the Carnegie Foundation, well-developed soft skills contribute to 85% of job success.

Employers often use behavioral interview questions to understand the soft skills of a candidate. In particular, they check communication skills, the ability to handle various workplace situations and keep calm under pressure. The essential human skills also depend on the role. For example, for a customer support rep, communication and conflict resolution skills are the must-haves, whereas for the data analyst, they aren't a top priority.

Technical Skills vs Soft Skills: Key Differences

Now, let's explore the major difference between technical vs soft skills:

• Hard skills depend on the industry and sometimes even the company. For a software developer, it won't be easy to switch jobs without significant retraining. On the other hand, soft skills are more situational and not tied to a specific industry. For example, if you have excellent teamwork and presentation skills, they will be valuable in finance, healthcare, education, and many other fields.
• You can earn technical skills through formal education and training. For example, you can learn German in college, take online courses, or complete a certification program. There are also measurable levels of proficiency in certain skills. It means that if you are motivated enough, you can master any hard skills easily. With soft skills, things are more complicated. Thus, soft skills versus technical skills is more just a matter of obtaining a certain piece of knowledge. There isn't a precise framework for evaluating soft skills, and they develop naturally as you study, work, or participate in volunteering projects. Soft skills are mastered more slowly than hard skills.
• In some industries, technical skills must be validated by certifications or boards. This rule applies to nurses, electrical engineers, and many other roles. Hard skills are easy to confirm with diplomas and certifications. Soft skill development is not backed up with certifications. People reveal them through workplace situations, and in 360-degree assessments and behavioral interviews. Yet, you are expected to have both soft skills and technical skills needed to handle a job.
• When acquiring technical skills, you mostly use intelligence and the left hemisphere of your brain. To develop soft skills, you need emotional skills or EQ. The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for it.
• Technical skills need frequent upskilling and updating, especially in the tech field. Programming languages and financial regulations change, and a good professional needs to stay updated. On the contrary, people skills never become outdated. If you learned how to manage a team once, this skill will remain with you forever. Plus, human skills are next to impossible to replace by robots.
• AI and automation are reshaping careers, raising the debate of soft vs technical skills in the workplace. While machines handle routine hard tasks, soft skills or technical skills both remain vital—technical for operating new tools, and soft for adaptability and teamwork. Understanding how AI impacts technical vs soft skills shows that soft skills will increasingly set professionals apart in the future job market.

Technical skills	Soft skills
Depend on the industry and the position	Are transferable across industries
Acquired through formal educaiton and training	Learned naturally as you study, work, and interact with others
Easy to access and measure and have proficiency levels	Difficult to measure and are checked in workplace situations
Require frequent updating and upskilling	Are a part of your personality and cannot be replaced by AI

Technical skills are easier to acquire. They have structured learning pathways and certifications that you can share with a potential employer. Soft skills are essential for professional success as they describe your effective collaboration with others. Moreover, they become more important as you move to the management positions.

Now, let's look at the popular ways to learn technical and soft skills, and how to present both skill sets on your resume.

Examples of Technical and Soft Skills for Resume

Soft Skills	Technical Skills
Emotional intelligence	Software development
Critical thinking	Graphic design
Work ethic	Financial forecasting
Conflict management	Foreign language proficiency
Time management	Programming languages
Creative thinking	Electrical repair
Active listening	UI/UX design
Self-awareness	Copywriting
Leadership	Project management
Problem-solving	Video production
Teamwork	Bookkeeping

When writing your CV, it’s essential to show a balance of both technical and soft abilities, since recruiters evaluate candidates based on hard skills vs soft skills examples that prove you can handle tasks effectively and also work well with others. For instance, examples of technical skills for resume might include software development, financial forecasting, or project management, while examples of soft skills for resume could highlight leadership, teamwork, or conflict management. Employers increasingly expect to see both categories, since these are among the top skills employers look for in resumes. In your application, you can structure them strategically: technical skills in a dedicated section that demonstrates measurable, job-related expertise (e.g., programming languages or UI/UX design), and soft skills either integrated into your professional summary or illustrated in your work achievements (e.g., leadership during a project launch or problem-solving in high-pressure situations). Following simple resume skills section tips, such as grouping abilities under “Technical Proficiencies” and “Core Competencies,” ensures clarity and makes your CV easier to scan for hiring managers. Finally, using the right resume keywords for technical and soft skills tailored to the job posting—such as “bookkeeping,” “active listening,” “creative thinking,” or “teaching/instruction”—can boost your chances of passing applicant tracking systems (ATS) while also signaling to recruiters that you’re a strong fit for the role.

How to Develop Technical and Soft Skills

Technical skills refer to your ability to perform specific tasks on the job. They lay the foundation of your technical expertise and are easy to measure. You can master these skills while obtaining your university degree or certification. Some technical skills are easy to acquire in online courses, certification programs, lectures, webinars, or employee training programs. Thus, you will gain a competitive advantage and increase your employability.

Developing soft skills for career growth helps you enable successful interaction with others in the workplace. Although there are training programs and courses in soft skills, they are more difficult to access and measure. That's why the best way to build important soft skills is through navigating workplace situations, volunteering, or working on student or community projects. To master technical aspects of soft skills, you may take advantage of workplace training.

A crucial part of career development is conducting a skill gap analysis to identify areas needing technical upskilling vs soft skill development. This approach helps you assess current strengths, uncover weaknesses, and set clear priorities for growth. For instance, you may need to enhance technical expertise to stay competitive, or build leadership and communication skills for advancement. By addressing these gaps, you create a balanced professional growth plan that supports long-term success and adaptability in your career.

The advantages of comprehensive training at work

Company training programs can develop essential technical and soft skills in employees and provide a comprehensive learning experience. Plus, they are tailored to the company needs and focused on skills essential for business success. They usually combine theoretical and practical learning for better comprehension.

Hard and soft skills training can improve employee performance and engagement. Plus, they boost employee confidence and competence which has a positive impact on the organization. As an employee, as you expand your skill set and knowledge, you work your way toward professional success and career growth.

Whether it's a soft skills seminar or technical training, it is best to take advantage of the learning opportunities offered by the company to improve your employability and boost your career.

Why Soft Skills Are Important for Jobs

When exploring why soft skills are important for jobs, especially in management and leadership roles, it becomes clear that technical expertise alone is not enough. Leaders must inspire teams, resolve conflicts, and make decisions under pressure—tasks that rely heavily on communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence as a career skill. These abilities strengthen collaboration and trust, helping managers guide diverse teams toward shared goals.

Equally important is showcasing soft skills in job applications, since employers value traits that drive long-term success. Transferable soft skills across industries, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability, show that a candidate can thrive in different environments and handle complex challenges. Highlighting these qualities demonstrates readiness for leadership positions and sets professionals apart from those who focus only on technical qualifications.

Balancing Technical and Soft Skills for Career Success

Both technical and soft skills are important for your job search and building a fulfilling career. Without technical knowledge, you won’t get hired in the first place. Yet, if you don’t communicate effectively, manage emotions, or lead others, you’ll struggle to develop professionally. Striking the right balance of technical and soft skills for career success is what sets strong candidates apart. In fact, the best combination of technical and soft skills for management often includes expertise in your field paired with leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving. These represent the future skills employers want, since workplaces are evolving and require talent who can both perform specialized tasks and guide people. Building this mix ensures you’re developing the most in-demand skills that open doors to long-term career growth.

How to add technical and soft skills to your resume?

Now that you know the value of adding the right technical and soft skills, it's time to include them on your resume properly. There are three ways to do it:

Add a separate Skills section

41% of recruiters look at the Skills section in your resume first. Ease this task for them and create the Skills section to feature your key competencies. You can place this section right after the summary for better visibility.

Resume experts recommend including between 8 and 16 skills. Make sure to tailor all skills you add to the specific job posting. Thus, you will increase your chance of passing the ATS screening and get the human hiring manager interested.

Here's an example of the Skills section for a marketing manager position:

• Marketing Strategy
• SEO optimization
• Content management
• Competitive analysis
• G Suite
• Budget management
• Communication skills
• Campaign planning
• Project management
• Google Ads
• Leadership
• Negotiation

Show soft and technical skills through examples

For a better impact, you need to prove the skills you've listed with examples. When reviewing your resume, a recruiter will want to know when you used those skills. If you give detailed job descriptions, it will help them evaluate your skills better.

For example, to illustrate your problem-solving skills, you can write "Identified errors in the social media promotion and updated the strategy, resulting in a 40% growth in followers and a 15% increase in social sales".

Feature them in your Career Summary

To draw the reader's attention instantly, you may feature one or two important technical skills in your Summary section. Better yet, do it with the example.

The Summary section in your resume works as an elevator pitch. It will be the first thing the hiring manager will see. Thus, you want to mention your most impressive skills and accomplishments here.

Yet, don't overdo it. One or two relevant skills are usually enough. Keep the entire section to 2-3 sentences for better readability.

Want to know the recipe for a perfect resume summary? Here is our curated list of 20+ effective resume summaries plus professional tips

Tips to list skills on your resume effectively

These recommendations will make your skills shine on a resume:

Optimize it for ATS

98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS (applicant tracking software) systems. For you, it means that your resume should be ATS-friendly, or it will get overlooked.

When deciding what skills to include, read the job posting carefully. Pay attention to skills that appear frequently or are the must-haves to be considered. List those skills in your Skills section and expand on them further in a resume.

Find the balance between technical skills and soft skills

Don't include hard skills or soft skills only. Strike the right balance between them and make sure your resume reflects both types of skills. The right balance will depend on your industry and role.

If your role is heavily skill-based (say, you're a software engineer or data analyst), focus on technical skills in the first place. Mention all programming languages, frameworks, data analysis tools, and other software essential for your daily work. Then, list 2-3 soft skills that you consider your biggest strengths.

If soft skills are more important for your position (you're a salesperson, customer support rep, or manager), present them in the first place. Yet, don't forget to include hard skills for your role.

Mention skills in your cover letter

In addition to your resume, include the key skills in your cover letter. No need to write "I have excellent problem-solving and communication skills". Instead, say "I excel at customer communication - by using consultative sales approach, I managed to increase the average cheque in the store by 14%". Your cover letter should contain specific examples of where you used your key skills. If you can add measurable results, it's even better.

Key Takeaways

• Technical skills are specific knowledge and competencies you need to do your job well. Soft skills reflect your interactions with others and how you navigate workplace situations.
• Both types of skills are essential to succeed in the modern workplace. As the AI takes over most industries, soft skills become even more important as they cannot be replaced by machines.
• You can acquire technical and soft skills through education, training, and coaching. Soft skills are more difficult to develop and are more valuable to employers.
• When describing your skills on a resume, create a specific Skills section. Give examples of where you used those skills in your Experience section.

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FAQ: Technical Skills vs Soft Skills

What are “soft technical skills,” and how do they differ from professional skills?

Soft technical skills blend basic tool familiarity with interpersonal abilities (e.g., collaborating in Git or documenting code clearly). “Professional skills” is a broader umbrella that includes communication, leadership, and ethics. On a resume, pair soft technical skills with measurable outcomes to show impact.

Professional skills vs technical skills — what’s the difference on a resume?

Technical skills prove you can perform job-specific tasks (tools, languages, methods), while professional skills show how you work (communication, teamwork, problem-solving). Use both: list technical skills in a dedicated section and weave professional skills into achievements.

What is the best combination of technical and soft skills for management roles?

For management, highlight planning, budgeting, analytics, and domain tools alongside leadership, stakeholder communication, conflict resolution, and coaching. Frame the balance as outcomes: delivery speed, quality metrics, team retention, and cross-functional success.

How do I choose resume keywords for technical and soft skills?

Mirror the job description: extract exact tool names and methodologies plus people-centric terms (facilitation, negotiation, mentorship). Prioritize keywords that recur in multiple postings and support them with quantified achievements to pass ATS and impress hiring teams.

How does AI impact technical vs soft skills in hiring?

AI accelerates screening of technical credentials but elevates the value of soft skills like adaptability, creativity, and communication. Emphasize human strengths (collaboration, judgment) plus continuous learning to stay competitive.

Technical upskilling vs soft skill development — where should I invest first?

Short term, target technical upskilling tied to role-critical tools. In parallel, schedule soft skill development that removes bottlenecks (e.g., stakeholder alignment). The fastest ROI often comes from fixing the weakest link affecting delivery.

Are transferable soft skills across industries worth highlighting, and how?

Yes—skills like leadership, presentation, and problem-solving travel well between fields. Map each soft skill to a business result (e.g., “reduced churn via proactive client communication”) to prove relevance across industries.

How can I run a quick skill gap analysis to decide what to learn next?

List target-role requirements, mark current proficiency, then compare against top postings. Prioritize gaps that block core outcomes (delivery, quality, profitability) and plan training via courses, mentoring, or on-the-job projects.

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