What Skills Should You Put on a Resume in 2026?
Discover the top skills to put on your resume in 2026 — hard, soft, and AI skills, plus examples by role, experience level, and industry.
Education | Aug 11, 2026 | Global Minds Education
What Skills Should You Put on a Resume in 2026?The ideal resumes for 2026 include a combination of hard skills relevant to the job (technical skills, software, or industry-specific tools), soft skills that are highly sought after (communication, adaptability, problem-solving), and at least one soft skill in the field of AI or digital literacy, and typically it will depend on the specific role, industry, and your specific experience level.
There is no single list which fits every job; what you want to do is align your true strengths with the job and the employer's requirements.There are certain areas of skills that are becoming ubiquitous in 2026 job conversations, however.
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2026, released in January 2026, revealed that employers predict that 39% of the core skills required for their workforce will evolve by 2030, and 63% of companies report that skill gaps are a significant obstacle to their digital transformation.
The same Skills on the Rise report by LinkedIn also indicates that AI literacy, communication, leadership, and operational efficiency are the top four fastest-growing skill categories that employers are looking for.
This guide will detail what skills to select, how to demonstrate them, and how to customize your resume for each audience, role, and industry without overstating the skills you don't need for the job you want.
Once you've finished your resume, read our career development resources for more advice on qualifications and career planning.Top 20 Skills Employers Look for on Resumes in 2026Below are 20 of the most consistently requested resume skills in 2026, spanning technical, digital, and interpersonal categories.
Not every skill applies to every job treat this as a menu to pull from, not a checklist to complete in full.1.
AI literacy — Understanding how to use AI tools responsibly and effectively in your day-to-day work.
Employers value this because AI adoption is reshaping workflows across nearly every department, and workers who can use these tools well are more productive.
Resume example: “Used AI-assisted research tools to cut competitor analysis time by 30%.” Useful for: marketing, business analysis, operations, customer support.2.
Data analysis — The ability to interpret data and turn it into decisions.
Valued because most roles now generate measurable performance data that needs interpreting.
Example: “Analyzed weekly sales data in Excel to identify a 15% underperforming region and proposed a targeted promotion.” Useful for: finance, marketing, operations, retail management.
If you want to formalize this skill, the Master of Science in Data Science is a natural next step.3.