Computer Skills to Include on Your Resume

Computer skills are becoming more important and even vital to many different roles across a range of industries. Many jobs require the use of computer applications for tasks like accounting, performance tracking, recording information, managing working hours, streamlining communication, planning a project, entering patient data (in the case of doctors and nurses), and many more tasks across a variety of different roles. This makes it beneficial for you to have experience with computer software or hardware.

Depending on the career field you’re entering in your job search, your proficiency with technology can vary. That being said, it’s important to highlight several key computer skills on your resume that are highly desirable, including basics like typing, operating virtual offices, using video conferencing software, and other possible workplace necessities.

• Showcase more than the basics. For instance, if you have coding experience, this is an excellent skill to highlight.
• Include skills from the job description. Remember to include both the specific computer skills you have and the skills that are outlined in the job description. You’ll want to make sure that you’re setting yourself apart along with including what the position requires.
• Give examples. Instead of listing your proficiency with just the computer program, give examples of what you can do within the program. For instance, if you can troubleshoot hardware issues like screen connectivity issues or set up networks, include this on your resume. If you have specific experience with software development or coding languages like Python or COBOL, include that, too. The more you can define your computer skills, the more you can get your resume to stand out to employers.
• Highlight how your skills helped you achieve something. Another great way to make your computer skills on your resume stand out is to include a brief snippet of how this skill helped your past company achieve a goal or complete an objective. This can show that are you highly qualified for the job and both ready and willing to apply your skills to benefit the company.

When you’re creating a resume, you should have a section for listing your specific skill sets. In that section, list your computer skills and software knowledge on your resume. Below are some example computer skills to help you create your list:

Basic skills

• Typing
• Emailing
• Online researching
• Editing documents
• Creating presentations
• Creating spreadsheets
• Using word processing documents
• Completing file and document management
• Using basic Microsoft Office applications

Computer skills for hardware and software

• Connecting networks and servers
• Repairing computer parts
• Software and web development experience
• Coding languages such as HTML, Python, and Java
• Agile development
• Hardware and software troubleshooting
• Programming and security

IT applications and support

• Technology diagnostics
• Network support
• Systems administration support
• Security programming
• Server connection and management

Computer skills can also become quite specific as you dive deeper into each type of skill set within software skills, basic typing and word processing skills, and graphics skills including:

• Functions within programs like Adobe, Corel, and Microsoft Excel
• Proficiency with functions like graphic manipulation, statistics, and spreadsheet functions
• Data entry, organization, and virtual database management

When you’re writing your resume to include different skill sets that you’ve developed throughout your experience, keep these examples in mind to help you get an idea of how to list computer skills on a CV or resume:

• Applied Microsoft Word’s commenting and tracking feature to collaborate with more than 20 team members across four departments of the company.
• Created formulas in Microsoft Excel and added parameters for conditional formatting functions to apply budgeting techniques in business operations, resulting in a reduction of business overage at more than 12%.
• Experience with content management and collaboration applications including Trello, Google Docs, and Slack to keep team members engaged and productive.
• Planned and hosted all team meetings virtually using Zoom software to increase engagement with remote colleagues and collaborate on team projects.
• Proficiency in using MS Excel to create budgeting spreadsheets, including expense and revenue reports, and executing functions such as VLOOKUP and creating pivot tables within the program to maintain and organize all business financial data.

If you want to learn new computer skills or improve the skills you’re currently knowledgeable with, there are several ways you can do so:

1. Take an online course. To improve your current knowledge of various computer skills, and even to learn new skills, look for online courses. You can find free or paid classes through platforms including YouTube, Udemy, and more.
2. Use resources and tools available at work. If your current workplace has learning and training resources available for developing computer skills, take advantage of them. For example, if your company introduces a software upgrade to its current database and offers development training, this would be an excellent way to deepen your knowledge of a specific skill that you’d need for the job.
3. Work with a tutor. There are many avenues available both online and in-person for tutoring. Working with someone one-on-one can be very beneficial for getting in-depth practice with a specific concept or skill. For example, if you wanted to learn how to use HTML code to spice up what you already know about creating simple web pages, you can find a tutor that can help you improve this skill.
4. Add new skills to your resume. As you advance your basic computer skills and gain more in-depth experience, be sure to include those on your resume, too.