Do I really need to list soft skills on my resume?

Yes. Soft skills and hard skills are both crucially important on resumes. Soft skills show that you know how to work with customers and coworkers, while hard skills show you know how to do your job. Even when you don’t think that your job uses soft skills because you’re not working with customers, remember that soft skills also guide how you work with your team members. Including soft skills shows hiring managers that you understand how to work with a team.

What should my ratio of hard skills to soft skills be?

This depends entirely on the job you’re applying for. In some industries, such as retail work, you’ll rely more on soft skills and less on hard skills. In other industries, such as being a car mechanic, you might rely more on hard skills and less on soft skills. However, every job posting will include at least a few soft skills and a few hard skills. You can start listing these skills using the resume builder at ResumeNerd.

Can I include soft skills on my cover letter as well?

You should be including soft skills all throughout your resume and cover letter. Similar to how you should include soft skills outside of just your skill section, you also shouldn’t stop listing skills once you’re done with the resume. Including skills all throughout your job application reminds a hiring manager of what you feel like are your best skills.