Skills sections are often copy-pasted from an old resume and never revisited. Since this section is one of the first things an ATS matches against a job description, that's an easy fix with outsized returns.
Technical skills employers are prioritizing
- AI-assisted tools relevant to your field (not just "AI" as a buzzword — name the actual tools you use)
- Data literacy — reading dashboards, basic SQL, spreadsheet modeling
- Domain-specific software (CRM platforms, design tools, cloud consoles)
Soft skills that actually get read
Generic soft skills ("team player," "good communicator") get skimmed past. Instead, show them through your experience bullets rather than listing them plainly — a bullet that says "Led a 5-person cross-functional team to ship a feature two weeks ahead of schedule" proves leadership and communication without naming either.
How to organize the section
Group skills into two or three short categories (e.g. "Technical," "Tools," "Languages") rather than one long undifferentiated list — it's easier to scan and easier for an ATS to categorize.