65+ Computer Skills Recruiters Want To See in Your Resume

MS Office skills represent some of the essential computer skills that a lot of candidates typically highlight on their resumes. It is a suite of software applications that range from Word (used for word processing) to Excel (used for spreadsheets).

The versatility of MS Office makes it suitable for many industries. For example, you can use Word to create documents, Excel to manage data, spreadsheets, and calculations, PowerPoint for presentations, and more.

MS Office skills are among the most sought-after computer skills in today’s business climate. That’s why you should go the extra mile to properly demonstrate your proficiency in such programs and stand out among the competition. By doing so, you’ll show that you’re a resourceful and tech-savvy candidate who can complete their tasks quickly and accurately.

Here are some of the MS Office software that you can add to your resume:

• Word

• Excel

• PowerPoint

• Outlook

• OneNote

Google Drive is a cloud storage and file-sharing service that includes several indispensable tools and applications. Similarly to the MS Office suite, Google’s business apps and software solutions allow you to process text, work with documents, create presentations, manage spreadsheets, and more.

Some of the Google Drive applications that you can highlight on your resume include:

• Google Docs

• Google Sheets

• Google Forms

• Google Slides

Email is widely used as a communication tool in the business environment. Since communication is one of the most essential workplace skills, email skills can be just as important and a valuable addition to your resume.

Email skills include the ability to write professional emails, understand email etiquette, manage and organize your emails, and so on. It’s a complex skill set that, when showcased on your resume, also speaks volumes about your communication, organization, prioritization, management skills, and much more.

Knowing how to utilize email to its full extent allows you to communicate effectively with colleagues, customers, and clients. Depending on your line of work, that can result in everything from boosted workplace efficiency to an increase in sales and customers.

Here are some of the most prominent tools to list when it comes to email competence:

• Gmail

• Outlook

• MailChimp

• MailerLite

Presentation software, as its name suggests, is used in many industries and workplaces for creating professional presentations. The ability to craft visually appealing, engaging, clear, concise, and information-packed presentations is crucial to conveying ideas, messages, proposals, and strategies.

Demonstrating your presentation skills also says a lot about your strong communication skills, which makes it all the more important to properly show these abilities on your resume.

These are some of the specific tools and software to list to showcase your presentation-building prowess:

• PowerPoint

• Google Slides

• Keynotes

• Prezi

• Visme

We already mentioned the importance of communication in the workplace, and collaboration can be just as essential. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of tools and software to facilitate better communication and collaboration.

Proficiency in these tools is essential for teamwork and project management in many industries. These skills become all the more important if you’re working remotely or often communicating and collaborating with teams in different locations.

Here are some of the tools that you can list on your resume:

• Slack

• Trello

• Asana

• Microsoft Teams

• Google Hangouts

Spreadsheets are vital tools for data analysis, management, and visualization. They allow you to use complex formulas and functions, store and modify data, and create charts and graphs, among other things.

That makes these computer skills vital in many workplaces, particularly for candidates who are going for accounting, bookkeeping, and retail management roles.

Some of the most common software used for spreadsheets are:

• Excel

• Google Sheets

• Apple Numbers

• LibreOffice Calc

• Airtable

Database management skills allow individuals to store, organize, and retrieve data. Individuals capable of database management can have a significant impact on the efficiency of business operations. They can design databases from scratch, input data, create reports, ensure system integrity and security, and more.

These computer skills are particularly important for candidates who apply for positions in finance, retail, education, or healthcare, where they need to regularly manage large amounts of data. That makes database management skills essential for data scientists and analysts, IT managers, and database administrators.

Here are some of database management computer skills examples:

• MySQL

• SQL

• Oracle

• IBM DB2

• Microsoft Access

Accounting software skills are necessary for professionals who work with financial data. These abilities allow them to analyze and manage information accurately, efficiently, and securely. 

That makes accounting software skills essential for accountants, bookkeepers, financial analysts, and many others. Expertise in relevant accounting software is imperative if you’re doing anything that revolves around recording financial transactions, managing budgets, preparing financial statements, and similar.

Some of the most popular accounting software tools and solutions that you can add to your resume include:

• QuickBooks

• FreshBooks

• Xero

• Wave

• NetSuite

Social media platforms are becoming increasingly important in today’s digital business world. That makes individuals capable of using them to their full extent highly desirable in many different industries.

Networks like Facebook or Instagram are becoming one of the best ways to connect, communicate, and engage with an audience, turning them into clients and customers. Everyone from small businesses to large corporations uses these platforms to increase brand awareness, boost engagement, and drive traffic to their websites, products, or services.

As a result, social media skills are invaluable to many candidates who are looking for a position in marketing or public relations. They include both soft skills, such as the ability to communicate, and hard skills, like tracking analytics, creating content, or setting up ads.

Here are some of the most popular social media platforms to focus on in your resume:

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

• TikTok

• YouTube

Graphic designers can create appealing visuals and artwork such as logos, drafts, drawings, paintings, marketing materials, etc. Various graphic design software and tools help designers create, modify, and share their work.

Professionals with graphic design skills can create catchy and memorable branding and marketing collateral, engaging social media posts, appealing websites, impactful advertising campaigns, and more.

All of that makes these computer skills vital in fields that offer products or services that need to be promoted. If you’re applying for the role of graphic or web designer, digital marketer, art or creative director, or others, you’ll want to highlight one or more graphic design skills on your resume.

Here are the most popular ones:

• Photoshop

• Illustrator

• Affinity Photo

• Affinity Design

• Corel Draw

In relation to computer skills, writing skills represent the ability to write content and edit documents using specialized software tools. Candidates with strong writing skills are, in essence, excellent communicators who can convey their thoughts and ideas concisely and accurately.

These abilities are particularly important in fields such as marketing, public relations, and journalism. However, you’ll find that almost all professions require some sort of writing skill. Whether you’re trying to put together a professional email or create an engaging social media post, you’ll leverage your writing abilities and one or more software applications for it.

Knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation represents the foundation of writing. Which of the more specialized aspects of it you need to showcase on your resume will depend on the specific position that you’re applying for.

Let’s see some of the writing skills that you can add to your resume:

• SEO

• Yoast

• WordPress

• Technical writing

• Editing

Enterprise systems are software solutions used by large-scale organizations to manage their businesses. Candidates with these skills are often needed in industries such as healthcare, finance, IT, manufacturing, or retail. Their ability to use enterprise systems directly impacts an organization's productivity by boosting efficiency and reducing errors.

Enterprise systems skills involve a number of technical abilities, such as data management, analysis, and reporting. Professionals who showcase these abilities should also demonstrate detailed knowledge of the industry that they are in.

Here are the different types of enterprise systems:

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

2. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

3. Supply Chain Management (SCM)

4. Knowledge Management Systems (KMS)

Operating systems skills refer to an individual’s ability to use operating systems such as Windows, macOS, or Linux. This can include everything from troubleshooting and debugging to software installation and updating.

Professionals with these skills are sought-after by a wide range of industries, considering that almost every business or organization uses computers with operating systems. These abilities are particularly important for system administrators, technical support specialists, software developers, and various other IT professionals.

Here are some specific operating systems that you can list as computer skills on your resume:

• Windows

• Mac OS

• iOS

• Android

• Linux

Advanced computer skills such as web development, coding, QA testing, and others are in high demand in the tech-driven workplace. They are particularly needed in the fields of finance, e-commerce, and IT.

These abilities require high levels of specialized knowledge in particular areas of information technology. In finance, for example, savvy individuals can develop valuable trading algorithms or financial analysis software. On the other hand, advanced computer skills allow IT specialists to create sophisticated software or maintain network security.

Candidates who can demonstrate advanced computer skills in their resumes often gain a competitive advantage in the job market since employers always look for individuals who can excel in the digital landscape.

Let’s see some of the advanced computer skills that you can list on your resume:

• Web development

• Coding

• Cybersecurity

• Machine learning

• Quality assurance (QA) testing

Most of the computer skills that we’ve examined so far have been related to software. However, hardware specialists can be just as important for the business’ success. These abilities focus on understanding and manipulating the physical components of computer systems.

These skills allow competent individuals to identify, troubleshoot, and solve hardware problems, configure and install new devices (e.g., printers and scanners), perform regular maintenance, and more. Here are some computer hardware skills that you can demonstrate on your resume:

• System security

• System administration

• Network configuration

• Software installation

• Cloud management

• Tech support