Computer skills to put on your resume

Computer skills are a must-have for anyone who wants to find a job these days, no matter what industry you’re in—all due respect to the humble pen and paper.

“Employers today want workers who can use the latest technology that is relevant in their field to deliver whatever the company’s objectives are,” says Scott Vedder, a recruiter for Fortune 100 companies and author of Signs of a Great Resume.

So naturally, you’ll want to highlight your computer skills on your resume to stand out from the competition.

How write computer skills on your resume

“Employers want well-rounded workers,” says Alyssa Gelbard, founder and president at Resume Strategists Inc., “and that includes digital skills.” The challenge for you as a job seeker is to determine which of those skills to put on your resume.

“You don’t need to list every computer skill that you have on your resume,” says Vedder.

So how do you determine what to list in the precious limited space on your resume? “Always look at the job description first,” advises resume expert Kim Isaacs. “If certain skills are listed, that’s what you need to have on your resume.”

Vedder agrees, calling the job description “your compass to identify what’s important to an employer.” Your best approach is to tailor your resume to each specific job that you’re applying to.

You can actually weave computer-specific skills into the summary or experience section of your resume. For example: “Outgoing administrative professional with an advanced command of MS Office along with strong business and financial management skills.”

Create a section on your resume below your skills that is reserved for listing tech-specific programs (i.e. “Advanced user of Excel, Microsoft Dynamics, and QuickBooks”). Check out this sample resume for an accounts payable employee and note where the tech skills appear.

Curveball time: What should you do if the job description doesn’t cite specific computer skill requirements?

Monster’s got you covered. The following computer skills are incredibly valuable right now across a wide range of industries—which means having them on your resume will make you a more attractive job candidate.

Examples of computer skills

Social media

Social networking plays a pivotal role in today’s workplace, specifically with marketing and corporate branding. Therefore, the key to distinguishing yourself is to show on your resume exactly how you’ve leveraged your social media skills.

For example, “if you’re a communications professional, you’d mention you helped an executive at your company develop a Twitter profile of 100,000 people within six months,” says executive resume writer Donna Svei. The more platforms you can mention (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.), the better.

Then, within your skills section itself, you can write any social media tools you’ve mastered, such as Hootsuite, Hashtagify, or TweetDeck.

Graphic design

Visuals are powerful tools in today’s workplace, which may explain why graphic design skills are useful in a number of fields, says Isaacs.

This is another skill that you can include in your summary or work experience section. For example: “Shot and edited photos for international marketing campaign.”

In the skills section of your resume, highlight specific graphic design programs or software, like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or Final Cut.

Data analytics

Employers use data to make more informed decisions that can affect the entire organization. As a result, employers are always looking for people who can analyze data, says Isaacs.

In addition to naming specific data analysis programs and tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Analytics, Tableau) on your resume, you should also use metrics to quantify your achievements. For instance: “Created Excel spreadsheets to streamline inventory management, which cut company’s operating budget by 50%.”

For Excel specifically, “being able to show that you have an advanced level of expertise is important,” says Gelbard. “If you know how to create pivot tables, you’d definitely want to put that on your resume.”

Programming/coding

Computer programmers obviously need programming and coding skills to do their jobs, but other employees can also benefit from having these skills.

“If you’re applying to be a writer at a startup tech company,” says Isaacs, “knowing how to code can help you better communicate with the research and development team.”

Just how valuable are coding skills? According to a recent analysis of 26 million job postings by job-market-analytics firm Burning Glass, about half of the jobs paying $57,000 or more per year are in occupations that commonly require applicants to have at least some computer coding knowledge—and jobs requiring coding skills pay $22,000 more per year than jobs that don’t. The study also found that JavaScript, XML, and SQL were three of the most important coding skills to employers.

Content management systems

Don’t have coding skills? Knowledge of content management systems (CMS) is the second-best thing.

Many companies have a website that is integral to their business, and that website needs constant upkeep in order to remain relevant and bring in business. Back in the old days of the Internet, only someone with big-time tech skills could update a website. But with the advent of CMS, just about anyone can learn to update and maintain a website. WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla are popular systems.

Upgrade your resume 

Having a strong resume is the first step in getting your foot in the door at top tech companies. But just as the tech market is ever-changing at breakneck speed, your resume will have to follow suit. Could you use some help standing out from the crowd? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster's Resume Writing Service. You'll get detailed feedback in two business days, including a review of your resume's appearance and content, and a prediction of a recruiter's first impression. Make sure you've got the latest version of what the hiring managers are looking for.