The hard skills employers look for (including examples)

Want to know more about the hard skills employers look for? Here's a complete rundown of examples of hard skills – including what they are, how to build on them and how to present them when applying for a job.

We’ll cover:

• What are hard skills?
• The hard skills employers are looking for
• How to improve your hard skills
• How to include hard skills on your CV
• How to include hard skills in a cover letter
• Hard skills interview questions

Hard skills are the technical skills needed for a job. Unlike soft skills, you can quantify (ie. measure) hard skills. For example, you might have a certain level of proficiency in a programming language or have a formal qualification in civil engineering.

Hard skills are often job-specific, but there are still many crossovers. For example, managerial roles will require some of the same hard skills (ie. data analysis and project management) in any sector. At the same time, most jobs within an industry will require some of the same hard skills at differing seniority levels (eg. junior and senior finance execs need maths know-how).

Having the right hard skills is important when you’re job hunting. Employers will often look for a specific skill set when they’re hiring. To get your dream job, you need to have the right skills and show employers you’ve got them throughout the recruitment process.

While hard skills are important, employers are also assessing your soft skills and other relevant experience when you apply for a job. Soft skills include working well in a team and critical thinking. The right hard skills will impress employers, but it’s a mix of soft and hard skills that’ll help you thrive. Plus, if you’re the right fit but don’t have quite the right hard skills, some employers will be willing to train you and boost your industry-specific knowledge.

Different employers will value different hard skills. The abilities they’re looking for in a candidate will vary depending on their industry and the role they’re hiring for. However, there are some hard skills that come in handy across multiple industries and job types.

We’ll run through some of the most desired hard skills in the following areas:

• IT
• Accounting and finance
• Data analysis
• Project management
• Marketing
• Design
• Sales
• Communication

Plenty of roles require IT skills. If you're looking to work in the tech industry, you'll need to have more advanced knowledge and abilities. However, any role that involves working on a laptop requires basic IT skills.

Security is a big concern in almost every sector. It's important for companies to make sure that their computer systems are safe. Cybersecurity skills include knowledge of websites, networks and programming languages. If you’ve got cybersecurity skills, it’s worth mentioning it to a potential employer. Even if you’re not going to be a cybersecurity expert, employers love employees who are less likely to fall for phishing scams.

Most large organisations need a networking expert. Could that be you? If you fancy it, you’ll need to know how to set up on-site networks and wireless systems and connect to different offices throughout the world. Cloud computing and hosting knowledge is valuable too. If you want to prove your skills, you can get certifications in networking and wireless technology.

There are dozens of programming languages, including C++, Laravel and Java. If you’re new to coding, look up which languages are most used in your chosen field. It’s worth learning them. Alternatively, you could specialise in a rarer programming language. The rarer languages are harder to learn but can put you ahead for specific roles since there’s less competition. While it’s possible to get qualifications in programming languages, a lot of employers are more interested in technical tests where you show your proficiency.

UI designers are the people who create the visual side and interactive elements of digital products (ie. websites and apps) and make sure they’re suitable for an end user.

A user interface design skill set is a mix of hard technical abilities and a flair for creative design.

Almost every industry requires employees with accounting and finance skills.

You don’t have to work in finance to need money-based skills. Although larger companies will have dedicated finance departments, smaller companies might need you to have accounting and finance skills to work in their administration teams.

Being good with numbers is important for a variety of roles.

Mathematics skills are vital in any position where you’ll be handling finances or accounting. Being accurate with figures and being able to estimate results quickly when presented with stats are important qualities. Maths skills are also essential for data analysis as they’ll help you process data and spot trends.

You can prove your maths skills with qualifications, including GCSE and A-Level.

Many companies use computer accounting, but the programs can be confusing at first glance. If you're looking for employment within accounting or finance, it’s worth learning how to use one or more accounting programs.

If you do want to work in finance, it’s beneficial to know how to read and write financial reports. It’s especially valuable in larger companies or any organisation that shows its reports to stakeholders. Knowing your way around reports is also useful when your company wants to compare progress to previous years, so your understanding can play directly into helping the company grow.

If you’re going to be working in a regulated industry, having a qualification that shows you’ve studied financial regulations and practices will help you prove you’ve got the essential hard skills.

Knowledge of regulations is particularly important if you’re looking for higher roles in finance where you’re responsible for filing reports or accounting.

If companies want to use market research, user feedback and customer data to guide their future, they need employees with analysis skills to help them make sense of the information they’ve gathered.

Data analysis skills are useful in almost every field, though high-tech businesses, logistics companies and government bodies tend to accumulate the most data and therefore need lots of analysts.

Database management is an important skill for data analysts, scientists and many more roles. There are several types of database management systems you can learn to use.

From data entry to turning databases into charts, data processing is a vital skill in fields such as the sciences and government work. It’ll also help you analyse a company's success.

Knowing how to research properly and record your results is vital in many industries, including science and marketing. Any time a company needs to dig into a topic, it needs an employee with research skills.

Any role where you guide a team towards a goal will best suit someone with project management skills.

Whether you're the top manager in a company or overseeing a standalone project, it's important to know how to lay out a process and get proper checks done. Process management is a valuable skill in almost every managerial role.

Project planning is important in any job where you’re in charge of a project. If you want to build up the skill in a formal way, there are plenty of project management qualifications you can train for. A course will help you develop core project planning skills.

Managing risk is vital for the smooth operation of a project. Different companies will have different risk management processing strategies, but you can get ahead by learning about specific systems like financial risk management, operational risk management and compliance risk management.

You’ll need to conduct risk assessments in almost any job where you oversee others, including care and teaching roles. Having complementing problem-solving skills will help here.

Project managers need to have a good idea of budgeting as it influences a project’s scope. Project managers need to understand how much they’re spending and how to get the best value for money.

You need marketing skills to promote products and services. You can also use marketing tactics to sway public opinion.

Marketing skills are particularly important in jobs in media and e-commerce (selling online). In addition, most organisations need some form of marketing – including governments and charities.

Almost all companies have a social media presence, so they need employees with social media skills. If you want a marketing or advertising role, you need to show your knowledge of different social media platforms. Knowing social media includes understanding the technical platform specifics (such as what size images to upload) and the trends (ie. what type of content will appeal to your audience).

Search engine optimisation (SEO) skills involve understanding how to get your business higher up in the search results. So, if you work for a glitzy clothing retailer as an SEO expert, your aim might be to help the business show up on the first page when people search “party dresses”.

Even if you don’t want to work as an SEO specialist, understanding SEO is still useful for any role that involves writing online content or planning digital marketing.

If you're looking for roles where you’ll map out marketing campaigns, you’ll need market research skills.

Market research involves gathering, analysing and interpreting information about your products, services and the wider market (ie. competitors and industry trends). It includes conducting surveys, hosting focus groups and interpreting third-party information.

You’ll usually do market research in a larger company or a marketing agency, but it’s a useful skill in any business that wants to understand what its customers want.

Marketing has many types of content creation, including graphic design, video creation and copywriting. In larger companies, roles may focus on one skill. However, in smaller companies, it’s more likely that you’ll need a wider range of skills to tackle diverse types of content. So, be prepared to get drawing, filming and writing.

Within design, traditional and digital skills are beneficial. Consider learning both to strengthen your position as a candidate.

Typefaces are important in anything that people will read, whether that’s text on a website, a headline in a newspaper or the writing on a product’s packaging. It’s unlikely that you’ll only work on typography (ie. you’ll also do general design), but it’s still an important hard skill to have.

Photography skills are particularly useful in marketing. It can include product photography, fashion photography and much more.

It’s not just about taking the shot; creative employers also value those who edit images. There’s a wide range of different digital graphic design programs that you can gain skills in. Look up what the standard tools are in your chosen field and get familiar with them.

Designing things for print requires a slightly different skill set to creating graphics that’ll live online. If you want to work on magazines or poster design, you’ll need to understand the specifics of print design.

While many sales abilities are soft skills, such as getting on well with people, time management and public speaking, there are plenty of hard skills that will help you get ahead.

Knowledge of the legal side of contracts will be particularly useful in fields where sales are for long-running services or ongoing project work. You don’t want to get caught out by a tricky clause in a contract. Having good attention to detail alongside a legal understanding will help you here.

To sell well, you need to know your stuff. So, if you want to be a pharma rep, you’ve got to brush up on the pharmaceuticals you’re recommending to clients. If you're looking at sales roles in a technical field, you’ll need to have the knowledge to confidently answer questions about the product or service you're offering.

Essentially, you need to become an expert in your industry. It’s invaluable that you use your research skills to understand what you’re selling – and who’s buying.

While most communication skills are soft skills, there are some hard communication skills which will help you stand out.

Most companies that operate in multiple regions will need employees with language skills. Businesses also need those with skills like copywriting to help them build their brands.

Speaking an additional language is a great asset. You could work as a translator. Alternatively, you can communicate with colleagues and clients from around the world. Great if you’re part of an international organisation or if your job involves travel.

British Sign Language (BSL) is another language that will help you stand out from your colleagues. You could work full-time as an interpreter. Alternatively, you could use the skills in any industry to communicate with deaf colleagues, customers and clients.

Content writing skills will be useful in any company that needs content created, whether that’s blogs, web pages or brochures. It’s also a skill that’s desired by marketing and content agencies.

Editing and proofreading is an important part of document creation. It’s a particularly good skill for a personal assistant (PA) who prepares documents as part of their role.

Want to improve your hard skills to increase your chances of getting a job? There are plenty of ways to do just that.

The most common ways of working on your hard skills are:

Courses and certificates are available for most hard skills.

You’ll find courses through local colleges, training facilities and distance learning providers. One benefit of getting certified in a skill is that you can use the qualification as proof that you’ve got the skills needed. It's always worth researching how the industry views certain certifications though, as some qualifications are more highly thought of than others.

Receiving tutoring is a great way to boost your skills. Tutors can also help you prepare to take exams for qualifications.

There are plenty of learning opportunities (both formal and informal) that take place online.

You’ll find plenty of free and paid online courses for most hard skills. Many of them will let you learn at your own pace, which is great when you’re juggling learning a skill with other commitments like university.

It's important to look at what you can expect to get out of the course, as some will teach you more than others.

You don't always need a qualification to prove you’ve got a certain hard skill. If you dedicate some of your free time to practising a skill, you’ll soon feel more comfortable with your competency.

If you're wondering how to write a CV in a way that highlights your hard skills, we’re here to help.

The simplest way is to include a section where you list out your relevant skills. Put the skills that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for first. However, don’t only list the skills that the ad explicitly mentions. For example, if a tech job states specific skills such as cybersecurity and cloud computing, you should include them, but you should also call out teamwork if you’ll be working in a group.

It's also worth remembering that while some hard skills are more important in certain fields, it’s still worth mentioning extra abilities – providing you’ve got room on your CV. So, if you’re fluent in German, say so even if you’re not sure how you’d use that skill. Perhaps the company is planning on opening a Munich office and your language skills will make you stand out.

You can also weave your skills into your qualifications and work history sections. Doing that puts your skills in a real-world context for the employer. Anyone can say they’ve got a skill, but giving an example of how you’ve used it offers more proof.

Just like your CV, you should tailor your cover letter for every job application.

Although your cover letter isn’t somewhere to list every skill you’ve got, it’s the perfect place to expand on the hard skills you’d use if you got the job.

Take another read of the job description and think about what exactly you’d be doing in the position. Then, use your cover letter to explain why you want the role and why you’d be the right person for it. Part of the latter involves discussing your relevant skills, how you’ve already proven them and how you’d use them in the role.

For more advice, visit our guide on how to write a good cover letter.

If your CV and cover letter impress, an employer might invite you to an interview. During the recruitment process, an interviewer will likely ask you about your hard skills.

Some example interview questions about hard skills are:

• Can you describe your familiarity with using programming languages?
• Can you explain the difference between the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)?
• Can you tell us about a time you processed data?
• How would you go about assessing risks?
• What steps would you take to conduct an SEO audit of our website?
• What photo editing software are you comfortable with using?
• What do you think are the key selling points of our main product?
• What is your experience with copywriting?

In addition to answering questions, an employer might assess your hard skills with tests. For example, numerical reasoning tests help employers understand your mathematical abilities.

Hard skills are key career skills that are quantifiable (ie. measurable). While some hard skills will come in handy across various sectors, others are specific to roles or industries. It’s a good idea to understand what hard skills you’ll need in your desired industry and focus on building up your knowledge.

You can grow your hard skills through practice, courses (online or in-person) and certifications.

While we hope that our list of hard skills examples has helped you, remember that soft skills matter too. Although soft skills are harder to measure, they’re just as important. So, don’t forget to brush up on them too.

For a strong CV and cover letter, you need to showcase your hard and soft skills. That’ll give you the best chance of landing that interview. Good luck!