During your interview, it’s important to talk about your experience, goals, and skills – specifically hard skills. That’s because employers are eager to learn about what you’ve acquired over the course of your professional life. 

But what exactly are they?

Hard skills are related to tasks and processes. They are generally taught through courses or educational training. They’re not to be confused with soft skills, which refer to personality traits or characteristics. 

 You’ll need to include them on your resume when applying for a job. If you’re just starting the job-seeking process, we recommend using ZipRecruiter to browse active listings. They have millions of open job positions around the world where you can put your hard skills to use!

Top Hard Skills to Show During Your Job Interview

Technical skills

Even if you’re not applying for an IT role, it can be beneficial to share your technical abilities. Technical skills are some of the most sought-after hard skills for employers. Possessing that knowledge can make you a more competitive candidate during your interview. 

Technical H.S. examples:

• Programming languages (HTML, CSS, Javascript)
• Project management
• Design (UX/UI, prototyping)

Although learning technical skills takes time, it can be self-taught. We have a list of programming courses that you can take from the comfort of your own home!

Computer

Computer skills are a must if you’re applying for an office job. However, employers are looking for specific skills rather than your ability to use a mouse and keyboard. For example, they may care about your experience using certain programs or software. The more skills you have, the more you can show off how adept you are at using a computer.

Computer H.S. examples:

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint)
• Google (Gmail, Google Drive)
• Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)

It’s also worth checking out the career advice section on ZipRecruiter. They explain job market trends and any new skills worth developing to help you with your job search.

Analytics

Analytical skills can fall into both the hard skill and soft skill categories. Most employers will want an employee with the ability to logically think through situations and processes. However, that type of analytical thinking is bucketed as a soft skill. Analytical hard skills refer mainly to specific data gathering abilities. If you want to bring those up during the interview, you’ll need to be more specific about your experience and training. 

Analytical H.S. examples:

• Market research
• Data mining
• Resource management
• Database interpreting
• Reporting
• Diagnostics

Marketing

All advertising, e-commerce, retail, product management, or media jobs will require some level of marketing knowledge. Marketing skills can be very high level, or they can be about specific software or training tools that you’ll use on the job. Thankfully, general marketing skills can be self-taught. There are numerous online trainings or courses where you can teach yourself the basics of marketing. 

Marketing H.S. examples:

• SEO and keyword research
• Paid social advertising campaign management
• Social media marketing
• A/B testing
• Email marketing and automation
• UX design
• Marketing Software (Google Analytics, Facebook Paid Ads, AdWords)

Looking for a high-paying marketing job? Check out ZipRecruiter to see marketing positions that were posted today!

Project management

While crucial for project management roles, project management skills can also be useful for all applicants. These skills show your ability to get things done efficiently and on time. You can apply this knowledge to a variety of positions and industries, making it a very beneficial skill to have. Some skills are more focused on management style, while others require more formal technical and software training.

• Strategic planning (budgeting, scheduling)
• Lifecycle management
• Agile development (Kanban, scrum)
• Performance tracking
• Budget and financial modeling

Talking about your experience and skills is a must if you want to ace your interview. Thankfully, they can be easily learned with some time and practice. To perfect them, sign up for classes or look for online trainings to help. 

And don’t forget to review the job description on ZipRecruiter. They’ll show you exactly what the employer is looking for in terms of hard skills. That way, you’ll be prepared for whatever happens during your interview!