We’ve extracted and analyzed data from 133,000+ resumes created on Zety. Here’s what candidates across all industries write about their job histories and skills.

Top 10 most common “soft” skills listed in resumes

1. Communication: 11% of resumes
2. Leadership: 9%
3. Time Management: 8%
4. Problem Solving: 7%
5. Customer Service: 5%
6. Teamwork: 5%
7. Adaptability: 4.3%
8. Organization: 2%
9. Creativity: 1.7%
10. Conflict Resolution: 1.6%

Top 10 most common “hard” skills listed in resumes

1. Microsoft Office: 12% of resumes
2. Project Management: 6%
3. Microsoft Excel: 6%
4. Python: 3.8%
5. Salesforce: 3.6%
6. Java: 3%
7. SQL: 2.9%
8. Microsoft Word: 2.7%
9. JavaScript: 2.4%
10. Public Speaking: 1.9%

Top 10 most common foreign languages listed in resumes

1. Spanish: 5.7% of resumes
2. French: 4.1%
3. Arabic: 3.6%
4. Hindi: 2.9%
5. German: 2.8%
6. Russian: 1.5%
7. Italian: 1.2%
8. Portuguese: 1%
9. Mandarin: 0.9%
10. Tamil: 0.8%

Resume length

• Average resume length: 489 words (standard deviation of 310 words)
• Median resume length: 369 words

Distribution (limited to resumes no longer than 1000 words):

For a typical resume created in our builder, about 380 words is the single-page cut off point. The data clearly shows that an average user tries to keep her resume one page long.

Perhaps paradoxically, contrary to the popular belief, nowadays recruiters prefer two-page resumes. Data shows that recruiters are 2.9x more likely to pick a candidate with a two-page resume for managerial roles and 1.4x more likely for entry-level positions.

How many resumes per user?

• Average: 1.73 resume per user
• Median: 1 resume per user

The statistics above are particularly worrying: the most effective job-hunting strategy is to customize each resume to match the requirements from the job ad (63% of recruiters want to receive resumes tailored to the open position). To do so, it’s advised to create a new resume for each job application. Yet—most users prefer to create one generic resume and send it with all job applications.

On average, 10% of job applications result in interview invites. Out of those who land the interview, 20% are offered the job. Depending on the study, the job application success rate is between 2% and 3.4%. This means that, on average, you need to send between 30 and 50 resumes to get hired.

That said—

Certain job seekers do create multiple resumes to fit the needs of various employers. Some take it to extreme: we’ve seen 17 users with over 100 resumes created. Our first thought? They’re using our tool to run their own resume-writing business and create documents for *their* clients. We checked. Not the case. All those resumes were written by users for their personal use—they just made minor tweaks and alterations in key skills and job duties described.

The user with the most resumes created 339 of them. Is this the exact approach we’re looking for when saying “tailor your resume to match the job ad?” Maybe not. Is it more effective than spamming the same resume around 300+ companies? A non-scientific guess: at least 10x more effective.

2. Software Engineer: 1720 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal information: 99.7% of resumes
• Work Experience: 99%
• Education: 98%
• Skills: 92%
• Summary or Objective: 86%

Additional sections:

• Any additional section: 70%
• Languages*: 34%
• (Additional) Activities: 29%
• Software: 24%
• Certificates: 22%
• Interests: 21%
• Courses: 10%
• References: 10%
• Publications: 6%
• Legal Clause: 6%
• Conferences: 3%
• Licenses: 2%

*The section “Languages” was used by candidates to describe either foreign languages or programming languages.

Top 15 most common skills

Unsurprisingly, the most common skills on software engineers’ resumes are almost entirely related to programming languages, presentation languages, or software systems. (With the exception of “English”—though it’s a language too!)

1. Java: used on 530 resumes (31%)
2. Python: 450 resumes (26%)
3. JavaScript: 427 (25%)
4. SQL: 297 (17%)
5. C#: 256 (15%)
6. C++ (only listed as a separate entry): 194 (11%)
7. Git: 188 (11%)
8. HTML: 170 (10%)
9. Node.js: 147 (9%)
10. CSS: 143 (8%)
11. PHP: 126 (7%)
12. C: 125 (7%)
13. MySQL: 122 (7%)
14. Docker: 120 (7%)
15. AWS (or “Amazon Web Services”): 110 (6%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, and verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	Java	software engineer
2	Javascript	computer science
3	Python	HTML CSS
4	software	node js
5	SQL	SQL server
6	development	ASP.NET
7	system	software engineering
8	HTML	data structure
9	application	software development
10	Web	web development

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	new	front end
2	English	web-based
3	technical	large scale
4	various	real-time
5	mobile	new technical
6	angular	responsible new
7	different	higher secondary
8	web	internal/external
9	multiple	cross-functional
10	visual	technical new

Verbs

1. using
2. programming
3. based
4. developed
5. worked
6. testing
7. learning
8. designed
9. implemented
10. solving

3. Administrative Assistant: 1381 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 99.9%
• Work Experience: 99%
• Education: 97%
• Skills: 96%
• Summary or Objective: 93%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 37%

• Languages: 16%
• References: 12%
• Software: 10%
• Interests: 9%
• Certificates: 8%
• Additional Activities: 8%
• Courses: 4%
• Licenses: 2%
• Legal Clause: 2%
• Conferences: 1%
• Publications: 0.6%

Top 15 most common skills

1. Communication: 196 resumes (14%)
2. Salesforce: 190 (14%)
3. Time Management: 187 (13%)
4. Microsoft Office: 186 (13%)
5. Customer Service: 155 (11%)
6. Problem Solving: 132 (10%)
7. Organization: 126 (9%)
8. Microsoft Excel: 114 (8%)
9. Teamwork: 96 (7%)
10. Microsoft Word: 95 (7%)
11. Leadership: 91 (7%)
12. Adaptability: 90 (7%)
13. Computer Skills: 88 (6%)
14. Multitasking: 78 (6%)
15. Ability to Work Under Pressure: 55 (4%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	skill	customer service
2	management	time management
3	customer	Microsoft Office
4	communication	communication skill
5	office	Microsoft Word
6	service	administrative assistant
7	Microsoft	year experience
8	assistant	high school
9	time	computer skill
10	Excel	data entry

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	administrative	email administrative
2	new	proven email
3	high	retail-proven
4	excellent	payable/receivable
5	daily	fast-paced
6	strong	excellent verbal
7	professional	administrative multiple
8	social	corporate appointment
9	general	general appointment
10	various	internal/external

Verbs

1. trained
2. solving
3. including
4. working
5. looking
6. leverage
7. maintained
8. scheduling
9. handling
10. managed

4. Project Manager: 886 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 99.9% of resumes
• Work Experience: 99.9%
• Education: 97%
• Summary or Objective: 94%
• Skills: 93%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 70%
• Certificates: 36%
• Languages: 31%
• Software: 24%
• Additional Activities: 16%
• Interests: 15%
• Courses: 12%
• References: 11%
• Legal Clause: 5%
• Licenses: 5%
• Publications: 4%
• Conferences: 3%

Top 15 most common skills

1. Project Management: 187 (21%)
2. Communication: 160 (18%)
3. Leadership: 151 (17%)
4. Microsoft Office: 146 (16%)
5. Microsoft Project: 110 (12%)
6. Problem Solving: 105 (12%)
7. Time Management: 89 (10%)
8. Risk Management: 68 (8%)
9. Strategic Planning: 51 (6%)
10. PMP Certification: 51 (6%)
11. Salesforce: 42 (5%)
12. Team Management: 42 (5%)
13. Organization: 39 (4%)
14. Negotiation: 38 (4%)
15. Adaptability: 37 (4%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	project	project management
2	management	Microsoft Office
3	team	project manager
4	communication	time management
5	Microsoft	Microsoft Project
6	business	risk management
7	leadership	communication skill
8	skill	management professional
9	manager	process improvement
10	office	customer service

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	new	cross-functional
2	English	internal/external
3	technical	large-scale
4	multiple	weekly-monthly
5	various	on-site
6	responsible	responsible new
7	internal	on time
8	high	long-term
9	professional	excellent verbal
10	effective	technical new

Verbs

1. including
2. managing
3. solving
4. planning
5. working
6. ensure
7. using
8. scheduling
9. leading
10. testing

5. Mechanical Engineer: 831 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 99.9%
• Education: 99.6%
• Work Experience: 98%
• Skills: 94%
• Summary or Objective: 91%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 85%

• Languages: 49%
• Software: 43%
• Certificates: 37%
• Additional Activities: 32%
• Interests: 31%
• References: 22%
• Courses: 22%
• Publications: 10%
• Licenses: 9%
• Conferences: 7%
• Legal Clause: 6%

Top 15 most common skills

1. SolidWorks: 260 (31%)
2. Microsoft Office: 252 (30%)
3. AutoCAD: 223 (27%)
4. MATLAB: 179 (22%)
5. Teamwork: 139 (17%)
6. Leadership: 123 (15%)
7. Communication: 115 (14%)
8. Problem Solving: 113 (14%)
9. ANSYS: 102 (12%)
10. Project Management: 93 (11%)
11. Time Management: 82 (10%)
12. Microsoft Excel: 72 (9%)
13. Adaptability: 41 (5%)
14. Autodesk Inventor: 41 (5%)
15. Microsoft Project: 40 (5%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	SolidWorks	Microsoft Office
2	engineering	project management
3	design	mechanical engineering
4	project	time management
5	management	communication skill
6	AutoCAD	mechanical engineer
7	skill	Autodesk Inventor
8	office	CATIA V5
9	mechanical	Team player
10	MATLAB	bachelor science

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	English	true best
2	mechanical	higher secondary
3	technical	mechanical electrical
4	new	full-time
5	high	on-site
6	various	mechanical technical
7	different	cross-functional
8	Spanish	new technical
9	strong	technical mechanical
10	good	internal/external

Verbs

1. using
2. solving
3. working
4. engineering
5. designed
6. testing
7. programming
8. manufacturing
9. including
10. completed

6. Customer Service Representative: 649 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 100%
• Work Experience: 99%
• Education: 96%
• Summary or Objective: 95%
• Skills: 94%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 37%
• Languages: 15%
• References: 15%
• Certificates: 9%
• Interests: 9%
• Software: 8%
• Additional Activities: 7%
• Courses: 3%
• Licenses: 1%
• Legal Clause: 1%
• Conferences: 0.3%
• Publications: 0.15%

Top 15 most common skills

1. Customer Service: 152 resumes (23%)
2. Communication: 146 (22%)
3. Time Management: 104 (16%)
4. Problem Solving: 95 (15%)
5. Teamwork: 89 (14%)
6. Leadership: 64 (10%)
7. Adaptability: 62 (10%)
8. Microsoft Office: 61 (9%)
9. Multitasking: 50 (8%)
10. Organization: 52 (8%)
11. Salesforce: 46 (7%)
12. Microsoft Word: 43 (7%)
13. Microsoft Excel: 41 (6%)
14. Computer Skills: 34 (5%)
15. Conflict Resolution: 33 (5%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	customer	customer service
2	service	time management
3	communication	communication skill
4	skill	Microsoft Office
5	management	high school
6	problem	service representative
7	time	Microsoft Word
8	Microsoft	conflict resolution
9	sale	computer skill
10	school	years experience

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	high	fast-paced
2	new	bilingual Spanish
3	excellent	internal/external
4	professional	excellent verbal
5	strong	full-time
6	English	excellent interpersonal
7	daily	responsible daily
8	Spanish	high new
9	positive	oriented professional
10	responsible	detail-oriented

Verbs

1. solving
2. work
3. oriented
4. providing
5. handling
6. maintaining
7. including
8. ensure
9. organized
10. completed

7. Business Analyst: 391 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 100%
• Work Experience: 100%
• Education: 98%
• Skills: 97%
• Summary or Objective: 95%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 73%
• Certificates: 34%
• Software: 34%
• Languages: 28%
• Additional Activities: 20%
• Interests: 17%
• Courses: 14%
• References: 13%
• Publications: 6%
• Legal Clause: 6%
• Conferences: 4%
• Licenses: 2%

Top 15 most common skills

1. SQL: 108 resumes (28%)
2. Microsoft Excel: 73 (19%)
3. Communication: 68 (17%)
4. Problem Solving: 66 (17%)
5. Project Management: 62 (16%)
6. Microsoft Office: 53 (14%)
7. Tableau: 41 (10%)
8. Analytical (Thinking) Skills: 37 (9%)
9. Microsoft Visio: 35 (9%)
10. Python: 31 (8%)
11. JIRA: 29 (7%)
12. Business Analysis: 27 (7%)
13. Process Improvement: 26 (7%)
14. Teamwork: 23 (6%)
15. Agile: 22 (6%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	business	project management
2	management	business analyst
3	analysis	business analysis
4	project	microsoft office
5	data	communication skill
6	SQL	business process
7	skill	data analysis
8	Microsoft	Microsoft Excel
9	process	process improvement
10	requirement	time management

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	new	cross-functional
2	technical	internal/external
3	English	functional technical
4	financial	strong analytical
5	functional	weekly/monthly
6	analytical	higher secondary
7	various	fast-paced
8	multiple	business strong
9	different	various new
10	effective	daily/weekly

Verbs

1. using
2. solving
3. testing
4. working
5. including
6. based
7. ensure
8. reporting
9. gathering
10. creating

8. Data Scientist: 377 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 100%
• Work Experience: 99.7%
• Education: 99%
• Skills: 96%
• Summary or Objective: 89%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 80%
• Certificates: 36%
• Additional Activities: 35%
• Languages: 32%
• Software: 28%
• Interests: 20%
• Publications: 19%
• Courses: 15%
• References: 10%
• Conferences: 9%
• Legal Clause: 6%
• Licenses: 3%

Top 15 most common skills

1. Python: 174 resumes (46%)
2. SQL: 141 (37%)
3. R: 129 (34%)
4. Machine Learning: 125 (33%)
5. Statistics: 64 (17%)
6. Tableau: 60 (16%)
7. Data Visualization: 53 (14%)
8. Spark: 37 (10%)
9. Microsoft Excel: 31 (8%)
10. SAS: 31 (8%)
11. Deep Learning: 30 (8%)
12. Java: 27 (7%)
13. Data Analysis: 26 (7%)
14. Problem Solving: 26 (7%)
15. Natural Language Processing: 21 (6%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	data	machine learning
2	Python	data science
3	machine	data visualization
4	SQL	deep learning
5	learning	data analysis
6	analysis	data scientist
7	science	big data
8	university	data mining
9	statistic	language processing
10	visualization	scikit-learn

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	statistical	data driven
2	English	statistical predictive
3	predictive	convolutional neural
4	new	large-scale
5	various	cross-functional
6	different	internal/external
7	natural	predictive statistical
8	technical	demonstrated valuable
9	deep	quantitative qualitative
10	neural	random forest

Verbs

1. learning
2. using
3. based
4. programming
5. developed
6. solving
7. worked
8. modeling
9. working
10. created

9. Civil Engineer: 356 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 99.7%
• Education: 99.7%
• Work Experience: 97%
• Skills: 92%
• Summary or Objective: 90%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 86%

• Languages: 63%
• Software: 42%
• Certificates: 39%
• Courses: 28%
• Additional Activities: 26%
• Interests: 24%
• References: 24%
• Licenses: 14%
• Conferences: 6%
• Publications: 6%
• Legal Clause: 6%

Top 15 most common skills

1. AutoCAD: 156 (44%)
2. Microsoft Office: 84 (24%)
3. Leadership: 49 (14%)
4. Communication: 46 (13%)
5. Project Management: 44 (12%)
6. Revit: 44 (12%)
7. Primavera: 38 (11%)
8. Microsoft Excel: 37 (10%)
9. Teamwork: 34 (10%)
10. Microsoft Project: 33 (9%)
11. SAP2000: 29 (8%)
12. Problem Solving: 27 (8%)
13. Time Management: 21 (6%)
14. ETABS: 18 (5%)
15. Adaptability: 12 (3%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	project	Microsoft Office
2	AutoCAD	project management
3	management	civil engineering
4	engineering	civil engineer
5	civil	communication skills
6	engineer	Primavera P6
7	skill	time management
8	office	site engineer
9	construction	Microsoft Excel
10	design	Microsoft Project

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	English	on-site
2	technical	autonomous high
3	civil	English good
4	structural	weekly/monthly
5	good	residential/commercial
6	new	higher secondary
7	concrete	daily/weekly
8	high	structural concrete
9	Spanish	daily/monthly
10	different	civil structural

Verbs

1. work
2. using
3. solving
4. including
5. engineering
6. completed
7. drawing
8. surveying
9. planning
10. ensure

10. Accountant: 344 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Personal Information: 100%
• Education: 99%
• Work Experience: 98%
• Skills: 97%
• Summary or Objective: 90%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 65%
• Languages: 36%
• References: 21%
• Software: 19%
• Certificates: 19%
• Interests: 17%
• Courses: 14%
• Additional Activities: 11%
• Legal Clause: 5%
• Conferences: 4%
• Licenses: 3%
• Publications: 1.5%

Top 15 most common skills:

1. Communication: 67 (19%)
2. Microsoft Excel: 53 (15%)
3. Microsoft Office: 47 (14%)
4. Time Management: 44 (13%)
5. Quickbooks: 38 (11%)
6. Teamwork: 35 (10%)
7. Microsoft Word: 29 (8%)
8. Problem Solving: 28 (8%)
9. Accounts Payable/Receivable: 26 (8%)
10. Adaptability: 26 (8%)
11. Attention to Detail: 23 (7%)
12. Financial Analysis: 19 (6%)
13. Leadership: 18 (5%)
14. SAP: 18 (5%)
15. Analytical Skills: 15 (4%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	accounting	time management
2	skill	communication skill
3	management	Microsoft Office
4	Microsoft	Microsoft Excel
5	communication	customer service
6	account	Microsoft Word
7	Excel	business administration
8	Office	accounting software
9	university	computer skill
10	accountant	years experience

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	financial	payable/receivable
2	English	monthly financial
3	monthly	professional new
4	new	technical professional
5	payable	internal/external
6	professional	financial monthly
7	excellent	weekly/monthly
8	daily	excellent financial
9	good	excellent verbal
10	receivable	annual financial

Verbs

1. including
2. work
3. accounting
4. solving
5. oriented
6. ensure
7. organized
8. preparing
9. reporting
10. seeking

11. Product Manager: 344 resumes analyzed

Sections used

Standard, “must-have” resume sections:

• Work Experience: 100%
• Personal Information: 99.7%
• Education: 96%
• Skills: 91%
• Summary or Objective: 90%

Additional resume sections:

• Any additional section: 75%
• Certificates: 36%
• Software: 31%
• Languages: 29%
• Interests: 22%
• Additional Activities: 22%
• Courses: 10%
• References: 8%
• Publications: 8%
• Conferences: 6%
• Licenses: 2%
• Legal Clause: 2%

Top 15 most common skills

1. Agile: 67 resumes (19%)
2. Product Management: 57 (17%)
3. Project Management: 55 (16%)
4. Leadership: 52 (15%)
5. JIRA: 44 (13%)
6. Scrum: 37 (11%)
7. Problem Solving: 36 (10%)
8. Strategic Thinking: 34 (10%)
9. Communication: 32 (9%)
10. SQL: 30 (8%)
11. User Experience: 28 (8%)
12. Data Analysis: 26 (8%)
13. Microsoft Office: 25 (7%)
14. Google Analytics: 20 (6%)
15. Product Strategy: 18 (5%)

Most important resume keywords: nouns, adjectives, verbs

Nouns

Keyword rank	Single-word noun	Two-word compound noun
1	product	product management
2	management	project management
3	project	product development
4	team	Microsoft Office
5	business	data analysis
6	development	Google Analytics
7	customer	Agile methodology
8	analysis	product strategy
9	Agile	product owner
10	strategy	time management

Adjectives

Keyword rank	Single-word adjective	Two-word compound adjective
1	new	cross-functional
2	English	internal/external
3	technical	new technical
4	functional	data-driven
5	responsible	fast-paced
6	internal	responsible new
7	multiple	new user
8	various	functional technical
9	mobile	new internal
10	analytical	technical user

Verbs

1. testing
2. including
3. using
4. working
5. managed
6. solving
7. based
8. leading
9. created
10. developed

Methodology and Limitations

For this study, we extracted data from over 2,000,000 resumes created with our resume builder. To keep the data more relevant, we limited the analysis to downloaded resumes only (assuming those were actually used in the job search). For the analysis of the most common entries, skills, and keywords, we further limited the sample to one document per user—leaving us with 133,289 resumes.

The data for the most popular professions comes from documents in which a user’s job title exactly matches the job title discussed (i.e. for a given resume to be included in the “software engineer” resume analysis, the job title on the resume must read “Software Engineer” with no permutations such as “Senior Software Engineer” etc.).

The data was collected anonymously. For non-discriminatory reasons, users’ age and gender was not disclosed in resumes. This limits a detailed demographic analysis.

The accuracy of the data regarding the most common skills and foreign languages is limited by users’ inconsistent spelling and phrasing. We tried to include all possible variations of skill descriptions (e.g. “MS Office” or “Microsoft Office”, as well as “Spanish” or “Spanish: Fluent,” etc.), but certain instances might have been omitted. The percentages denoting the most common skills and foreign languages listed by users might be underestimated by up to 0.5.

The data regarding the most contextually-relevant keywords (nouns, adjectives, and verbs) for particular professions has been extracted using the automated TF*IDF algorithm. Certain sets of compound words might not reflect the natural use of language since the TF*IDF algorithm has been programmed to ignore some of the most commonly used stop words (e.g. “or,” “a”,” “the,” “with,” etc.).

Michael Tomaszewski is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), is a career writer and the newsletter coordinator at Zety.

This article was originally posted here.