IT Skills on a CV: Which Software and Tools to List in 2026

Which software should you put on your CV?

List software relevant to the job that you can actually use. Pair each name with a task: "Excel — tracking sheets, filters and basic formulas" tells a recruiter more than "IT literate". Use the job description and your own experience as your guide; you do not need to claim advanced proficiency in every tool.

Use this pattern: software name + what you can do with it. Adapt these examples rather than copying the whole list.

Type of software	Tool	Example wording
Office software	Excel	Tracking sheets, filters and basic formulas
CRM	Salesforce	Pipeline updates and sales reports
Marketing	Google Analytics 4	Traffic and conversion reporting
Project management	Jira	Backlog updates and issue tracking
Design	Figma	Wireframes and interactive prototypes
Accounting	Sage	Invoice entry and bank reconciliation
Data	Power BI	Interactive reports and basic DAX

Include Word or Excel if their use matters to the role. Do not add a tool you have never used just because the employer names it.

Example for a junior administrative role

A short section can demonstrate that you are ready for everyday tasks. This fictional example could draw on work experience, a placement or training:

Office software: Word — formatting letters and meeting notes; Excel — tracking sheets, filters and basic formulas.

Organisation: Outlook — managing shared calendars; Teams — meetings and document sharing.

This candidate does not claim VBA or advanced Excel. Add pivot tables or Power Query only if you use them. The preview below shows these skills in our Slate template.

What to remove before you start building

Before adding anything, cut what no longer belongs.

Tool names without context — keep Word, Excel or PowerPoint when relevant, and explain your use: "Word — formatting letters" or "Excel — invoice tracking". Basic tasks can matter for a junior office role.

Vague or inflated proficiency — if you are learning a relevant tool, describe what you can do: "Power BI — built a simple report during training". Distinguish learning from independent professional use. Merely having heard of a tool is not a useful skill to list.

An exhaustive list — there is no required number of tools. A few specific entries may be enough for one role; a technical position may need several categories. Keep the tools that explain your suitability for the job.

Tools irrelevant to the role — do not list Figma if you are applying for an accountancy role, unless there is a specific and relevant reason for the recruiter to know about it.

How to organise your IT skills by category

Structuring your technical skills by category makes scanning much faster and lets the recruiter find what they need in seconds.

Select categories that match the skills and keywords in the job description, then keep only the tools you have used.

Office and productivity

• Excel (specify level: intermediate / advanced / expert, with examples of what you can do)
• Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides
• Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Keynote
• SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive

Communication and collaboration

• Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Google Meet
• Notion, Confluence, Basecamp

Project management

• Jira, Asana, Monday.com, Trello, ClickUp, MS Project

CRM and sales

• Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, Dynamics 365

Data and analytics

• Power BI, Tableau, Looker, Google Analytics
• Advanced Excel (Power Query, DAX), SQL (specify databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL)
• Python or R for data analysis (if applicable)

Design and creative

• Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere), Canva

Development and engineering

• Languages, frameworks and libraries with real-world usage (GitHub, version control, CI/CD tools)
• Cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP (with certifications if held)

Finance and accounting

• Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, SAP FI/CO, Oracle Finance, Coda

For an example in a complete document, see our editable accountant CV.

Sector-specific tools

• HR: Workday, BambooHR, PeopleHR, Breathe
• Legal: iManage, Lexis, Practical Law
• Healthcare: EMIS, SystmOne, Rio, Nourish
• Retail and operations: Oracle Retail, Microsoft Dynamics, Brightpearl

How to describe proficiency levels

Avoid vague labels like "good knowledge" or "familiar with." Choose one of these clearer formats:

Option A — Named level with brief description:

Excel — Advanced: pivot tables, VLOOKUP, Power Query, conditional formatting

Option B — Self-rated scale (if used consistently):

Salesforce — Intermediate | Power BI — Advanced | SQL (MySQL) — Intermediate

Option C — Certification:

Google Analytics 4 — Certified | AWS Cloud Practitioner | Microsoft Excel Expert (MOS)

If you have formal certifications, name them explicitly. They add credibility in a way that self-described levels cannot.

Common mistakes in the IT skills section

Describing tools without showing depth. "Experience with Salesforce" tells the recruiter very little. "Salesforce — 3 years daily use: pipeline management, reporting, custom objects and workflow automation" tells them what they need to know.

Claiming expertise you do not have. Recruiters will often probe your stated technical skills at interview. Do not claim "expert" unless you can demonstrate it under pressure. "Advanced" or "confident daily user" is both honest and strong.

Ignoring tool names in the job description. Naming tools you actually use helps recruiters find relevant skills, including when they search by keyword. "HubSpot — pipeline updates" is more informative than "CRM experience" if that is your experience. Matching a name does not guarantee a ranking or selection in a recruitment system.

Listing tools you last used five years ago. Old proficiency degrades. If you used a tool in a previous role but have not touched it since, either omit it or note the context: "SAP (Finance module, previous role 2018-2021)."

IT skills for career changers

If you are changing sector or role type, your IT skills section may need careful attention. Skills from one context often transfer — but they need to be framed for the new reader.

For example, if you managed a team's project tracking in Notion at a startup, and you are now applying to a corporate project management role, you can legitimately list it alongside a brief note about how you used it. The goal is to make the connection explicit, not to hope the recruiter figures it out.

For advice on how to position a full career change, see our career change CV guide.

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