A candidate who writes “proficient in Microsoft Office” on their CV in 2025 sends the same signal as a developer who would list “knows how to use a keyboard.” Recruiters filter applications with automatic sorting software (ATS) even before reading them.
Knowing how to present your IT skills on a CV is no longer just about listing software: you need to prove what you can do with these tools, and phrase it so that an algorithm understands it like a human would.
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Pass the ATS filter before convincing a recruiter
Before a recruiter opens your CV, an ATS software scans it. This system looks for specific keywords, often those from the job listing. If your CV mentions “office suite” while the ad mentions “Excel” and “Power BI,” you are eliminated without any human having read a line.
Have you ever noticed that some applications never receive a response, even for accessible positions? The problem often lies there. An ATS-rejected CV never reaches the recruiter.
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To effectively present IT skills on a CV, use the exact terms from the targeted job listing. If it asks for “Python,” write “Python,” not “programming language.” If it mentions “Salesforce,” name Salesforce. This lexical matching is the first step, before any layout considerations.
Another often overlooked point: avoid complex tables and multiple columns. Most ATS read text from left to right, line by line. A two-column CV can mix your skills with your experience dates and produce an unreadable result for the machine.
IT skills CV: prove rather than list
The majority of candidates stack software names in an “IT” section without context. The recruiter sees “Excel – advanced” on dozens of CVs daily. Nothing distinguishes one candidate from another.
The difference lies in proof of usage. Instead of writing “Excel – advanced level,” describe what you have done: “Created pivot tables for the monthly budget tracking of the sales team.” A skill associated with a concrete result is worth ten lines of listing.
Why this choice? Because the recruiter is looking to project your profile into the position. A tool name alone says nothing about your ability to solve a problem. An action verb followed by a business context does.
Adapt the proof to the level of the position
A junior profile does not have the same leverage as an experienced profile. For a first job, mention projects completed during training or internships. “Automated weekly reporting in Google Sheets during a project management internship” remains valid proof.
For an experienced profile, the challenge is the opposite: select. There’s no need to mention Word if you are applying for a data analyst position. Every technical skill mentioned must correspond to the sector and the targeted position. A CV tailored to each job takes more time but generates incomparable results compared to a generic CV sent everywhere.
Generative AI and collaborative tools: what changes in 2025
Classic guides still talk about office software, programming languages, and graphic design. These categories remain relevant, but two families of skills have taken on a new significance in the job market.
The first concerns generative AI. Mentioning “ChatGPT” or “Midjourney” on a CV is not enough. Recruiters want to know how you are using it concretely. “Writing structured prompts to generate competitive intelligence summaries” says something. “Knowledge of AI” says nothing.
The concrete use of an AI tool matters more than its mere mention. This is the logic of proof applied to new technologies.
The second family concerns collaborative tools: Notion, Slack, Trello, Jira, Confluence. These tools reflect your ability to work in a product team, document, and communicate. Tech jobs are increasingly integrated into multidisciplinary teams, and digital collaboration is part of the sought-after transversal skills.
What to remember for choosing skills
- Select three to five IT skills directly related to the targeted job listing, no more
- Associate each skill with an action verb and a business context (project, result, sector)
- Include at least one recent tool (AI, data, cybersecurity) if your experience allows, describing its use
- Remove skills that have become implicit (web browsing, basic word processing) that add no distinctive value
Dedicated section or skills integrated into professional experience
Should you create a separate “IT Skills” section or integrate the tools into the description of each position? The answer depends on your profile.
For a technical position (developer, network administrator, data analyst), a dedicated technical section facilitates quick reading by the recruiter and the ATS. Place it at the top of the CV, right after the title and summary. List technologies by category: languages, frameworks, databases, DevOps tools.
For a non-technical position (sales, HR, project manager), IT skills benefit from being woven into the experience section. “Managed a Hubspot CRM for tracking 200 prospects” speaks more than an isolated line “Hubspot – intermediate.”
- Technical profile: dedicated section at the top of the CV, organized by category of tools
- Non-technical profile: skills integrated into job descriptions, with context of use
- Mixed profile (IT project manager, product owner): both approaches combined, short section and contextualized mentions in experience
A CV tailored to the targeted position converts better than a comprehensive CV. The temptation to list everything is strong, especially when you master multiple environments. Resist it. A recruiter spends a few seconds on a CV before deciding whether to continue reading. Three well-placed and well-phrased skills capture attention more effectively than a list of fifteen tools without context.