What's the deciding factor for which form of a word you choose before the word "skill"?

Solution 1:

My two cents:

I think when a gerund from a verb is possible, using 'gerund' seems to be more common.

negotiation negotiating skills
(Internet) search searching skills
program programming skills
write writing skills

When a gerund is not possible, a noun or an adjective seems to be common.

management skills
practical skills
technical skills
academic skills

As I said, this is not a concrete rule. I think taking help of authentic sources like Ngram would help you decide the correct form.