Soft Skills For Today’s Job Market

Let’s face it, interviewing is a challenge. Many of us feel that we do not match up to the desired job although we have the skillset for it. One way to boost your confidence in becoming the top pick for a company is to expand on your soft skills in addition to your hard skills.

Hard skills are the requirements on job postings. For example, to become a medical physician, a candidate would most likely need to be skilled in diagnostic testing and understand medical terminology. On the other hand, soft skills are the different skills tied to your personality that define how you navigate the professional world and interact with others and your work. These skills aren’t required or typically listed on job postings but they determine how well you fit in with a company and its culture.

Here are some of the soft skills you could utilize:

  1. Critical Thinking

The ability to analyze a situation or issue and take appropriate action is an undervalued skilled. Companies want an employee who can problem solve on their own before asking for help. This also shows that an employee would not need constant supervision and can be trusted to complete work in a way that makes sense.

  1. Communication

While you do not need to be a professional speaker, most organizations do want an employee that can explain their thoughts and reasoning as well as understand others. Without communication skills, it can be challenging for coworkers and managers to all understand each other and the work they are doing.

  1. Teamwork

Working together well is a necessity. Businesses typically strive for people who can integrate into a team easily and become a valuable and fair member. Without having teamwork capabilities, it can be impossible for everyone to get their work completed.

Although hard skills are necessary, adding in these soft skills may help you get ahead in today’s job market. What are some other soft skills you think are important? Comment below.

A Demand For Soft Skills

Technology will always be a shifting current—what’s relevant today likely won’t be 10-20 years from now. This predicament is part of the reason that some employers find themselves consistently looking for new and fresh talent but very recently, some have come to understand that one thing will withstand the test of time: soft skills.

Universally lauded (I’m exaggerating but bear with me) and “future-proof”, as penned by harver.com, soft skills refer to things like empathy, communication, and critical thinking. These are things that “are personality-driven and… are what makes the difference between a good and a great candidate. After all, hard (tangible and technical) skills usually can be taught, while teaching someone how to show empathy is almost impossible…”

“As developments in technology are changing many industries rapidly, the demand for people with transferable, future-proof (as much as possible) and soft skills will rise.”

If you were on the fence about hiring a candidate for reasons like these, take a chance! You might be pleasantly surprised.

Applicants Hold The Power

Roy Maurer, of SHRM.org, claims that applicants hold a lot more power in the application and hiring process by demanding more transparency, accountability, and trust from their would-be employers. 
 
Per a LinkedIn survey (part of their Global Talent Trends 2019 report), these three attributes have forced employers to compete more heavily for candidates’ attention and, in turn, as employers seeking candidates with more than just a stacked resume. 
 
Soft skills such as creativity, the ability to collaborate well with others, and adaptability are at the forefront as they are largely intrinsic to an individual and generally can’t be taught.
 
What are your thoughts?