I came across a job advert sometimes back and one of its requirements was Soft skills, never seen it before as a requirement, this was new to me. I googled to know what soft skill was and why it was needed.
Soft skills are professional skills that relates to your attitudes and your intuitions, they are less about your qualifications and more personality-driven, they are intangible and difficult to quantify.
Soft skills help to facilitate human connections, relate more to emotional intelligence and are natural abilities that help us interact well with others. Unlike hard skills, soft skills cannot be learned through education and they are useful across all industries and job types
Some examples of soft skills include analytical thinking, verbal and written communication, and leadership, Teamwork, Problem-solving, Responsibility and more
In this time and age, it important to so know what you soft skills are and how you might show evidence of them before you apply for a job, it is now considered as a must have during recruitment process for graduate programs where transferable skills and potential often take precedence over professional experience.
In most competitive job markets to find the ideal candidate recruitment criteria are not limited to technical ability and specialist knowledge,
- How well do you communicate?
Whether its verbal or non-verbal, online or offline, email or phone, you’ll need to communicate with people on the job, with your colleague, a customer, intending customer, a complaint, employers, or vendors
The need to be able to speak clearly, politely, be a good listener, adjust their tone and style according to the audience, comprehend and act efficiently on instructions, and explain complex issues to colleagues and clients
Employers want employees who can listen empathetically to others. Listening is a particularly important skill in customer service jobs and these are also important in numerous other jobs Negotiation, Persuasion, Presentation, Public speaking, reading body language, Storytelling, writing reports and proposals, Writing skills Critical Thinking
- Positive Attitude
Everyone wants to be surrounded by positive people, so does employers. Being able to keep things positive is a mind booster and helps keep the work spirit alive so having one or more positive employee in you corner is a good environment.
3. Self-Motivation
Having a positive attitude and the initiative to work well without around-the-clock supervision is a vital soft skill for any employee.
Not only does it demonstrate reliability and commitment, but it also shows that you can fit efficiently into an organizational structure without the need for constant supervision.
4. Teamwork
The success of a company mostly depends on a team of more than one, it is as a result of people working toward a common goal. When everyone brings together their different talent, the company wins and so does everyone.
5. Conflict resolution
It is human nature to be at loggerheads and when you put more than one person on a job, conflicts will arise so being able to resolve issues between your fellow employees helps everyone maintain a good working relationship. A person who knows how to work through disagreements has a leadership potential and will create a good healthy working environment.
6. Problem Solving
Those who can approach problems cool level headed often reach a solution faster and more efficiently. There will always be problems and knowing you can help at the office is a good advantage
7.Decisiveness
The ability to make quick and effective decisions especially when under pressure will be a good add for an organization. One that takes responsibility for the consequences of their decision and can adapt when mistakes are made. This ensures that opportunities aren’t missed by lengthy analysis or debate.
- can you Work Under Pressure?
This question is often asked at interviews and a lot of people are quick to give the answer “yes”.
Jobs have a lot of demand which automatically will bring pressure, so a candidate who show a decisive attitude, an unfaltering ability to think clearly, and a capacity to compartmentalize and set stress aside will be highly favored.
- Time management
Time management determines your ability to work under pressure. If you have just five minutes to handle a deadline that was given to you that same minute, how well will you do?
Employees who manage their time well can efficiently prioritize tasks and organize their diaries while adopting an attitude which allows them to take on new tasks and deadlines.
- Work Ethic
Employers look for job candidates with a strong work ethic. People who come to work on time, complete tasks in a timely manner, and stay focused and organized.
They are able to budget their time, complete their work thoroughly, work independently and can follow instructions.
A strong work ethic is difficult to teach, so employers will be impressed if you can demonstrate it in your job application.
- Flexibility
Can you embrace and handle new tasks and challenges without giving a fuss?
Flexible employees are willing to help out where needed, take on extra responsibilities and can adapt quickly when plans change.
- Leadership
Most employers will want to know that you have the ability to make decisions when push comes to shove, and can manage situations and people. The ability to step up in a difficult situation and help resolve it is something employers look for in prospective employees
Those with strong leadership skills have the ability to inspire others and lead teams to success, they bring positive attitude and outlook, make quick and effective decisions, conflict management skills, they have in them most of the other soft skill
There are so many skills you need to help you grow and survive at a work place, these are some of them
Delegation
Facilitation
Inspiring people
Management
Project management
Supervising
Customer service
Emotional intelligence
Networking
Social skills
Multitasking
Results-oriented
Technology trend awareness
Trainable
Willingness to learn
Stress management
Technology savvy
Spend some time knowing what your soft skills are and highlight them in your resume and during job interviews. Identify the soft skills relevant to the role you are applying for, talk about them at the interview and include them as keywords in your cover letter or cv
