In today's day and age of artificial intelligence and automation, strong technical skills are no longer enough to get the job you've been aiming for. Employers now recognize the growing importance of soft skills and place greater importance on them, thus making it crucial for job seekers to learn to showcase their soft skills in their job search.
So, what are soft skills, and why are they important?
Soft skills can be best described as personal attributes or personality traits that enable employees to work effectively with others and contribute to a positive work environment. These skills are generally transferable and can be easily applied to various jobs and industries.
Today, soft skills have become an essential part of improving one's ability to work with others and can positively influence furthering one's career. Perhaps that is why employers are now giving a lot of importance to soft skills in a potential job candidate since these skills help employers differentiate between qualified candidates and candidates who can exceed expectations by putting their skills into practice.
Examples of commonly sought-after soft skills in a candidate
While it's true that many job seekers get hired for their technical skills, and the three Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetics) still play an essential role, in reality, their soft skills strongly arm them with career durability. Today some of the most widely sought-after soft skills that employers seek in a potential candidate include:
- The ability to network effectively and develop strong relationships with like-minded people and colleagues
- Maintaining professionalism (this includes business etiquette as well as strong worth ethics)
- Creative problem-solving skills (this includes the ability to break down complex tasks into smaller manageable targets)
- Team-work, collaboration, and adaptability
- Self-motivated with a growth mindset
- Strong communication skills and intercultural sensitivity
- Time management skills
- Resilience and emotional intelligence
Tips on how to identify your soft skills and showcase them on your CV
As a potential job seeker, possessing these soft skills is not enough. You need to learn how to showcase them on your CV to demonstrate to potential employers that you can be a valuable asset to any team. Below are a few tips to help you identify your soft skills and showcase them on your CV:
- Identify your soft skills: List your personal attributes and personality traits. Think about your strengths, weaknesses, personality, and work style. Consider asking friends, family members, or former colleagues for feedback on what they think your strengths are.
- Choose the most relevant skills: Once you have a list of your soft skills, choose the ones that are most relevant to the job you're applying for. Look at the job description and requirements, and try to match your soft skills to those listed.
- Use specific examples: Instead of simply listing your soft skills, use specific examples to showcase them. For example, if you have strong communication skills, provide an example of a project you worked on where you had to communicate complex information to different stakeholders.
- Quantify your accomplishments: Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments to show the impact of your soft skills. For example, if you have strong leadership skills, mention how many people you led and how you contributed to the success of a project.
- Use action verbs: Use strong action verbs to describe your soft skills. For example, instead of saying, "I'm a good communicator," say, "I presented complex information to a team of 10 people, resulting in a 50% increase in productivity."
- Customize your CV: Customize your CV for each job you apply for to highlight the most relevant soft skills to that position. Use the job description as a guide to tailor your CV to the job's specific requirements.
Demonstrating soft skills during a job interview
Once you’re well aware of your strengths, mentioning them in your CV is not enough. You need to focus on demonstrating them as well. Focus on showing the interviewer that you have the interpersonal abilities and personal attributes necessary for the position. To do so, you can try some of the following techniques.
- Listen actively: Demonstrate your listening ability by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and asking follow-up questions.
- Provide relevant examples to demonstrate your soft skills: If the interviewer asks about your problem-solving skills, provide an example of a challenging problem you solved in a previous role.
- Focus on nonverbal communication: Use positive body language, such as sitting up straight, maintaining eye contact, and smiling.
- Communicate effectively: Speak clearly and concisely, and use active listening skills to ensure you understand the interviewer's questions.
- Be confident: Project confidence by speaking clearly, maintaining eye contact, and demonstrating enthusiasm for the job and the company.
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