Article by RoNM

Soft skills are abilities that relate to how you work and how you interact with other people, they are very important for our work and personal development. The most common soft skills are: communication, teamwork and good interpersonal skills. Employers look for soft skills in candidates because these skills are hard to teach and are important for long-term success. Soft skills are different from hard skills which are technical and job-specific, they are interpersonal and behavioral skills that help you work well with other people and develop your career.

The required soft skills are problem-solving skills, effective communication skills, teamwork, creativity, and flexibility.

So the first question would be why are soft skills important?

Soft skills play an important role in resume writing, interviewing, job performance and finding success in communicating with people at work and in other areas of your life. For example, a job posting for a human resources associate may list “attention to detail” as a desired trait, while a job for a marketing specialist could list “leadership” and “great communication skills” as required traits. Soft skills include innate personality traits and abilities that can be learned.

Here are listed key soft skills and how they can help during the job search:

Effective communication skills will be helpful through the interview process and in your career overall. The ability to communicate involves knowing how you should speak to others in different situations or settings.

Problem-solving, employers highly value people who can resolve issues quickly and effectively.

Creativity is a broad ability incorporating many different skill sets including other soft skills and technical skills. Employees with creativity can find new ways to perform tasks, improve processes and can be used in any role at any level.

Adaptability, employees who are capable of adapting to new situations and ways of working are valuable in many jobs and industries.

Work ethic is the ability to follow through on tasks and duties in a timely, quality manner. A strong work ethic will help ensure you develop a positive relationship with your employer and colleagues, even when you are still developing technical skills in a new job.

The second question would be how to improve your soft skills

Pick a skill you want to improve and practice it consistently. You can improve any soft skill if you make it a practice. Most soft skills are a matter of routine.

Observe and mimic the positive soft skills you see in others. You may be able to develop integral soft skills by observing the practices of others and incorporating them into your own daily routine.

Set milestone goals to improve soft skills. Set specific, measurable goals by carefully reading your performance reviews at work or asking trusted friends and colleagues for constructive criticism.

Find resources to help you learn. There are a variety of resources—such as books, podcasts or online classes—that can help you learn tactics for improving specific soft skills. While some require payment, many are free and accessible at any time.

We can always improve ourselves and find new skills. If we are open-minded and curious to learn, we can discover new ways to approach life and develop a great professional path.

Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/soft-skills