October 22, 2017

What Are Soft Skills And Why Are They Important In The Job Search?

If you want to increase your chances of becoming gainfully employed, you need to let your soft skills shine during the hiring process. Soft skills are an essential, but often overlooked, part of the job search.

Graphic of business professional surrounded with soft skills

Most job seekers believe that hard skills like experience or certifications are the key to finding a job. These skills will shine on a resume and they are necessary to help you beat ATS systems and land the job interview, but it’s the soft skills that will ultimately get you hired.

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Before we dive in and explore the soft skills employers are looking for, let’s answer the most important question first: What are soft skills? According to Google, soft skills are “personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.” Based on this definition, you can see why soft skills might be important in the work place!

During the hiring process, employers are trying to identify job candidates with the following soft skills:

  • Honesty
  • Work Ethic
  • Team Player
  • Motivation
  • Positive Attitude
  • Patience
  • Adaptability
  • Persistence
  • Focus
  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Communication
  • Sense Of Humor
  • Time Management
  • Confidence
  • Creativity
  • Responsibility
  • Professionalism
  • Friendly/Social

Do these soft skills apply to you? Soft skills like these will help any job candidate stand out from the crowd and climb the career ladder. Hiring manager will try to identify your soft skills in job interviews, communications, web presence, references, and other interactions. While you can highlight or list soft skills on a resume, it’s more important to let your soft skills shine through your interactions.

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Soft skills are character traits that are usually ingrained in our personalities, but they can also be learned. Make it a point to develop your soft skills if you want to boost your chances of getting hired. Soft skills are more important than you might realize.

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