What exactly are soft skills, and why are they so important?
Put simply, soft skills are those intangible, hard to measure things that employers love. Think communication skills; emotional intelligence; timekeeping; adaptability; people skills; or the ability to work as part of a team. They’re important for you as a jobseeker because, while technical skills might give you a foot in the door, soft skills are what’s really going to seal the deal.
Employers hate it when a candidate looks fantastic on paper, but lacks the substance to back up their impressive CV. In fact, employers will often overlook an absence of qualifications if they take a liking to a candidate’s personality and attitude. While on-the-job training can be given and qualifications earned, soft skills (your overall behaviours) cannot be taught.
Selling yourself with soft skills
We spoke to you before about the importance of your personal brand, and the skills mentioned above couldn’t be a more vital part of that brand.
When meeting a potential employer, the impression you make in person could make or break your chances of getting the job. If you’ve spent weeks trying to build a relationship with someone through LinkedIn but you can’t talk to them without constantly glancing at your phone or fidgeting, they’re not going to have much faith in your communication skills. Similarly, if you turn up late for an interview, your timekeeping skills will be questioned. Could you blame them?
Instead of only practicing for interview by rehearsing answers, focus on your behaviour: practice greeting people with a warm and confident smile; make eye contact; speak clearly; really listen to what people are saying; don’t look at your phone– and think about how approachable and adaptable you are.
As well as offering insight to employers of what sort of an employee you’d make, soft skills are also becoming increasingly important because of (ironically) the rise in digital working. Businesses are now relying on technology in the workplace more than ever before, two camps are forming.
“Soft skills are impossible to quantify but are, according to increasingly exasperated bosses, potentially far more valuable than exam results…But surely such skills are fluffy extras, far less important than an ability to speak a dozen languages and perform advanced calculus in your head? Well, not necessarily, when machines can now do all those things – and more.
Business forecasters are predicting that, very soon, workforces will be split between those highly skilled individuals able to carry out technology-related jobs and charismatic, innovative individuals, whose charm will make others want to do business with them.”
With a focus on the future, we’d say that brushing up on your soft skills now is essential for your career. If you’re struggling in any way with how to refine those skills, you know that we’re always happy to help!