Soft Skills Enhance Employability

Job-specific skills show off your experience and understanding of a particular, measurable knowledge and capability. But “soft skills” often indicate your ability to work with others and grow within a company.

Everyone uses soft skills in the workplace and the classroom, so it is important to include them on resumes and job applications. Soft skills demonstrate that you understand the different characteristics that will help you succeed within an organization and your specific job position.

These areas show off the desired soft sills for a job application:

• Gaining a bachelor’s degree shows you could have longevity in the role
• Teamwork skills show how you are willing and effective in working with others
• Maintaining relationships also shows compatibility with coworkers
• Networking shows ability to reach out to other entities to gain project-oriented success
• Continuous learning aids personal growth and desire for advancement
• Organizational skills allow for effective and timely project solutions
• A positive attitude demonstrates motivation and initiative
• Showing your ability to take leadership roles also leads to adaptability
• Confidence allows you to navigate challenging workplace issues
• Establishing a reputation that enhances your interactions supports your clients and the organization

Below are some of the most desired employability skills that hiring managers search for in candidates:

Communication skills

Leadership relies on effective communication. Successful leaders are often active listeners who are open to feedback and acceptance of their team's perspectives. To demonstrate communication skills effectively in a leadership role means having the ability to apply discussion techniques, interpret body language and correspond with others.

Types of communication include verbal, nonverbal, visual and written skills.

Verbal skills – use a strong, confident speaking voice and employ active listening. Avoid using filler words and industry jargon unless appropriate.
Nonverbal – Notice how your emotions feel physically, be intentional about your nonverbal communications (like body language), and mimic nonverbal communication you find effective.
Visual – Use visuals where they add value, considering your audience. Making them clear and easy-to-understand.
Written – Strive for simple, clear written communications. Review your document prior to submitting. Keep a file of writing samples for reference.

Leadership skills

Companies want employees who can supervise and direct other workers.

Leadership skills can help you in all aspects of your career, from applying for jobs to seeking career advancement. One of the many soft
skills that employers value, leadership often incorporates several different personality traits and communication abilities that are useful for anyone to learn and practice over time.

Leadership skills are skills you use when organizing other people to reach a shared goal. Whether you’re in a management position or leading a project, leadership skills require you to motivate others to complete a series of tasks, often according to a schedule. Almost any positive soft skill might be considered a leadership skill.

Here is a list of must-have leadership skills that may prove valuable to anyone applying for work or looking to advance in a career:

• Decisiveness
• Integrity
• Relationship building (of team building)
• Problem-solving
• Dependability
• Ability to teach and mentor

Teamwork skills

Teamwork skills are the qualities and abilities that allow you to work well with others during conversations, projects, meetings or other collaborations.

Having teamwork skills is dependent on your ability to communicate well, actively listen and be responsible and honest. You will be required to work alongside others in every industry at every level in your career. Doing so in an empathetic, efficient and responsible manner can help you accomplish career goals, grow your resume and contribute positively to your organization. It can also help you build rapport with others. Building rapport can lead to deeper working relationships, new connections and possibly new opportunities.

Interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are traits you rely on when you interact and communicate with others. They cover a variety of scenarios where communication and cooperation are essential.

Similar to effectively communicating with others, having excellent interpersonal skills can also play a key role in your overall adaptability. Being able to interact with others in healthy and positive ways can help you avoid miscommunication and conflict during operational shifts.

These skills involve the ability to communicate and build relationships with others. They also tend to incorporate both your innate personality traits and how you’ve learned to handle certain social situations. Effective interpersonal skills can help you during the job interview process and can have a positive impact on your career advancement.

Some examples of interpersonal skills include:

• Active listening
• Teamwork
• Responsibility
• Dependability
• Leadership
• Motivation
• Flexibility
• Patience
• Empathy

In a work environment, strong interpersonal skills are an asset that can help you navigate complexity, change and day-to-day tasks.

Learning/adaptability skills

Being able to adapt to changing environments and work processes can be desirable traits to employers.

Having adaptability skills means you are open and willing to learn new things, take on new challenges and make adjustments to suit transitions in the workplace. Additionally, developing your adaptability can also mean developing other soft skills like communication and interpersonal skills.

Adaptability skills are skill sets that encompass a person's ability to adjust to changes in their environment. Being adaptable in your career can mean you can respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies and other processes at work. Being adaptable also means possessing soft skills like interpersonal, communication, creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Being adaptable in the workplace can be important when working on projects, developing strategies and implementing different approaches to doing your job. By showing your employers your adaptability skills, you are revealing how motivated you are to try new things and learn new skills.

Creativity

Creativity is a valuable workplace skill because it can be a useful tool for developing new ideas, increasing efficiency and devising solutions to complex problems. While you may have natural creativity skills in certain forms, it is a skill that can be learned and developed over time.

Creativity is the ability to think about a task or a problem in a new or different way, or the ability to use the imagination to generate new ideas. Creativity enables you to solve complex problems or find interesting ways to approach tasks. If you are creative, you look at things from a unique perspective. You can find patterns and make connections to find opportunities. There is some risk involved with being creative, but you can show you are self-motivated to try things that have not been done before.

Self-management and Integrity

Self management addresses your ability to check your emotions in the moment and integrity guides you with a firm standard of moral principles that guide you to do what is right in every situation.

Self-management skills are the abilities that allow people to control their thoughts, feelings and actions. If you have strong self-management skills, you’re able to set goals independently and take the initiative to achieve them. Purposeful self-management can help you direct the trajectory of your career and ensure you seek opportunities that get you closer to your goals.

Having integrity in the workplace can help you succeed and advance in your career. Employers are always seeking candidates who show integrity because they are trustworthy and dependable.

Workplace integrity is a set of core values and attributes that guide you to be honest, trustworthy, dependable and use good judgment in your work. Having integrity in the workplace means always choosing to do what is right and being accountable for your actions. There are several ways you can use your actions and behavior to show integrity in the workplace.

Organizational skills

You can apply your organizational skills to your time, physical space, energy and mental capabilities to establish neatness and improve functionality. If you are well-organized, you’re able to plan, prioritize and execute important activities, helping you self-manage your essential workplace responsibilities.

Organization can include several different aspects that can make this skill necessary to develop your adaptability skills. When you maintain an organized work area, paperwork and other aspects of your job, you can be better prepared if operational changes happen at work.

Organizational skills are skills that allow you to use your resources efficiently and effectively. Being organized means you manage your time, energy and workspace well and can accomplish all your assigned tasks successfully. Organizational skills can take different forms depending on your particular workplace and job title, but they typically involve maintaining an orderly workspace, meeting deadlines and communicating well with your team.

Computer skills

Today, nearly every job requires a basic understanding of computers, and many jobs involve intermediate to advanced computer skills. This can include knowledge of specific software, applications or devices. Below, you’ll discover more information about the type of computer skills employers commonly look for in job applicants.
Computer skills fit into two categories: hardware and software.

Hardware skills – allow you to physically operate a computer. Hardware skills can be as simple as knowing how to turn devices on and off. They might also involve more complex tasks like connecting machines to networks, changing parts or fixing broken devices. For these complex tasks, many employers hire trained technicians with advanced computer skills.

Software skills – help you to efficiently use computer programs and applications. There are some software skills that employers may consider as prerequisites to employment. Employers may not include some software skills on job posts under the assumption they are universally understood. For example, many employers may believe all applicants have a basic knowledge of word processing programs, like Microsoft Word.

Some common computer skills include:

• Analytics
• Social media
• Graphic design
• Microsoft Office
• Spreadsheets
• Email communication
• Marketing automation
• Data visualization

Critical Thinking/Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills help you determine the source of a problem and find an effective solution. Although problem solving is often identified as its own separate skill, there are other related skills that contribute to this ability.

The ability to use sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems is thinking critically. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.

When employers talk about problem-solving skills, they are often referring to the ability to handle difficult or unexpected situations in the workplace as well as complex business challenges. Organizations rely on people who can assess both kinds of situations and calmly identify solutions. Problem-solving skills are traits that enable you to do that. While problem-solving skills are valued by employers, they are also highly useful in other areas of life like relationship building and day-to-day decision making.

Adapting to change can also rely on problem-solving skills. You might use your problem-solving skills to find creative solutions to challenging topics and being able to observe and analyze how you might approach solving a new problem can show your managers your willingness to make adjustments or improvements to the way you approach solving problems at work.

Open-mindedness

Open-mindedness is the ability to encounter opinions or methods that you don't necessarily agree with without becoming defensive or immediately dismissing them as wrong.

Open-mindedness is the strength to admit that there is more than one way to do something and that there may be occasions when someone else has a more effective approach than yours. This is important in the workplace because you need to be able to allow team members to approach their work in a way that makes the most sense for them, even when it doesn't make sense to you. It will also be important when planning and strategizing as a team, where you'll hear a variety of perspectives and need to give due respect and consideration to all of them.

Strong work ethic

Employees with a strong work ethic exhibit a particular set of values and behaviors. These characteristics make them stand out as highly coveted team members and praise-worthy employees: Reliability, dedication, discipline, productivity, cooperation, integrity, responsibility, and professionalism.

Work ethic is an attitude of determination and dedication toward one’s job. Those with a strong work ethic place a high value on their professional success. They exhibit moral principles that make them outstanding employees in any position. If you have a strong work ethic, you believe in the importance of your job and typically feel that hard work is essential to maintaining a strong character.