Strong technical skills are no longer enough for getting the job you want in this day and age of artificial intelligence and automation. Employers today realize the growing relevance of soft skills and place a higher value on them, making it important for job seekers to comprehend how they can show their soft talents throughout their job hunt.
So, what exactly are soft talents, and why are they valuable?
Soft skills are personal characteristics or personality qualities that help professionals to collaborate well with others and contribute to a good work environment. These abilities are often transferrable and may be applied to a variety of vocations and sectors.
Soft skills are now a vital component of developing one’s capacity to work with others and may favorably affect one’s job advancement. Perhaps this is why companies now place a high value on soft skills in potential job prospects, since these talents assist employers distinguish between competent candidates and individuals who can surpass expectations by putting their skills to use.
Examples of soft abilities that are frequently looked after in a candidate
While it is true that many job applicants are employed for their technical abilities, and the three Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) are still important, their soft skills are more important in terms of career longevity. Today, some of the most popular soft talents that companies look for in a potential applicant are:
- The capacity to successfully network and form strong relationships with like-minded individuals and coworkers.
- Maintaining professionalism (including business etiquette and high value ethics)
- Creative problem-solving abilities (including the capacity to divide large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks)
- Collaboration, teamwork, and flexibility
- Self-motivated and growth-oriented
- Intercultural awareness and strong communication abilities
- Time management abilities
- Emotional intelligence and resilience
How to Identify and Highlight Your Soft Skills on Your CV
Possessing these soft talents as a potential job seeker is insufficient. You must learn how to highlight them on your CV in order to convince potential employers that you can be a great contribution to any team. Here are a few pointers to help you discover and highlight your soft abilities on your CV:
Determine your soft skills: Make a list of your own characteristics and personality traits. Consider your skills and limitations, as well as your personality and work style. Consider asking friends, family members, or past coworkers for input on your skills.
Select the most relevant talents: Once you’ve compiled a list of your soft skills, select those that are most relevant to the job you’re looking for. Examine the job description and criteria, and try to align your soft talents with those provided.
Instead than merely stating your soft abilities, offer concrete instances to demonstrate them. Provide an example of a project you worked on where you had to explain difficult information to several stakeholders, for example, if you have good communication skills.
Quantify your achievements: Whenever feasible, quantify your achievements to demonstrate the influence of your soft skills. For instance, if you have great leadership abilities, state how many people you have led and how you have contributed to the success of a project.
Use action verbs: To express your soft abilities, use strong action verbs. For instance, rather than 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: For each job you apply for, tailor your CV to showcase the most relevant soft talents for that role. To personalize your CV to the position’s exact criteria, use the job description as a reference.
Soft skills demonstration during a job interview
Mentioning your strengths in your CV is insufficient after you’ve identified them. You must also focus on displaying them. Show the interviewer that you have the interpersonal skills and personal qualities required for the role. You can try some of the ways listed below to do this.
Actively listen: Show your capacity to listen by keeping eye contact, nodding, and asking follow-up questions.
Give some instances to illustrate your soft skills: If the interviewer inquires about your problem-solving abilities, give an example of a difficult challenge you addressed in a prior employment.
Use good body language, such as sitting up straight, keeping eye contact, and smiling, to emphasize nonverbal communication.
Communicate clearly: To guarantee you comprehend the interviewer’s questions, speak clearly and simply, and employ active listening skills.
Be assured: By speaking clearly, keeping eye contact, and displaying excitement for the position and the organization, you may project confidence.
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