Want a New Job? Make Sure Your Soft Skills are Solid
If you have scanned job ads lately, you've likely seen some mention of a "soft skill" but under a different name, such as "interpersonal skills" or ability to interact with customers. What exactly is a soft skill? One definition is "personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people." In other words, are you easy to get along with?
It goes beyond that, however, to include functions
like
communicating, conflict management, negotiating, and team building
. It's really important to pay close attention to these non-technical talents; while a job candidate may have amazing technical skills related to the job at hand, whether he or she has the necessary soft skills may be the deciding factor.
In 2014, CareerBuilder surveyed
hiring managers and human resource professionals across industries and company sizes and found that 77 percent of those surveyed thought soft skills were as important as hard skills.
Below are the five most important soft skills that they said they are looking for in candidates:
- Strong work ethic - 73 percent
- Dependable - 73 percent
- A positive attitude - 72 percent
- Self-motivated - 66 percent
- Team-oriented - 60 percent
Steps for Job Seekers
Refresh your Skills (just in case)
Most of us consider ourselves as having soft skills such as dependability and friendliness but it doesn't hurt to brush up, just as you would take a class to develop technical skills. Ensure that you are truly competitive in today's job marketplace by participating in a workshop at the
Workforce Development Center
(WDC). These workshops help participants identify and learn the importance of soft skills in the workplace, what employers look for in the ideal candidate and how to improve existing soft skills.
The two-day workshop is comprised of modular, hands-on, engaging activities that focus on six key skill areas: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem-solving and critical thinking, and professionalism. For information about upcoming workshops, contact Betty Sewell at 703.746.5890 or betty.sewell@alexandriava.gov.
Review your Resume and Interview Preparation Notes
"Saying that you're a team player is not enough; you have to show it," advises Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Provide an example of how you worked on a team to accomplish a particular goal. Provide an example of a high-pressure situation that you handled with ease. Try to make the intangible tangible."
Here, too, WDC can help you with regular workshops on topics like resume building and interview preparation. Come to the Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and see what it has to offer you, at no cost! If you need Internet and phone access, career readiness workshops, career assessments or other job seeking resources, it's the place for you.
