Title:Soft Skills: What are they and Why do you need them?
Author:Barbara Adams, CPRW, CEIP, MFRW, MMRW, MFCA-T and Lee Kelley
Date:June 2018
Source:www.militaryresumewriters.com and www.careerproplus.com
You've surely heard the term before and you probably have some idea of what "soft skills" are. Over the past few years, people-oriented soft skills have been a hot topic in the HR community. To be more precise, HR folks talk a lot about the difficulty of finding candidates that possess soft skills along with the requisite "hard" technical knowledge that they need to succeed.
Let's give the phrase a solid definition. Soft skills fall into six specific categories:
- Communications — active listening skills, and the ability to speak and to write with an emphasis on conveying ideas and opinions in a clear, professional, and polite manner.
- Decision-making and problem-solving — the ability to analyze and make a determination. This category also includes creativity, abstract thinking, and the ability to learn from experience (and from mistakes).
- Self-management — the initiative required for effective work. Self-management skills include efficiency, a sense of urgency, the ability to adapt, working well under pressure and deadlines, and the ethical standards that govern personal behavior and interactions with others.
- Teamwork — the ability to work and play well with others. Teamwork strengths include responsibility, accountability, and the ability to share ideas in a way that is positive and encouraging.
- Professionalism — the characteristics that govern the quality of relationships with customers, peers, and managers. Attributes of professionalism also include the ability to accept direction and the sensitivity demonstrated in difficult business or personal situations.
- Leadership — capability to see the big picture and to manage change. Leadership traits include the willingness both to lead and to follow and the ability to motivate others.
When building your resume the aforementioned soft skills are completely acceptable and I strongly advise your incorporate them throughout your resume to strengthen your value to a potential employer.
