Of course every employer wants to know your quantifiable, hard skills, and you’ve got them prominently listed on your resume: Experienced in using Microsoft and Mac systems. Increased sales by five percent last quarter. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
But what about the soft skills, the way you interact with others, your general personality, leadership skills, and anything else that figures into how you relate to other people? For many employers, those skills rank on the same level — and in some cases, higher — than hard skills. So which ones do they want to see in their employees?
- Problem solving. When you really think about it, nearly every job opening gives the candidate the chance to solve a problem — the company needs to hire a person because they lack what they need. When an employer asks you about how you dealt with a challenge, this is your time to show how you deal with problems and demonstrate grace, cool-headedness, and quick thinking under pressure.
- Interpersonal skills. This covers a few soft skills: Can you work with others effectively, relate to colleagues and customers, and manage conflicts when they arise? Basically, employers want to know that you can manage the working version of playing nicely with others, sharing, and not leaving anyone out. If the concept of collaboration doesn’t appeal to you, that speaks volumes to an employer who depends on her staff to communicate well with each other.
- Flexibility & adaptability. Similar but not the same, these two soft skills rate highly on an employer’s list. Flexible employees recognize that deadlines change, technology breaks, and things get thrown in or dropped at the last minute, yet the work still needs to get done. Adaptability runs in that same family — employers want someone who’s willing to take on a new challenge, learn a new skill, or use a different method to get something accomplished.
- Above all, employers want someone reliable whom they know will get the job done, literally and figuratively. Show you’ve got a good work ethic, and that will take you far in a job — the person who goes the extra mile to finish a project often has more value than the employee who technically has more knowledge but often shows up late and makes excuses. Employers want employees whom they know they can count on, plain and simple.
As you prepare for your next job opening, figure out how you can demonstrate these key soft skills in your resume and interview. While they’re not necessarily measurable, they’re often immeasurably important to employers. For help figuring out your best soft skills, reach out to the expert staffing team at PrideStaff Thousand Oaks today.
