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Aayushi
05 October, 2023
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In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, technical skills and qualifications alone are not sufficient to ensure success in personal and professional life. Adapting to a rapidly changing environment, navigating complex social dynamics, and communicating effectively have become equally, if not more, important. These essential skills are known as soft skills, and they can be a key to unlocking new opportunities and achieving your goals.
Unlike hard skills, soft skills are not about the knowledge you possess but the behaviour you display in different situations. Soft skills include any trait that can be classified as a personality trait or habit. Interpersonal and communication skills are more specific skills that an employer looks for in a job candidate.
Therefore, it is reasonable that you must pay special attention to developing soft skills as they will help you at each step of your career. From strengthening your resume to cracking the interview, your skills will always come in handy. Soft skills are essential for success in the workplace, as technical skills and soft skills go hand in hand.
Regardless of whether you are speaking to a client, hiring manager or a colleague; the style and tone are something you must focus on. Effective communication is the cornerstone of all effective skills. It not only involves speaking or delivering your own thoughts but also listening effectively and empathetically. Strong communicators are often successful in building meaningful relationships, conveying their ideas and resolving conflicts.
Related: The Importance of Communication in Business & Workplace
From getting up from the bed till reaching the office and completing the leftover work, everything should be time-managed. Developing strong time management skills can increase not only your productivity but also the quality of work. Working under pressure or in a time-constrained manner should also be enhanced. By managing the time one can be more productive and deliver high-quality work on time.
There are times when you have to make a decision for yourself or the whole team and that is the time when you have to be decisive instantly. Quick and effective decision-making is one of the most valuable soft skills. Decision-making skills are all the skills you need to make an informed and rational decision. Numerous skills further go into decision making such as analysis, creativity, collaboration and leadership skills.
Ability to work well with others is crucial in most job roles and workplace settings. Being a team player involves contributing to group goals, resolving conflicts and valuing diverse opinions. Employers often prefer a candidate who can perform as a team player who always prioritises team goals rather than their individual interests. This particular skill alone allows you to work as a team during conversations, meetings or collaborations. In fact, it is one of the most sought-after skills for almost every profession.
While the term people skills is a wider skill, at the heart of it, it is an interpersonal skill which involves active listening. Almost all people have these skills. Both teamwork and leadership require patience and understanding. Through active listening, you can understand others’ points of view and solve a conflict. Empathy, patience, public speaking and humour are some other people skills. People skills are important as most people do not work alone. Even if you work independently, you likely have relationships at work or as part of it.
The workplace is constantly evolving, and individuals who can adapt to change, learn new skills, and stay open to new ideas are more likely to thrive. Adaptability simply means adjusting to the changing circumstances. It is amongst the top five soft skills that a candidate usually does not highlight on their resume but are essential to run a long way in the corporate race. An adaptable person can often deal with moving clients, projects and technology.
It is often a tough job to lead a pack of wolves but once the skill delves deep into your traits, it can help you run your own company one day. Even if you have not been entrusted with the leadership role, it is your responsibility to demonstrate leadership qualities, take initiative, make important decisions and motivate & inspire others. All of these things can set you apart in a workplace. A person often portraying honesty and integrity, communicating prolifically and building strong unbreakable relationships can become a powerful leader.
Building and maintaining professional relationships, both within and outside your organisation, can lead to new opportunities, support, and career growth. Networking is vital for personal and professional development which can be attained by building relationships at an early stage of life. Networking begins at home and amongst close comrades.
This involves thinking out of the box, putting forth new ideas, and finding unique solutions to problems. It’s valuable in industries where innovation and problem-solving is required. Creativity is required in every field or company and can help you stand out in a company which desperately requires change. You can lead these companies towards growth with your ability to think innovatively and creatively.
Before inculcating the above-mentioned skills, it is important to have self-confidence, self-motivation and taking care of oneself. Self-motivational skills should be a priority so as to be an asset for the workplace. Motivating and working for others should be secondary. Being self-motivated can help you become an aspiring leader.
From building a resume to living up to the skills mentioned above a person is tested throughout his career. Possessing soft skills can be an additional benefit and a feather to the hat along with being knowledgeable. Possessing skills such as interpersonal or communication skills can help you understand the work culture and your co-workers better. It can help you achieve the goal of being a successful person one day.
