Texas State Career Services Counselor
In the job market today, many employers are looking for applicants with a diverse set of skills that can demonstrate your ability to be successful. It is no longer as feasible to just be a functional expert within a single occupational field. A marketable applicant must also possess “soft skills,” which complement the core competencies needed within a career.
Soft skills—optimism, integrity, social grace, to name a few—are personal attributes that assist in the ability to work effectively within an organization. According to research, in addition to standard qualifications, many employers value and seek out these skills when selecting the best candidates to hire.
It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview, but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job.
Implementing soft skills within a career is vital to becoming successful; however identifying and perfecting these skills may take some work. To get started on discovering your soft skills, first think about your previous jobs, volunteer positions, hobbies, clubs and school projects. Beside each area write down every functional skill you gained from that experience. Next, list personality traits you believe you exhibited when you were engaged in those activities. Please see example below:
Functional skill: Soft skill:
Listen to customers and place food à Communication skills, Teamwork
orders correctly and Interpersonal skills
This is a fantastic way to begin understanding the soft skills you bring to the table. To have a competitive edge it is imperative to know your skills and market them to an employer. To begin exploring the necessary soft skills to implement in the workplace, read below.
According to NACE’s (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Job Outlook 2012 survey the following were the top 5 soft skills employers seek in new hires:
1. Communication skills
Effective communication is the foundation for success in a job. It allows one to build strong connections with co-workers, customers and clients, as well as persuade others to adopt ideas.
2. Decision making / Problem solving skills
Seek out solutions to potential problems using creativity, reasoning and past experiences. Utilize resources and information that is available.
3. Ability to obtain and process information
Utilize available resources to find solutions / answers to problems and review information in an intellectual manner.
4. Ability to plan and organize
Involves the ability to set goals, design, plan, organize and implement projects and tasks within a specific time frame.
5. Effective prioritization of work
Evaluate work load and have capabilities to rank tasks appropriately. Also have the ability to adapt to changing conditions and work assignments.
No comments:
Post a Comment