“Must know how to operate a cash register”
“Experience in sales a plus”
“Should be proficient in Microsoft Office”
If you’re looking for work (especially your first job), you’ve probably noticed that most job listings require you to have specific skills. If you work in retail, you usually need to know how to use a cash register. If you work in a restaurant, you might need to know how to handle food.
While these specific skills (often called hard skills) are important, not having them shouldn’t prevent you from applying for a job. *Many of these skills you can learn on the job or during training and onboarding.
Hard skills are important, but it’s equally (sometimes more) important for you to have soft skills (especially as you’re starting your career or landing that first job). In fact, 89% of hiring managers believe “bad hires” typically have poor soft skills, according to a report by LinkedIn.
So what are soft skills?
Soft skills refer to a general set of abilities that allow you to effectively interact with other people and achieve your goals. These skills include a wide range of qualities such as communication, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and more.
Whether you’re new to the job market or looking to level up, developing these skills is essential. To help you out, we put together a list of 5 soft skills you need in order to be successful in the workplace:
Time Management
Time management is the ability to use your time productively and efficiently. Many jobs require you to balance multiple projects at once, so having good time management skills is important for completing tasks and meeting deadlines.
To develop time management skills, you need to know how to plan, prioritize, and set goals. Before you begin a task, plan out how you will complete it, and develop a schedule.
Take breaks so you can re-energize yourself and avoid getting burnt out! If you have multiple tasks you need to complete, you should prioritize your tasks based on level of importance and how long each one will take.
If you struggle with procrastination, you’re not alone. In fact, 88% of working people admit to procrastinating every day, according to research from Gitnux Market Data. Starting a new task can feel overwhelming, but planning out a schedule for completing your task will make it easier to manage.
First, prepare everything you need, and once that’s out of the way, then you can dive into the project. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is all about using your imagination and creativity to come up with new ideas and solutions to improve the world around you. People sometimes do things a certain way because that’s how they were taught or “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” but that doesn’t always mean it’s the best way.
A creative thinker can look at things from a fresh perspective and proactively search for growth opportunities. Whether you see ways to improve communication, workflow, or simple tasks, being a creative thinker can help improve efficiencies, save money, and initiate overall progress.
Some people might associate creativity with artistic talent, but being a creative thinker isn’t about being an artist. If you want to be a more creative thinker, be open to exploring new ideas and possibilities. Ask questions about the world around you, and let your imagination run wild.
Not all of your ideas will be groundbreaking, but that’s OK! It’s all about thinking outside the box and discovering creative solutions to challenges.
Problem Solving
No matter where you work, problems will arise at some point. Without problem-solving skills, it can be easy to become overwhelmed when you encounter unexpected challenges.
You don’t need to have immediate answers for everything that happens, but you should be able to assess a problem and find possible solutions using your knowledge, critical thinking, and good judgment.
If you have strong problem-solving skills, you’ll be able to overcome challenges both on your own and with a team of other people. When problem solving as a team, it’s important to be an active listener, offer your own thoughts and ideas, and come to a compromise.
Sometimes interpersonal problems can arise within a team or among colleagues, and a good problem solver can respectfully solve these disagreements. The key is to keep an open mind to others’ ideas and remember that you’re all trying to achieve the same goal. Being able to collaborate and work well with your colleagues is beneficial in any job.
Communication
Communication skills are vital to any workplace. In order to collaborate on a project, give feedback, or ask questions, you need to be able to clearly convey your message to others and understand what other people are communicating to you.
Being able to effectively communicate will help you build strong professional relationships with your colleagues, supervisors, customers, clients, or anyone else. Communication comes in many forms, including verbal, written, and aural.
Having good verbal communication skills means you are able to speak clearly and confidently so others can easily understand your message.
Good written communication skills involve being able to effectively communicate in writing. The best way to develop your written communication skills is to practice writing regularly. You should also proofread your work, read others’ writing, experiment with different styles, and be open to feedback.
Aural communication refers to active listening, which means fully engaging with what the other person is saying. Focus on the speaker, maintain eye contact, and avoid getting distracted or interrupting. Ask clarifying questions and provide thoughtful responses to ensure you understand what the speaker means.
As with many other soft skills, having strong communication skills can assist you both personally and professionally.
Networking
If you’re new to the job world, you may not have ever thought about networking before, or maybe you imagine a gathering of people handing each other business cards. However, networking is actually much more than that, and if you know how to engage in it, you will find it can open doors to exciting possibilities!
Networking helps you build social capital, which is the value you gain from positive connections with other people. Getting a job (or another opportunity) is sometimes about who you know. Building healthy relationships with teachers, coaches, and other adults in your life is important to your future success.
To start building your network, be open to learning from and engaging in meaningful discussions with the people you know. As you build relationships with teachers and other adults, you will get to know them better, and they will get to know you better.
Having a network means that if a teacher or other adult hears about an opportunity, they’ll know if it’s something you might be interested in, and they can let you know about it. They can also be a reference or write a recommendation letter for a job, internship, or college application, which may end up being the difference between you and another candidate.
Academic qualifications and other hard skills may be important, but don’t underestimate the power of soft skills! They’ll help you nail your job interview, impress your supervisors, overcome challenges, and build meaningful connections. Hone these soft skills, and they’ll become essential to you on your path to success!
