Top 5 Soft Skills for Career Success
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We’re all aware of the need for technical skills to land a job, but what about soft skills? What are they, and why are they so important? Technical skills are great for getting the job, but to truly shine at any company, you must possess all five of these soft skills to succeed.
What are soft skills, and why are they so important?
Soft skills are the skills that enable you to fit in at a workplace. They include your personality, attitude, flexibility, motivation, and manners. Soft skills are so essential to advance and grow within an organization.
Communication
According to employers, communication is the most important soft skill, which means it’s a high contributor to the overall success of your career. There are three main types of communication skills: verbal, nonverbal, and written.
- Verbal communication skills are what you need to communicate out loud. To enhance this skill, use a positive tone while speaking, avoid filler words such as um, and be mindful about the words you select. Keep in mind that excellent verbal communication isn’t all about talking; it’s also about listening.
- Nonverbal communication skills, however, include everything you say without words. It could be your body language or the facial expressions you make during a conversation. While it can be hard to improve on nonverbal communication, it’s important to become aware of how you are presenting yourself to others and how they may interpret this presentation.
- Written communication can effectively write out your purpose. This form of communication takes tact due to the fact that tone and physical expressions are limited. When composing written communication, it’s important to be mindful of word tone, punctuation, and word choice.
Adaptability
Change is inevitable, which is why adaptability is necessary for the success of any employee. Embracing change can be difficult; however, things are constantly shifting in the workplace, and how you react to these shifts will show how well you adapt in any given situation.
Leadership
Leadership skills are invaluable to any business, and you don’t need to be in a leadership position to show off your leadership skills. In fact, this initiative is just what companies look for before promoting employees within their organization. Leadership skills can look different in various positions. For example, delegating work, motivating team members, and being an individual of stability and trustworthiness are essential to employers.
Time Management
It can be challenging to find enough hours in a day to get everything done, which is why having the ability to manage your time is such an essential soft skill to possess. Developing time management skills at your work will make you more efficient and improve the quality of the work you produce since you won’t be in a rush to get it done. Below are a couple of the most popular time management techniques you can implement today:
- Time Stopping: Physically block off the time in your calendar to complete the tasks.
- To-Do Lists: In order of priority, develop a list of tasks that need to be completed within a certain timeframe.
Creativity
Having the ability to think “outside the box” is vital in any role within a company. Whether you excel in creative problem solving or developing ideas to support future success, this soft skill is pure gold to all employers.
In today’s competitive job market, soft skills can make or break whether an employer chooses to hire you. Building out the soft skills listed above will help you get noticed within an organization and raise your value in the eyes of your employer.
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