There are two different types of skills you can present in the workplace; soft skills and hard skills. Hard skills represent your technical abilities, whereas soft skills relate to characteristics and attitude. Soft skills can be transferable to any role, whereas hard skills are not as fluid. These are some of the most important soft skills that employers seek in candidates when making hiring decisions.
Communication
When you are interviewed for a role, the employer will be paying close attention to your communication skills. In fact, this is the main objective during an initial screening call. They want to ensure you speak clearly, listen and understand information. They also want assurance that you will bring a positive and enthusiastic attitude to the company. Written communication skills are also important, as in most roles you will be corresponding with customers and colleagues via email. There are few (if any!) roles where good communication skills are non-essential, so these soft skills can be transferable to any job.
Reliability
If you are a reliable person, you are highly likely to achieve success in your life. Reliability includes having a good attendance record, turning up to work on time, attending meetings and achieving deadlines. Employers need to be able to count on you, which is why reliability is held with such importance.
Organisation
Employers expect you to be able to organise your own calendar and workload efficiently, they don’t want to have to keep reminding you to do things. Strong organisational skills include the ability to prioritise your own workload, meet deadlines and ensure you attend meetings. Organisational skills are highly transferable to any role.
Creativity
There is always an element of creativity required in any job - even if it is not specifically a creative role. Employers expect you to be able to bring ideas to the table and think outside the box. After all, they hire you to improve their business. Creativity can come in many forms. For example, the ability to improve processes to make them more efficient or to help the business to drive sales.
Teamwork
Within any role, it is important that you are able to work on your own initiative, while also being a team player. A team player will help out others when they need it and will communicate well with others to reach a common goal. A collaborative approach will help the business deliver results. Therefore, it is an important soft skill for every employer.
Soft skills can be transferred between different roles. If you are looking for a new job, it is important to have a professional CV. At Inspired CVs, we provide graphic and traditional CVs by our experienced CV writers. You can order yours here or contact us to find out more.
