- The Launchpad
- Posts
- The Value of Soft Skills: Why They Matter More Than You Think
What’s in this letter 📧
Dad joke of the week
7 job boards for remote work
The value of soft skills
Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Dad joke of the week (scroll to the bottom for the answer)
How can you tell if a pig is hot?
Join the #opentowork list
It’s a tool that will help connect recruiters to job seekers. If you’re looking for work and want to be contacted by recruiters, add your information by filling out a short form. The database will be distributed to in-house and agency recruiters globally!
If you’re a recruiter and would like access to the list, email me at [email protected]!
7 remote work job boards you need to know about
If you’re on the hunt for remote jobs, you’ll find a lot of variety and a lot of jobs on these boards. Good luck!
The Value of Soft Skills: Why They Matter More Than You Think
You've likely come across the term 'soft skills' more times than you can count in your career journey.
They pop up in job postings, interviews, and networking events. But are they really that important? Let me assure you, they're just as crucial as your technical skills - sometimes, even more so.
Technical skills get you the interview, but soft skills get you the job.
Understanding Soft Skills
So, what exactly are soft skills? Well, they're a mix of:
People skills (i.e., empathy, teamwork)
Social skills (i.e., active listening, networking)
Communication skills (i.e., verbal, written)
Character traits (i.e., resilience, adaptability)
Emotional intelligence (i.e., self awareness, social awareness)
They're what let you work effectively with others and help you navigate your work environment. An old boss once told me that technical skills get you the interview, but soft skills get you the job.
Why Employers Value Soft Skills
And employers really value these skills - even if at first it may not seem that way. They’re what keep a team cohesive, productive, and primed for innovation. They're the personal attributes that shape the unique value you bring to the workplace.
Take Google, for example. Their own research, Project Oxygen, found that the top-performing managers were the ones with strong coaching abilities, excellent communication, and high empathy levels.
Moreover, according to LinkedIn's 2020 Workplace Learning Report, 57% of senior leaders today value soft skills over hard skills. It's clear soft skills aren't just a bonus - they're a must-have.
Highlighting Soft Skills in Your Resume
So, how do you make these soft skills shine on your resume? It's about showing, not telling. Instead of saying you're a team player, provide an example.
Did you mediate a team dispute that led to a smoother project process? Or maybe your clear communication skills clarified project expectations for a client. Real-world examples like these make your soft skills far more credible.
Showcasing Soft Skills in Interviews
In the interview, hiring managers will often ask variations of behavioural questions in order to test not only your subject matter expertise (i.e., your tech skills), but also how you applied that expertise (i.e., soft skills) to solve problems and approach new challenges.
Your thought processes, methods, and principles during tough situations gives hiring managers a cue as to your soft skills, whether that’s thinking critically, resolving conflict, operating under pressure, or just your ability to communicate with peers effectively.
So how do you showcase that you’ve got the soft skills needed to do well?
By telling a great story. Share a time when your problem-solving skills contributed to a successful project or when your adaptability helped you step into a leadership role at a moment's notice.
A great framework to use when doing this is called STAR:
Situation – establish what was happening at the time (strategic and business context, complexity, success criteria)
Tasks – explain what you were responsible for in the situation (not just your job title)
Action – what you did to solve the problem and deliver outcomes in the situation
Result – the impact from a short term, long term, and strategic perspective (use numbers).
Before we wrap up, here's something to ponder: What soft skill has played a significant role in your career so far, and how has it influenced your professional journey?
Until next time, keep pushing for growth and success in your career. Happy job hunting!
Answer to the joke…
It’s bacon 🤣
What did you think of this week's issue?Did you find the topic covered and the way it was presented helpful? |
I’m James, Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. I’ve been in the career consulting space for 13 years, and before that, I was a recruiter for AECOM.
I’ve helped thousands of job seekers, from industries like software engineering, IT, sales, marketing, manufacturing, and more generate job opportunities through well-written resumes that translate unique backgrounds into coherent narratives.
If you’re struggling with your resume for whatever reason, reach out - I just might be able to help!
If you’re more of a DIY person, then check out Resumatic, my free-to-try resume builder.