6 Soft Skills You Can Develop (That Look Amazing on Your Resume)
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6 Soft Skills You Can Develop (That Look Amazing on Your Resume)
In a 2019 release, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the persons with disability in employment were 19%. Conversely, the employment for those without disabilities was 66.3%. If you're living with disabilities, it will help you acquire additional skills to compete favorably in the job market.
Acquiring soft skills can be one of the best ways to propel your career further. Unlike the technical skills that employers often train, soft skills are harder to teach. Developing soft skills will not only help you when applying for a job; they will also prove valuable when running your daily life.
Here are some of the top soft skills that will make your resume more attractive.
1. Communication Skills
Communication is one of the most crucial skills that apply in all industries. You should have commendable written and verbal communication skills. You'll need good communication skills whether you're in the human resource department or sales team.
Your communication ought to exude clarity and confidence. It should make it easier for you to communicate your feelings and ideas. The right communication skills will be useful at every step of your career.
Some of the soft skills related to communication include constructive criticism, public speaking, and interpersonal communication. Employers will be looking for these skills to be confident that you’ll be communicating with colleagues, vendors, and customers in the right way.
If you have been in a position where you utilized your communication skills, ask for a reference. Your potential employer will be sure that the communication skills listed in your resume are indeed genuine.
2. Listening Skills
Active listening is one of the soft skills that go hand in hand with communication skills. Listening sounds like an easy thing to do, yet it's amongst the most challenging skills to master. Active listening skills should, therefore, be a priority when listing soft skills for a resume.
The last thing a potential recruiter wants is someone quick to talk without listening. People who interrupt others mid-sentence are also a turnoff. With the right listening skills, it's easier to know when to speak and when to listen.
Some of the ways to demonstrate active listening is through note-taking and asking questions. The other person will see you have an interest in the task at hand and you're engaged. If you can't comprehend the information given and respond to it thoughtfully, you need to improve your listening skills.
3. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is an indispensable soft skill regardless of your job. Employers are looking for candidates who will analyze situations before making practical and informed decisions. The first step as a critical thinker is to understand the problem, leading you to critical thinking.
When you’re a critical thinker, you will always have ideas on how to solve problems. If you encounter a dilemma on whether to quit or be fired, you'll have the right answers as a critical thinker. You should be ready to think outside the box as recruiters might ask tough questions to assess your critical thinking skills.
Some of the soft skills associated with critical thinking include curiosity, critical observation, and creativity. One of the easiest ways to develop critical thinking in reading wide and asking queries before getting a solution. If you’re thinking of developing soft skills, this is among the skills to prioritize.
4. Customer Service
Customer service skills aren’t only ideal when working as a customer service representative. You need to have these skills, whether or not you’re dealing with clients directly. Customer service skills mostly rely on communication and problem-solving skills.
Some of the soft skills that will prove you have the ideal customer service competence include empathy, problem-solving, active listening, and reliability. An employer will interview you to establish if you have these skills. Regardless of your career path, consider getting customer service skills as they are indispensable in most organizations.
While being a people-person is paramount, you can't have excellent customer service skills without necessarily being outgoing. You need to have a desire to assist others. The drive is what will make you exhibit ideal customer service skills without pretense.
5. Teamwork
A team is more likely to win if individual team members have a history of success. Employers will often consider someone with teamwork skills for the benefit of the entire business. With teamwork, it is possible to bring fresh and creative ideas for the success of the company.
Collaboration with other team members also helps in solving challenging problems. Members can brainstorm to come up with solutions that one person wouldn’t have thought of. Additionally, teamwork provides morale, leading to more productivity.
If you want to improve your soft skills, consider learning more about teamwork skills such as coordination, delegation, and conflict management. Recruiters understand the importance of teamwork. They are more likely to prioritize someone with adequate teamwork skills over many other skills that you might deem crucial.
6. Time Management
The wise use of time is a skill that will help you in your career and life. Time management skill shows that you can be productive and efficient while using your time in the best way. You’ll be in a position to accomplish a work-life balance with adequate time management skills.
Being organized will allow you to allocate your typical day some of the tasks based on their significance. It is critical to understand your company, team, and individual goals to have an ideal starting point in time management. Some of the skills associated with time management include organization, goal setting, and prioritization.
The Right Soft Skills Will Have Significant Positive Impacts on Your Career
All employers value soft skills. Unlike many hard skills that you can train, soft skills are more of personality traits. The more soft-skills you possess, the more likely it will be for you to land your dream job.
Your soft skills can help you choose the ideal career path. When writing a resume, ensure that you clarify how you have actualized their skills in your past role. You might get a better chance than someone with only the hard skills.
Are you a person living with disabilities and looking for employment? Contact us today to benefit from our range of resources.