Soft skills

Soft skills are one of the most important things to think about before your job interview. Most people's job interview answers don't get as deep as soft skills, they stay on the surface level. However, most hiring managers will tell you that these are either as important as, or more important than hard skills. These are what recruiters are looking for beyond what is on your CV. The more you can talk about these, the better. let's start with some definitions.
  • Hard skills are technical and easily quantifiable. They are the knowledge we gained through education and work experience.

  • Soft skills have more to do with your personality. They shape how you think, operate, work, and how you interact with others. Soft skills can tell us a lot about how a candidate will interact in the workplace, how they might react under pressure, or what their professional potential is.
The key when talking about soft skills is to relate them to the job and to make sure your interviewer knows that you understand why these skills matter.

Most important soft skills.

Communication
Communication is the ability to convey or share ideas and feelings effectively and it’s among the top soft skills employers look for across all fields. No matter what job you are going for, mentioning this at some point is always important.
This soft skill includes...
  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication
  • Presentation skills
  • Active listening
  • Public speaking
  • Giving feedback
Time management
Time management is your ability to use your time wisely and to work as efficiently as possible. When we think about your ability to work well unsupervised, this is the first skill that we need to talk about.
This soft skill includes...
  • Organisation
  • Planning
  • Prioritizing
  • Goal setting
Adaptability
Adaptability relates to how well you deal with change and what you do when you are faced with it. This is especially important if you work in a fast evolving industry such as IT. Companies and work environments constantly change: new team members come in, old ones leave, companies get bought or sold, and new technologies and systems are implemented.
This soft skill includes...
  • Self-management
  • Optimism
  • Calmness
  • Analysis
  • Self-motivation
Problem solving.
This is my favourite on this list. I like people who can solve problems! Being able to take in information, analyse it, and find creative solutions to problems is a great skill to have in any professional field. The more well paid a job is, the more likely problem solving is going to be a key part of the person specification.
This soft skill includes...
  • Analysis
  • Logical reasoning
  • Observation
  • Brainstorming
  • Decision making
Teamwork
This is an old favourite. If you're working with people then teamwork is going to be something that your recruiter is looking for. This is your ability to work effectively in a group to complete tasks to a high standard, to meet group goals and targets, and to share
This soft skill includes...
  • Conflict management and resolution
  • Collaboration
  • Coordination
  • Idea exchange
  • Mediation
Creativity
We’re used to linking creativity with fields like art, or design, but creativity is a broad term that involves several sub-skills from questioning to experimenting. As such, any professional can make just as much use of creative skills as artists.
This soft skill includes...
  • Imagination
  • Mind-mapping
  • Innovation
  • Experimentation
  • Questioning
Leadership
Leadership refers to the ability to mentor, train, or guide. No matter the industry, employers prefer to hire applicants who show they have leadership potential for 2 reasons:
1- Employees with leadership skills show more initiative and are more likely to invest themselves in helping the company grow.
2 - The company can eventually promote employees with strong leadership roles to better management positions.
This soft skill includes...
  • Management skills
  • Authenticity
  • Mentorship
  • Generosity
  • Cultural intelligence
Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills are all about how well you interact with others, tend after relationships, and make a positive impression on those around you.
This soft skill includes...
  • Empathy
  • Humor
  • Networking
  • Tolerance
  • Diplomacy
Work ethic
Work ethic relates to valuing work and putting in the effort to yield results. It’s a soft skill that employers in literally every job you’ll ever apply for will appreciate.
This soft skill includes...
  • Responsibility
  • Discipline
  • Dependability
  • Commitment
  • Professionalism
A growth mindset
People with a growth mindset never stop learning and improving. They are always looking for opportunities to improve their skills and are usually the first people to sign up for things like training courses.
This soft skill includes...
  • Initiative
  • Curiosity
  • Introspection
  • Self assessment
  • Ambition
Looking for more?

Check out these lists:

https://www.wikijob.co.uk/interview-advice/competencies/soft-skills

https://www.hihello.me/blog/the-top-in-demand-soft-skills-you-need-to-master