Soft Skills for Career Development

01/03/2022

“This was a useful webinar that taught me how to use soft skills not only within the workplace, but also in day to day communication. It was hosted by the Data Lab with a panel featuring: Abel Aboh (Data Management Lead at the Bank of England), Delphine Rabiller (Data Scientist as a free agent), Sara Orr-Saiz (Placement officer at the Data Lab), Euan Vance (Executive Consultant at MBN Solutions) and the host, Hazel Jane. This panel had such a variety of members from all backgrounds and workplaces. This is what I learned from the webinar.”

Some are better than others when it comes to soft skills, “people will never forget how you make them feel.” So it is important to remember to have great communication skills when it comes to your work life and personal life.

One of the panel members brought up how the army chooses their leaders based on how their peers trust them. You can’t lead a team if you do not have the trust and respect of the people you are managing. I found this to be insightful, as it puts it into perspective on how other career types look for leadership in their applicants.

Emotional Intelligence

Asking your network, “What is it you’re good at?” can help you to understand the skills that you excel in. Do the research on the job you’re applying for, not only the companies history but also the type of applicant they are looking for. Look out for the buzz words in the type of candidate they are looking for and update your CV accordingly.

It is best to bring your natural personality to the interview; it can be nerve racking and take others a while to warm up, but being calm and confident can show the interviewers what type of applicant you truly are. It can show them that your communication skills shine through your personality and can set a good tone for what you would be like to work with.

“Be your most authentic self”

This was quoted within the webinar and I believe it to be a true statement. Being authentic in interviews is the best way to sell yourself. Being something you are not can have its repercussions if you managed to get the job, don’t sell a lie, sell yourself.

Your non-verbal communications is most critical when leading others; be authentic when appropriate. What I mean by this is that your online self can cause conflicts in the workplace it if relates to political viewpoints.

DO NOT BE A YES MAN

Have the confidence to disagree with others. You do not have to be onboard with every decision within the company; speak up if you feel like it.

When it comes to your LinkedIn profile, employers are not looking to see your soft skills, it is the interview where they will see them. Your profile is there to show your qualifications, skills and hard skills.

In conclusion, soft skills can help you stand out in a job interview, thrive and success in your role and help you to be considered for leadership rolls. It is best to possess the correct communication and teamwork skills as these can be fundamental in certain role types. A wall street journal survey of over 900 executives argued that soft skills contribute to career success just as much as hard skills do. The survey found that 92% of the respondents believed that soft skills were as important as technical skills, yet 98% found it very difficult or somewhat difficult to finding new hires with the required soft skills.

Always improve on your soft skills, speak to your network to find out what skills you already posses or even ask previous employers what soft skills they saw in you. This will help you land more jobs, succeed in your career and help your communication skills in day to day life.