5 Soft Skills Employers Are Looking For In Applicants

Soft skills are activities you exhibit that make you an outstanding employee outside of the technical skills which are needed for a job. 

They may either come naturally to you or with consistency, these abilities are formed. Employers are impressed by employees who can demonstrate these strong set of skills. Although these soft skills are many but we’ll just take a look at 5 Soft Skills employers are looking for in applicants. They are considered as important skills.

1. Communication Skills
Your ability to communicate effectively with clients and your colleagues at work is important. Not only that. A good employee should also be a good listener. Your ability to listen with rapt attention and to display empathy (when necessary) is a plus if you have it. If this skill is one of your best attributes, integrate it on your CV and during interview, exhibit it.

2. Creative Problem Solving Skills
Employers always look out for those who have what to add to the progress of their company or organization. If you can turn a situation that all hope may seem to have been lost around, then you have this skill. Most employers will do everything humanly possible to retain such worker. When applying for a job, be sure to mention the situation where you encountered adversity and created appropriate solution to the problem. During interview, express your joy at tackling challenges. Every job has its challenges and employers want people who are not afraid to tackle them.

3. Strong Work Ethic
This skill is not primarily learned in school. Either it’s innate or your parents must have taken you through its rudiments. These include: being punctual, carrying out assignments on time and knowing that a job is more than signing-in and signing-out. Employers love employees who make their work a high priority. You show this by taking your career seriously and doing everything humanly possible to get the job done. It may even mean engaging in jobs that seem below your experience.

4. Time Management
Do you have what it takes to prioritize your tasks? This skill means making the most of each day and getting things done according to their relative importance. The ability to assign duties to others when necessary is also part of it. Working for 10 to 12 hours every day as against the normal 8 hours allotted to you doesn’t make you a good time manager. Learn how to manage your time effectively in order to create maximum impact which is ideal for the company and others will look up to you as a hero.

5. Teamwork and Leadership Skills
This is not about the individual part you played in a team. Teamwork means you have what it takes to work with others in a professional manner. Don’t ever see yourself as the only one who knows how to do the job and don’t believe in others to contribute their quota. This kind of attitude can create tension in your workplace and therefore affect the overall efficiency of the staff. As a leader, learn to trust others, carry them along, give and accept ideas, encourage your colleagues who are not up to your standard and work together harmoniously to achieve a common goal.

Note however that these 5 soft skills employers are looking for cannot alone make you suitable for a job but as you pair them with your solid credentials or qualifications, they can showcase you as a much more attractive applicant for any job. The soft skills are the basic skills needed in today’s workforce. They must not be overlooked. Learn how to cultivate yours and with time, you’ll grow to become an indispensable employee.