by Lisa Raymond

Created on: May 06, 2011

No one really thinks of soft skills as a skill, but maybe we should.  Let me ask this question.  If you were to go to a new dentist’s office, and he/she walks in with no teeth at all, would you let them work on your mouth? How about if you were going to get an exam and the doctor walks in with a full gold/diamond mouth grill and greets you with a (Lil’ Jon (rapper)) “Heyyyyy” how far are you going to let him/her get with examining you? The honest answer to both questions, probably not very far.

Let's start off by answering the question, "What are soft skills?" Soft skills are characteristics that a person brings to the table not only in the interview, but in the job as well.  They can be daily interactions with co-workers, common sense decisions, dress, communication skills, and responsibility level just to name a few.  While many people have the "hard skills" necessary for a job, they can easily be lacking in soft skills. 

It takes time to learn and develop soft-skills because they must become a mind-set, almost second nature.  Things that can help are:  1. Empathy- the ability to recognize, understand and share feelings of someone else and not put them or the situation down. 2. Team work - the ability to work hand-in-hand with others to achieve a stated goal. 3. Communication- Communication is key, and doing it effectively with others without ensuing arguments is huge! 4. The ability to teach- sharing the information that you have learned over time regardless of if it's in the work setting or life can help someone else become better.  In the work place, remember, you can't be promoted if you can’t be replaced. 5. Appropriate dress and good manners- it's 2011, the fad is rings in every possible place on your face/body and tats up and down your arms, neck and face.  As colorful and cool as it may seem, would it be appropriate for you if you were a lawyer?

Soft skills are just as important, if not more as hard skills.  Soft skills are what can potentially get you in the door to show off your hard skills or what you can do.  But without the ability to communicate, understand, look, smell and play the part, you probably won’t get the part for which you are applying.

Good Luck!

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