- by Riya Ipe
There’s no denying the significance of your skills during a job search. With the job market becoming more competitive and tech-driven, flaunting your skills is critical in getting the hiring manager and the applicant tracking system to notice your resume. When it comes to marketing yourself to potential employers, hard and soft skills matter. A combination of these skills is essential to succeed in today’s workplace.
So, what are these two sets of skills? How do you display these skills to make your candidacy stronger?
Defining the Terms
Hard skills are professional and functional skills associated with specific tasks and industries. They form the basis for the job requirements and can be quantified or evaluated. These skills are acquired through formal education, certification programs, and on-the-job training. Hard skills include technical skills like programming or coding and task-oriented skills like bookkeeping or auditing.
Some of the hard skills that employers tend to look for based on the position and industry:
- Cloud computing
- Data analysis
- SEO marketing
- Multilingualism
- Financial modeling
- Graphic design
- Business analysis
- Financial reporting
Soft skills are personal skills that reflect a person’s attributes and personality traits. These subjective skills relate to a person’s approach to work and interaction with others. Most of these skills are innate, a result of experience and emotional intelligence. Soft skills are difficult to quantify but they are a necessity in some capacity. They can only be assessed over a period of time.
Some of the soft skills that are most in-demand:
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Critical thinking/problem solving
- Emotional intelligence and empathy
- Leadership
- Time management
How to Showcase your Hard and Soft Skills
Hiring managers and employers evaluate both hard and soft skills to identify the most well-rounded person for the job. You have to highlight your unique skillset, a combination of your hard and soft skills, to show that you are ideal candidate.
Tailor your resume for the specific role — include skills that are relevant to the job. Identify the hard skills you possess that align with the specific requirements mentioned in the job description. If soft skills are not explicitly mentioned, think of the skills that the position would typically need.
Outline relevant skills and knowledge in the skills summary of your resume. Sprinkle them in your work experience as well. Elaborate your accomplishments with examples that show how you used these skills and add numbers where possible. Use the resume statement to call attention to your key skills. Mention certifications, courses, and projects that have advanced your hard skills.
With employers looking up candidates on social media, you can incorporate your strongest skills into your LinkedIn profile to demonstrate your expertise. Weave the critical skills into your elevator pitch or your answer to common interview questions and behavioral questions.
Emphasize both your hard and soft skills. Follow the employer’s language and pick up keywords to make it more effective. Share specific stories that relate to the skills and competencies required for the job. Make sure your best abilities and attributes shine through in your job search.
Connect with us at www.ehelium.work for more resources to help you with your job search.
