Soft Skills: what they are, examples and which ones to include in your CV

Soft Skills are the soft skills that characterize you personally and professionally. These are skills that can be used in the workplace to work better.
They are often seen in opposition to Hard Skills, or the specific and technical skills related to your profession, although it would be more correct to see them as complementary to these. But what Soft Skills are most in demand in the job field and why is it important to make them explicit in the CV and during the job interview?

What are soft skills and why they are important

Soft Skills are social and interpersonal skills: teamwork, patience, time optimization, and communication skills are just a few examples. Thus, they are skills that are the result of one’s life experiences.
Soft skills are increasingly important in the world of work-so much so that recruiters very often focus on them when they have to select a candidate. The reason is simple: in an ever-changing world, our personality plays a central role in being able to adapt to changes in the contexts in which we are immersed.
Soft skills are highly valued because they improve the quality of work in the company and relationships among colleagues.
A U.S. study seems to prove it: 97 percent of employers say Soft Skills are as important as or more important than Hard Skills, and 50 percent of employees who do not complete their goals in the 18 months after being hired lack soft skills.
If you possess specific Soft Skills, it is therefore important to know how to make the most of them.

What soft skills are most in demand

It is never easy to assume a ranking of the Soft Skills most in demand in the world of work. Let’s say these are some of the most relevant ones:

• Organizational and time management skills;
• communication skills;
• adaptability;
• problem solving;
• teamwork;
• creativity;
• leadership;
• interpersonal skills.

Time management (Time Management) involves the ability to use one’s time to work as efficiently as possible. Includes skills such as stress management, organization, prioritization, planning and goal setting.
Communication skills coincide with knowing how to convey and share ideas and opinions effectively. It includes verbal and written communication but also active listening and the ability to provide constructive feedback.
Adaptability involves being able to adapt to change and is critical in a world of work that is constantly changing. This capacity embraces many skills: self-management, optimism, calmness, autonomy in work and self-motivation.
Problem solving, on the other hand, is the ability to solve problems analytically and creatively through such skills as observation, analysis, and logical reasoning.
Teamwork will never cease to be an indispensable Soft Skill in the professional field. Includes conflict management and resolution, collaboration, coordination and mediation.
Creativity has to do not only with art and design and is indispensable in all professions. Imagination, experimentation, and innovation provide an edge at work.
Leadership refers to the ability to mentor. Regardless of the industry, employers prefer to hire candidates who demonstrate leadership potential for two reasons: first, because employees with leadership skills show more initiative, and second, because they are more likely to invest in themselves to help the company grow.
Finally, interpersonal skills concern how the worker interacts with and takes care of relationships with other colleagues. Empathy, humor, tolerance and diplomacy are among the most valued.

Where to put soft skills in the CV?

When writing your Curriculum Vitae, remember to devote a portion of the page to Soft Skills. Ideally, they should be placed immediately under Hard Skills, in a dedicated section.
If you are having difficulty identifying your Soft Skills and enhancing them, Phyd’s experts can help you. Our coaches and tutors are available to help you gain more self-confidence and more awareness about your abilities.