Did you know that 84% of hiring managers believe new hires must have a good basket of soft skills they can bring into the job?
Further, 90% of hiring managers at big companies, those with over 500 employees, believe this too.[1]
But it gets even better. Recent data shows that 67% of employers value soft skills over educational qualifications… 67%![2]
This means that if you have the valuable soft skills that today’s employers are really looking for, you could actually have a big leg up on other candidates… even those with impressive educational backgrounds.
And this is exactly why it’s of utmost importance that you not only possess a good number of soft skills, but that you include them in your resume.
Today, FindYourJobNow.com will share the 16 soft skills that employers are looking for when they review your resume, and we’ll explain why you should absolutely include them in your resume, and perhaps even in your cover letter.
First, what exactly are soft skills?
Well, unlike hard skills, like the ability to write computer code, being an expert at Microsoft PowerPoint, or being highly proficient in multiple languages, soft skills are much different.
You see, soft skills are personal attributes that display a different kind of value to companies. Specifically, your ability to adjust and adapt to new situations that may arise and are transferable across and valuable across almost any job you can think of.
Take plumbers for example. A master plumber has at least one exceptional hard skill. And that’s plumbing.
But the most successful plumbers (salary-wise) don’t have to be master plumbers…
But they must be great at communicating with their clients and vendors and must be good at teaching new hires/apprentices the ins-and-outs of the job (soft skills).
You see, communication and leadership (teaching) are soft skills that are “transferrable” to any job and are valuable to almost any company.
Now, let’s get into the 16 most desirable soft skills that employers are looking for today.
They are, in no particular order of importance:
Chances are you possess at least some of these soft skills; maybe 10 or more of them. And since employers are looking for these soft skills, it’s a must that you include them in your resume…
In fact, you may want to consider adding them as a small section in your cover letter, so the hiring manager sees them right away.
Your cover letter doesn’t need to be more than about 300 or so words. So, on a one page cover letter, you’ll still have plenty of room to highlight your soft skills. We suggest a bullet point footer.
Now, while hard skills obviously carry a lot of weight, and a lot of jobs require them, today’s employers are looking for candidates that are more than just their education…
They want soft skills too!
So, if you’re looking for a new job, be sure to add your soft skills to your resume, then head over to our homepage at FindYourJobNow.com to begin your job search.
It’s really simple. Just type in the kind of job you’re looking for, and the location you want to work… then click “view jobs.”
But remember, 84% of employers believe new hires should have a good basket of soft skills. So, if you’ve got them, use them!
[1] Workforce Insists Job Candidates Must Demonstrate Soft Skills