ARE you soon to embark on your first graduate job hunt, or perhaps still hoping to find that perfect first ‘real job’, internship, or placement? Either way, you’ll definitely want to hone in on your employability to increase your chances. But what do we mean by ‘soft skills’? Essentially, they’re additional life and job skills many tend to overlook – and these are the main ones that count for a great deal in a working environment:
1) Verbal and written communication skills
In a workplace environment you need to be able to effectively communicate with your peers and management, be it in a verbal or written manner.
2) Confidence and assertiveness
Self-confidence can be developed, and doesn’t have to be a bad trait – more so a reflection of your own sense of self-worth.
Assertiveness needs to replace a non-confrontational approach – it will aid you better in the long-run, as you are upfront about your wants and needs – an admirable trait in a worker.
3) Ability to manage time
You’ll have put this ability to the test during university but with a stricter time-frame of 40-ish hours per week, you’ll need to adapt. Forget multi-tasking, and practice estimating how long a task will take you.
4) Lateral and critical thinking skills
The ability to approach a problem from new and creative angles will see your value as an employee increase heavily. As well as thinking laterally, questioning the way things work – and critically evaluating a problem – will also put you in a better position in the eyes of your managers.
5) Emotional intelligence and empathy
Attempting to understand others’ way of thinking or experiences is a hugely important factor to a) being a nice person and b) being a valued co-worker. By opening yourself up to the idea others could be right, even if you don’t agree, you’ll be more respected as a peer.
6) Ability to work in a team
You might have heard of the term ‘cultural fit’ because it’s a hot topic in recruitment these days. If a new employee could potentially ‘fit’ in with the current team, there is a better chance of them blossoming, working harder and more efficiently.