sawft skeelz

The only proper way to start off a blog about skills is to quote Napoleon Dynamite. In the words of Napoleon, “Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.” True dat. Skills pay the bills. Moving on, having good soft skills is super important in the professional world. Good soft skills will open so many more doors for you. That’s one thing that has been drilled into my head since coming to Greenville. Shout out to Danara Moore and Experience First for that.

When we went on our field trip to Edward Jones and AT&T, I realized something. Allow me to setup a hypothetical scenario. There are two people applying for the same job. Person A has incredible tech skills, 10/10 skills, but they are cold and not easy to work with. Person B isn’t as skilled with tech, 7/10 skills, as Person A, but they are friendlier, more personable, and easier to work with. Person B is more likely to get hired because they have a better attitude and would be easier to work with. I learned that companies are more willing to hire and train slightly less qualified people who are eager to learn rather than someone who knows everything and is a total jerk face about it. This whole scenario is an example of being personable, which is one of the most important soft skills. Employers want to see that you can relate to your coworkers and that you are capable of working on a team successfully.

The infographic on the right shows some of the best soft skills to have. I’m not going to say that those are the definite top five, because it is a matter of opinion and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Anyways, the soft skills listed are extremely important. Having good communication skills is obviously important because employers want to know that you are able to communicate with the people you work with, your clients, and your managers. Being able to efficiently work in teams is also crucial because group projects are unavoidable. They will never go away. They may change in looks and shape, but group projects will never go out of style. To be honest, I would not be that upset to see them go. I hate them. I participate, but I hate them. Problem solving is also a biggie. Being able to resolve issues in a timely manner is definitely looked for by employers. Just like group projects, problems are inevitable. Being able to manage them quickly and efficiently is a good soft skill to have. Leadership is another soft skill that companies look for. Employers also look for applicants who show good leadership skills and can work to get things done. Having a good work ethic seems like a no brainer but there are a lot of people who don’t have one. Everyone around you will appreciate you more if you have a good work ethic and make an effort to get things done efficiently.

All in all, good soft skills are important to have. Hard skills are important to have also, but those are easier to learn that soft skills. Your soft skills will carry you through a lot of interactions. If you think you’re in over your head, just fake it until you make it. Chances are you’ll do great and your employer will love you because your soft skills rocked their socks off.