By: William Mann-Maxwell
What are Soft Skills?
As stated by Will Kenton of Investopedia, “soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s relationships with other people.” Contrary to hard skills, which are the practical skills and knowledge that we gain as students, soft skills are not as clear cut.
The Importance of Soft Skills
Success in any job requires one to at the very least get along with co-workers and ideally do so in a respectful, considerate, and seamless way – refining your soft skills will help you do this. Another indication of the importance of soft skill lies within the positive correlation between soft-skills and pay. In fact, those possessing soft skills in the workplace earn an average of 10% more than employees who lack these skills which include teamwork, time-management, and adaptability as provided by Catherine Weinberger of the University of California. Not only are soft skills integral to managing the relationship between you and your coworkers but also you and your bank account.
How to improve Soft Skills
Soft skills cannot be taught per say, but you can improve yours by taking the time to learn about them and actively working towards improving said skills. If you have not had the chance to evaluate your soft skills, or want a refresher on what they are, feel free to take the quiz at https://www.jobpersonality.co.uk/soft-skills-test. As you are preparing for spring registration, consider checking out BUSI 1215 or ENTR 3110 if you have the appropriate pre requisites.
Resource used to complete this article include
Kenton, W. (2021). Soft Skills. Investopedia. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/soft-skills.asp.
Wadhwa, N. (2014). Employable skills: Employers value “soft” skills more than ever. FreshGigs.ca. Retrieved from https://www.freshgigs.ca/blog/why-employers-value-soft-skills-more-than-ever-before/