Demonstrating hard and soft skills throughout the job application and interview process is vital. But what is the difference between soft skills and hard skills? More importantly, how can a candidate demonstrate both their hard and soft skills?
In this article, we take a look at the definitions of hard and soft skills, provide some examples and our tips for presenting them to prospective employers.
What are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are abilities that are easy to measure and can be taught, such as learning maths in a classroom. Most hard skills are learned to leverage a career, though some people use them to practice a hobby or interest. Mechanics learn to change engines, chefs know how to bake effectively, and computer scientists know how to code.
Examples of hard skills
Examples of hard skills include speaking foreign languages, tiling and plastering, fast keyboard typing, administrative tasks such as bookkeeping and data input, copywriting, carpentry, first aid, and many more.
What are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are more challenging to assess as they are not linked to a specific job or responsibility but instead to how you interact as a person in the workplace. They are often the difference between being hired and not getting the job. Leadership is an obvious example. There are a host of human skills needed to be a great leader that cannot be easily measured.
While these soft skills can be learned to some degree in training and through courses, they are fundamentally linked to a person’s personality. Therefore, soft skills are more often developed while undertaking work experience.
While this gives the impression that soft skills are more challenging to attain than hard skills, this is not always the case. A person can be born with an aptitude for a soft skill, which is not the case with a hard skill. If we spend some time reflecting we can discover soft skills we are naturally gifted in and use them to guide our journey into the workplace.
The importance of soft skills in the modern workplace is apparent. They are a manifestation of our humanity, and something technology does not replicate. These soft skills can also transfer across workplaces, so we will never be without the opportunity to find work if we can harness them.
What are some soft skills examples?
- Communication: Clear communication is essential in any workplace. Soft skills related to communication include active listening, effective written and verbal communication, and the ability to convey ideas clearly and concisely.
- Teamwork: The ability to work collaboratively with others is essential for success in most industries. Soft skills related to teamwork include leadership, collaboration, conflict resolution, and the ability to give and receive feedback.
- Adaptability: The ability to adapt to changing situations is essential in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing work environments. Soft skills related to adaptability include problem-solving, creativity, flexibility, and the ability to learn quickly.
- Time management: Effective time management is essential for success in any field. Soft skills related to time management include organization, prioritization, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. Soft skills related to emotional intelligence include empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation, and social skills.
- Critical thinking: The ability to analyze information and make decisions is essential in many fields. Soft skills related to critical thinking include analysis, problem-solving, creativity, and decision-making.
- Leadership: Leadership skills are essential for anyone in a management or leadership position. Soft skills related to leadership include delegation, motivation, mentoring, and the ability to inspire and influence others.
It is worth noticing how these skills are not centred on a specific career but are more about becoming a better person.
Differences between hard and soft skills
You could argue that both hard and soft skills are valuable when looking to start a career. Some hard skills are prerequisites for getting a job In your chosen career, as it is how a human resources director may shortlist candidates. However, when you get to interview, it is most definitely your soft skills on show and will get you over the line.
Studies seem to suggest that business values soft skills more than academic performance. There are constant requests to universities to focus on work-ready abilities – also known as soft skills.
If you develop human beings who are adaptable and capable of flexibly moving from workplace to workplace, they will be more successful. For a business that might need to pivot quickly and change its focus because of, let us say, a pandemic, then these soft skills are crucial too. While hard skills are teachable, soft skills are developed through experience.
What skills are employers looking for?
This depends entirely on the job, although most employers will want a mix of both soft and hard skills. For example, while strong IT skills are becoming one of the most important hard skills to possess, and will look great on your CV, you will find it hard to get employed if you don’t have the ability to effectively work well together with others, with the latter being a soft skill.
How to showcase both hard and soft skills to employers
One of the easiest ways to showcase both types of skills to employers is to have examples on your CV, and be ready to talk about them in more depth during an interview. When an interviewer asks, “can you tell me about a time when…”, this is the perfect time to talk about how you used your soft and hard skills to problem-solve.
This is important as it shows that you can use these skills in a workplace environment, which is one of the most important things employers are looking for.
Relating skills to the role
The first step is to look at the job description for the role you are applying for and identify what you would be required to do. For example, any office job will require at least basic IT skills but a more advanced role, such as a coder or programmer, will require a higher level of expertise. This is a hard skill. A teaching role will require good communication skills, as well as good knowledge of what you are teaching. This is a mix of both hard and soft skills.
Once you have identified which skills are needed for a particular role, you should think of examples of how you have used these skills in practice, either at work or at university. You can then add them to your CV and use the STAR method during interviews to demonstrate your relevant hard and soft skills, increasing your chances of getting the job.
How to improve soft skills
One way to improve your soft skills is to ask for regular feedback from others, both your peers and those more experienced than you. By listening to their opinions, you can more accurately work out your strengths, weaknesses, and what you can do to improve. This is especially important for a skill such as leadership, as your relationship with those working with you is extremely important.
You can also improve by watching how others use their soft skills in different situations. This is useful as you can see how these skills are used in practice by someone who is proficient at them, not just reading the theory behind them or guessing what the right thing to do is.
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