Importance of Soft Skills for Working Professionals

“Your hard skills help you acquire employment and your soft skills help you ensure your employability.Hence, integrate hard and soft skills to fast track your career”--- Professor M.S.Rao

Soft skills are a primary requirement for employers and employees to succeed. The social skills that allow us to interact with people productively are essential for problem-solving, cooperation, and communication. Soft skills help us maintain our motivation, establish solid relationships, and learn time management efficiently. They also help in the acquisition, attraction, and retention of clients. 

Soft skills, such as interpersonal, collaborative, critical thinking, problem-solving, time management, and emotional intelligence, help ensure job success. 

Where to learn soft skills from?

With the advent of our academic careers, we often focus on acquiring knowledge in various subjects. However, it's crucial also to consider the development of soft skills, which are equally vital for future employment. This understanding is often overlooked, leading to a perception that soft skills are optional. In reality, cultivating soft and hard skills is critical to achieving success in our professional lives.

Consider this: in school, our grades in every subject—such as math or science—come from our hard skills. These skills are easy to measure, but what about the practicality of public speaking, leadership, or communication abilities? These are the soft skills that are equally, if not more, important in the real world.

Soft skills instruction must be added to the current curriculum, and these abilities should be practised and given the same weight. The world is evolving rapidly, and the demand for soft skills is increasing. We must help our students with the required skills to grow in their careers.

And what if we never practice soft skills?

We will never be able to progress in all necessary growth areas and develop into leaders. Our hard talents are useless because we will never be able to work as a team, possess management abilities, or be considered for more senior managerial positions.

 Nowadays, hiring for both public and private sectors relies more on soft skills. Employers seek applicants with various interpersonal skills since they know these qualities are critical to output and performance at work.

For instance, a person with strong problem-solving abilities would be more prepared to handle chaotic situations, while someone with excellent communication skills might work better in a team. For this reason, knowing how to develop interpersonal skills is crucial if we want to advance our careers.

Soft skills are very adaptable!

While technical skills are constantly changing, you will need soft skills throughout your career. Soft skills maintain a person's high employability and are pertinent and transferable. They are also preferred because they spare your employer from having to train you if you already possess them. 

Additionally, the talent pool is getting increasingly crowded due to the high demand for remote jobs. There will be many job applicants with comparable training and expertise. Your ability to highlight your soft skills will give you a competitive advantage and help you get the job you want. Soft skills are necessary in today's workplace to succeed and get hired. If you keep them sharp, you'll be able to differentiate yourself, stay competitive, and eventually future-proof your career.

Ten areas of soft skills for employees:

1. Communication : LSRW( listening, speaking, reading and writing) speaking fluently, soft spoken, presentable, writing skills, listening skills, 
2. Courtesy: includes manners, etiquette, business etiquette, graciousness, saying please and thank you, and respect for coworkers.
3. Flexibility: adaptability, willingness to change, lifelong learning, acceptance of new things, adjustment, teachability, and approachability.
4. Integrity: honest, ethical, has high morals, has personal values, and does what’s right.
5. Interpersonal skills: excellent, pleasing personality, sense of humour, friendly, nurturing, empathetic, self-control, patience, sociability, warmth, social skills.
6. Positive attitude:  optimistic, enthusiastic, encouraging, happy, confident.
7. Professionalism: businesslike, well-dressed, appearance, poised.
8. Responsibility: accountable, reliable, gets the job done, resourceful, self-disciplined, wants to do well, conscientious, common sense.
9. Teamwork: cooperative, gets along with others, agreeable, supportive, helpful, collaborative.

   10. Work ethic:  hard working, willing to work, loyal, initiative,  self-motivated, on time, good attendance.

“There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak”---Simon Sinek

Always be a good listener, as it is one of the most vital components of soft skills.

There are three aspects of active listening:

• Cognitive—Active listening is about more than just hearing someone's words mutely. It's about truly understanding and assimilating the information the other person shares.
•  Emotional—Throughout the conversation, maintain your calm and stay composed even in difficult situations where you may feel negative emotions (boredom, annoyance, etc.).
• Behavioural- Expressing understanding and interest both orally and nonverbally. Making the other person believe that you are interested in the conversation.

Tips for a good listener:

1. Repeat the speaker’s last few words back

2. Don’t “put it in your own words” unless you need to

3. Offer non-verbal cues that you‘re listening - but only if it comes naturally to you

4. Pay attention to nonverbal cues

5. Ask more questions than you think you need to

6. Minimise distractions as much as possible

7. Acknowledge shortcomings 

8. Don’t rehearse your response while the other person is talking

9. Monitor your emotions

Conclusion
Soft skills are crucial for both new hires and working professionals. Soft skills aim to maintain an organised and high standard in the workplace. Soft skills are essential for growth in the company and help in appraisals.

Exams such as the IELTS, PTE, Duo-Lingo, and Celpip, among others, which serve as prerequisites for enrolment in study abroad programs, are regarded as traumatising for educated people or employed professionals. Therefore, this phenomenon does not only apply to recent graduates; professionals in the medical field, chartered accountants, educators, lecturers, etc., also seek professional assistance to master soft skills. Soft skills are essential for personal and professional development, so acquire them for your entire life rather than just your career.

“Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front”---Nelson Mandela

FAQs

1. Which Soft Skills Are Most Valuable at Work? 
   Emotional intelligence, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, conflict resolution, adaptability, leadership, and interpersonal skills are the most crucial soft skills that employers value.
2. How does career success relate to soft skills?
   Soft skills are essential for establishing a successful career and fostering professional relationships. These include problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and flexibility. Early investment in the development of these abilities can pay off handsomely later in life, setting you up for success in a cutthroat job market.
3. How can soft skills help my employees?

        Soft skills:

• Promote mentorship.
• Provide your staff with opportunities to practice and reflect.
• Provide chances for leadership.
• Promote cooperation among teammates
• Give each client individualised coaching.

4.  What distinguishes hard skills from soft skills?
   While soft skills are character attributes that influence how you work, hard skills are job-related competencies and abilities that are required to finish work. While soft skills can be used in any kind of job, hard skills are frequently specific to a particular career.
5. Does motivation come from within?
   Since they affect both personal and professional success, self-motivation and ongoing development are soft skills that are valuable to any employee within an organization. They are linked to maintaining commitment, drive, and a continuous search for development and progress.