During last week’s impressiveCV workshop we discussed the difference between hard and soft skills and understanding that during the job application and interview process, employers look for applicants with two skill sets: hard skills and soft skills.

Successful candidates will ensure both sets of skills are displayed, ensuring the correct words are used to overcome ATS!!

Remember to tailor your skills to EACH job application

What are hard skills?

Hard skills are your technical abilities, they are things you can do. For example:

Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel™

Level II First Aid, MIG Welding

Event planning

Compliance

Budget allocation

Proficiency in another language

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are more about the way you do things, who you are and how you relate to other people in the workplace.  Soft skills can also be referred to as people skills or interpersonal skills, however some soft skills are not really about interactions with others, but about how you are as a worker. 

Soft skills examples include (but are not limited to):

Teamwork

Relationship development/rapport-building

Leadership and motivation of others

Negotiation

Adaptability and flexibility

Conflict resolution, time management, effective listening, and culturally competent practice.

What’s the difference?

The easiest way to differentiate between soft skills and hard skills other than what you can do and the way you do it, are in how we measure them, hard skills – or technical skills – are often absolute, either you have them or you don’t, you can do it or you can’t, where soft skills can usually be measured on a scale.

Which is more important?

The short answer is: BOTH! 

Hard skills may be absolute requirements for a job - in fact they are often pre-requisites to getting the job - and being properly trained in the tools and techniques of the trade will make you more efficient and safer in the workplace. That said, soft skills can be what allow you to really impress at the interview and most importantly they may be the difference between keeping a job long-term or progressing through promotion opportunities over other candidates, so both hard and soft skills should be treated as equally important.

For more on soft skills, stay tuned for next week’s blog on identifying your soft skills, and tips for developing your own!