Most people are focused on the technical skills required to secure and maintain jobs but holding a job takes more than technical abilities. There are several soft skills that are often overlooked and mastering these skills can give you an edge in your field. The best part is that you do not need to attend a coding bootcamp or get a degree to learn soft skills, since most of these skills can be developed on your own with time and practice.

What You Need to Know About Soft Skills

Soft skills are transferable skills that come in handy in every industry because they aren’t specific to any field. Most soft skills are people skills. This means learning them will make you more efficient at working with others when an organization’s goals are at stake.

In a 2019 survey conducted by LinkedIn, 89 percent of hiring managers cited a lack of soft skills as the reason behind turning down otherwise qualified candidates.

Working Under Pressure

This may sound like a no-brainer but recruiters will always prefer to employ people who naturally have the ability to work under pressure. Even if you are not working in a high-pressure workplace, there will be occasions that demand quick thinkers who can work at extra speed without compromising the quality of their work.

Collaboration

Do you work well with others? If you do not, this might be a good time to start improving your collaboration skills to prove to prospective employers that you are a team player. Collaboration is especially important if you intend to become a software engineer, data scientist, or UI/UI designer. These experts are usually required to handle large projects in collaboration with other tech experts.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Are you rigid in your ways of doing things or are you excited when new technology is introduced, there is new management, or the rules suddenly change? How quickly can you learn something new for the good of the company? Employers want adaptable workers who can adjust their schedules, and adjust to rapid change when necessary.

Conflict Resolution

There is a common misconception that only managers and those in leadership positions need to have conflict resolution skills. However, everyone who intends to build a successful career or business needs to have the communication skills to diffuse situations. To be efficient at conflict resolution, you need to have emotional intelligence, empathy, and patience.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one of the most important people skills you can have if you want to thrive in the workplace. Things have changed significantly over the years and people need to be more sensitive to the emotional needs of those around them. This is especially important in diverse work with people from different backgrounds.

Effective Communication

How you communicate with your employer, clients, and co-workers is important and can make a world of difference in career development. You need to listen actively and speak clearly in a tone that is fitting for a formal setting. In the modern workplace, effective communication also includes digital communication. You need to learn how to communicate with mobile or web applications.

Stress Management

Stress is one of the most common mental health problems in the United States according to The American Institute of Stress. It reduces productivity in the workplace because it makes it more difficult for you to focus. Eventually, chronic stress leads to burnout. Being able to deal with stress will help you secure jobs and grow in the workplace.

Time Management

Everyone wishes they could have more time to get things done but since that is not an option, the next best thing is managing the limited time available. You need to be able to complete tasks before the deadlines and prove to your supervisors that you are dependable in cases of emergency.

Conclusion

Thriving in the modern workplace is easy if you build your soft skills to complement the existing technical skills you already have in your field. The soft skills listed above are just a few of the many other options you should start learning. If you are still struggling, there are some online courses that can help you develop these skills faster.