Maybe you’ve ignored adding the best soft skills to your resume in favour of highlighting the hard skills and experience you possess that apply directly to your targeted role. Obviously, it’s important to include these hard skills on your resume, but don’t forget about the many transferable skills that will make you successful within the role.
Here’s a list of some of the best soft skills in business to add to your resume.
Communication
Possessing standout written and verbal communication skills means that you are able to effectively communicate with colleagues, management, clients and customers. This might be you if you pay attention to non-verbal communication, such as body language and facial expressions.
How to improve your communication skills
Focus on proactive listening so that you have a better understanding what is being said and can respond appropriately.
Problem-solving
The ability to identify potential problems and determine solutions within the workplace is a valuable soft skill for any industry. Are you good at logic games or puzzles such as Sudoku or Rubik’s Cubes? Do you find yourself digging into problems to understand what’s happening? Then you are probably a problem-solver at heart!
How to improve your problem-solving skills
Improve your problem-solving skills by focusing on the root cause of the problem to better understand how to resolve the issue.
Time management
Good time management skills enable you to organize your time to work smarter and more efficiently even under high pressure. If you plan out your days/weeks in advance and revise your schedule as new priorities arise, you probably already know that you have great time management skills.
How to improve your time management skills
Start keeping track of your tasks! Improve your time management skills by prioritizing your tasks from most to least important and focus on the most important tasks first.
Creative thinking
A driving force behind innovation and progress, creative thinking is an indispensable skill in any industry. After all, finding new ways to solve problems is a universal need. If you’re always curious about how things work and tend to ask a lot of questions about processes, you might be a creative thinker.
How to improve your creative thinking skills
Better your creative thinking by reading, listening and watching content from a variety of industries to expand your perspective.
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence refers to your ability to manage and recognize your own emotions and read the emotions of other people. It’s an invaluable soft skill within a workplace where you often work in teams. If you find that you are constantly aware of your own and other people’s feelings, you may rank highly for emotional intelligence.
How to improve your emotional intelligence
Improve your emotional intelligence by practicing self-awareness and recognize how your actions affect others.
Leadership
Are you successful at motivating colleagues to achieve a common goal? Do you foster creativity and cohesion among your colleagues when working in teams? You don’t have to be in a management position to have strong leadership skills.
How to improve your leadership skills
Is your leadership lacking? Model your work habits after a manager or colleague whose leadership you admire.
Detail oriented
If you tend to be very thorough with your work and possess a keen eye for detail, you are probably already well-known for being detail-oriented. Do people come to you to doublecheck their work for accuracy? If yes, your attention to detail is outstanding!
How to improve your attention to detail
Get organized. Create a list, outline your deadlines and limit your distractions. With some consideration for the way that you work, you can manage the work environment to help you focus on the details.
Organization
The essential soft skill for a multi-tasker, organizational skills allow you to arrange your time and workload effectively to accomplish your goals. Are you always on the ball when it comes to your appointments, deadlines and upcoming events? You may have great organization skills that you can highlight in your resume.
How to improve your organizational skills
As redundant as it may seem, improving your organizational skills means you need to get organized. Start keeping a list of tasks and associated deadlines, make an effort to complete tasks when you have time, and stay on top of your to do list by appointing someone to keep you accountable.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Good teamwork skills mean you have the ability to perform and manage conflicts with colleagues as you work toward a common goal. This may be you if you encourage opinions from your team, even if they differ from your own.
How to improve your collaboration skills
Focus on communication with your colleagues including feedback and brainstorming.
Active learning
Active learners continuously strive to gain more knowledge that will better your work performance or understanding of your industry. You may have demonstrated active learning if you have taken an online course or gone back to school for additional education to further your career.
How to improve your active learning skills
Become an active learner by keeping up to date on industry trends and news.
Now that you understand the meanings of top soft skills employers look for, you’re ready to update your resume with a comprehensive list of your own soft skills! Check out Adecco’s guide to creating a winning resume here.