Soft skills free essay sample

Soft skills is a term often associated with a persons EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. They are related to feelings, emotions, insights and (some would say) an inner knowing: i. e. they provide an important complement to hard skills and IQ. Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individuals interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a persons skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a persons ability to interact effectively with coworkers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace. A persons soft skill EQ is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-to-face are generally more successful, if they train their staff to use these skills. Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization. For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications. It has been suggested that in a number of professions, soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills. The legal profession is one example where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer. Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few. These skills are based on performance, productivity, and how well the job is done. All of these previously mentioned skills can be acquired through numerous ways, mainly with bettering communication and development of leadership qualities. Working on body language, eye contact, and being at ease in relationships of any kind will improve the soft skills. Here are the top 7 most important soft skills to have for both interviewing and in the workplace: 1. Acting as a team player means not only being cooperative, but also displaying strong leadership skills when necessary 2. Flexibility is a valuable asset employees who can adapt to any situation are dependable no matter whats thrown at them 3. Effective communication is paramount, and includes articulating oneself well, being a good listener and using appropriate body language 4. Problem-solving skills and resourcefulness are critical when unexpected issues inevitably arise 5. Accepting feedback and applying lessons learned fosters professional growth 6. Confidence is key, but its important to always have the knowledge and skills to support self-assurance 7. Creative thinking is invaluable and drives innovation and increased efficiency Soft skills play a vital role for professional success; they help one to excel in the workplace and their importance cannot be denied in this age of information and knowledge. Good soft skills will help us stand out in a milieu of routine job seekers with mediocre skills and talent. The most common traits, mentioned by virtually every employer, were: ~ Positive work ethic. ~ Good attitude. ~ Desire to learn and be trained. Mohan Rao, a technical director with Emmellen Biotech Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mumbai defines a good attitude: It is a behavioural skill, which cannot be taught. However it can be developed through continuous training. It represents the reactive nature of the individual and is about looking at things with the right perspective. You must be ready to solve problems proactively and create win-win situations. And you must be able to take ownership ie responsibility for your actions and lead from the front without calling it quits at the most critical moment. Soft skills are as important, if not more important, than traditional hard skills to an employer looking to hire regardless of industry or job type. This could offer a major breakthrough as educators and training providers seek to develop and cluster training courses to fit business and industry needs. In the 21st century and going forward, three things are important—ability to communicate an idea visually, ability to have a balanced point-of-view on key issues and ability to convert ideas to results. Soft skills are non-technical, interpersonal and communication skills required by an engineer to successfully solve problems and apply his technical skills. Soft skills are directly proportional to one’s personality â€Å"Personality traits such as common sense, optimism, responsibility, integrity, attitude and behavioural competencies that include analytical thinking, result orientation and achievement, communication, teamwork, conflict management, customer orientation and attention to details come under soft skills. † Just as hard skills teach us about domain-specific skills like technology, products and processes, soft skills are about interacting with people with whom you work. Soft skills can also refer to a set of skills that determine how one interacts with others in a way that the company as such gets represented well. These skills are applicable to all internal as well as external forums where employees are making key interactions. Simply put, soft skills have more to do with who we are than what we know. Soft skills critically impact the way an individual translates his expertise across to his team and further to the whole organization and emotional intelligence is the critical element that defines the core of soft skills a person is equipped with. Non-technical aspects of engineering such as communications, relationships, temperament, emotional intelligence and risk management make a difference between success and failure. Understanding and adapting to the working environment is just as crucial as getting the job itself. The ability to understand company and work team culture is the most under-appreciated soft skill. Soft skills are applied emotional intelligence and as such, they are very important. Soft skills are very essential for personal and professional development of individuals. Technical skills may take us to the doorstep but it is your soft skills that will open up the door for us. There are three ways to enhance one’s soft skills. The first step is to gain knowledge on the subject. Communication process and its importance, ways to improve relationships with people and qualities of a good team member or leader can be studied through various books available in the market The second step is to practice the knowledge gained in work scenarios. Knowledge gained but not practiced would result in forgetting the learnt points. Picking up what one has learnt, and applying it and practicing it and then moving to the second point would be more effective. It is ‘one at a time’ approach to learning new skills. The other way would be to attend learning programs conducted by professional trainers who have been in the industry for quite some time. Training programs have a hands-on approach, which results in faster learning and more retention. Mentorship programs, group discussions, mock presentations, role play and understanding of the organization’s work ethics are some ways to enhance soft skills. Self-practice is another way to improve soft skills. Soft skills enhancement can and will only take place if there is appropriate level of self-awareness and, of course, practice is essential to sustain and continuously improve once a skill is acquired.