Employers Attracted to Candidates With 'Soft Skills'

You spend years going to college to get a degree that is pertinent to your field and then build up experience through internships and entry-level jobs. Now that you are all set to conquer your career and move forward, have you given any thought to your soft skills? According to the Telegraph, from the moment you walk through the door, the interviewer is looking for those soft skills that will impress clients and grow revenue. It is up to you to know exactly what kinds of soft skills prospective employers are looking for and understand how to display those skills in an interview.

Presenting Clear Ideas

It is one thing to have good ideas, but it is a completely different thing to be able to convey those ideas clearly and concisely. According to the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability, the ability to communicate clearly is a soft skill that employers are looking for these days. This means that you can stand in front of a room and get your point across in a professional and convincing way. Throughout your interview, the hiring manager will be paying close attention to how you phrase your answers and how you present your ideas. Work on getting to the point in a concise manner and you will improve your chances of getting the job.

Problem Solving Skills

A successful business is built on people who can come up with effective solutions to the challenges the company faces. Once again, your education and professional experience indicate that you have the foundation necessary to be able to offer solutions. But Entrepreneur Magazine insists that employers are just as interested in your ability to actually solve problems, as opposed to just letting your background do the talking. Each question in a job interview has a purpose and when an interviewer asks you about a specific crisis you faced and how you reacted, they are looking for your ability to solve problems. You can prepare for this by thinking about a time when you solved a problem quickly and then writing out exactly what you did in a couple of sentences. As soon as you memorize your answer, then you are ready to show a potential employer how you can solve their problems.

Leadership

No matter what level of employment you are looking for, hiring managers want to see Millennials who understand what it means to be a good leader. According to USA Today, a whopping 63 percent of Millennials say that they want to be good leaders, but only a precious few understand that good leaders understand how to work within the company hierarchy to get results. When you interview for your next job, you will be asked to discuss your ideas on leadership. The best approach is to indicate that you understand how important it is to get results within the structure of the company. If you portray yourself as a maverick that tries to lead by doing things on your own, then you will not be impressing any hiring manager. Employers are looking for candidates in the 20 to 30-something age range with the right mix of background skills and soft skills. In a job market that is getting more and more competitive, it will be your ability to command the soft skills that will earn you your next job.