SOFT SKILLS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

"Soft skills" is an unfortunate term. It sounds weak or dull. The fact is that soft skills are the most important skills for your career. They are the skills that are difficult to  systemize and automate . They are the skills that define leadership and creativity. By definition,  soft skills are those skills that are difficult to measure . In other words, hard skills can easily be measured by a test but soft skills can't. It's easy to determine who has the best math skills. It's difficult to determine who's best at innovation or diplomacy. The following list of soft skills may be useful for your resume,  job descriptions or training plan. Communication Skills 1. Verbal Communication 2. Body Language 3. Physical Communication 4. Writing 5. Storytelling 6.  Visual Communication   7.  Humor   8. Quick-wittedness 9.  Listening   10.  Presentation Skills   11.  Public Speaking   12.  Interviewi...

There’s a certain irony in applying for a position in human resources (HR). You sit on one side of the desk as an applicant but if you land the job, you might just vault right over that desk into the hiring seat. Pursuing an HR career is not for the faint of heart. Being responsible for making hiring and firing decisions, keeping watch over employee welfare and handling a company’s most sensitive information isn’t for everyone. You feel like you’re up for the challenge, but want to know what exactly will be expected of you. We’re here to help! We used real-time job analysis software to examine more than 310,000 human resources job postings from the past year. 1  The data helped us identify the top eight skills employers are seeking in HR candidates. So without further ado, familiarize yourself with the eight human resources job skills in highest demand. 8 In-demand human resources skills As you consider your proficiency in each of the skills listed below, thin...

The sales profession is undergoing some pretty radical changes. The buyer is in charge, field sales is moving inside, technology is transforming the profession. It’s so bad that some people are predicting that 15M sales jobs will disappear in the coming years. To survive in this environment, salespeople need a new set of  skills. We’ve identified a core set of 18 sales skills by analyzing these trends and watching what makes some of the world’s best salespeople successful in the new sales environment. The best salespeople: Understand what the buyer wants Sell in a buyer-responsive manner Use psychology to engage the buyer Establish trust with the buyer Communicate succinctly Act on what the customer is saying Demonstrate subject matter expertise Help (as opposed to close) their prospects Tell really compelling stories Are great copywriters Sell effectively over the phone Are socially active with target buyers Personalize their interactions Use a variety of marketin...

Whether it’s your co-worker, your neighbor or your child, sometimes people can be overwhelmingly difficult.  If you have had to deal with someone who puts up tons of resistance, you know that things can quickly escalate out of control. As a coach who specializes in turning around conflict situations, there are commonalities that that are present in all types of conflict—no matter what the situation. So what can you do exactly it?  How can you break through and dissolve the resistance that is building in your relationship? You want to get your point across, but don’t want to fuel the fire.  Even if you know what to do, in a heated moment you must know what you are up against.  You must think strategically if you want to get ahead and make the best out of your particular situation.  A big part of that process is to stop, think and do the unexpected. Here are some easy and effective tips to turn around any situation with a difficult person: 1.  V...

Business management is a function of a company that coordinates the efforts of employees and different elements of a business to reach targeted objectives in an efficient and timely manner. Management vs. Leadership Skills Management skills overlap similar  leadership skills  such as problem-solving, analytics, decision-making, planning, delegation, communication, execution, and time management. Good managers are responsible for making sure a company’s many moving parts are all working properly in conjunction with one another. Without this integration, problems can arise between disjointed professional disciplines and issues can “fall through the cracks” without the watchful eye and premonition of a manager, director or leader. The Important of Management Skills Effective management is used to accomplish the goals and objectives of a company. From human resources to revenue targets, management skills are constantly used on all levels of a company. B...