Hard and Soft skills for effective job search
Recruiters always look for people through some keyword search. Candidates with distinct skillsets and those that are highlighted in the resume will get shortlisted. Candidates with both hard skills and soft skills are desired by potential employers.
Hard Skill:
Hard Skills are something which is being taught, like technical knowledge and training. These are often known as ‘RESUME KEYWORDS’.
Recruiters look for these traits in candidates if they match the job role. Hard Skills keywords make your resume stand out, among others.
Examples of hard skills:
Technical skills: Analytical, Data Analysis, SaaS in Cloud, Machine Learning, AI
Coding/Engineering skills: Coding, C, C++, Java, Python, Excel, Computer Science
Marketing skills: Digital Marketing, SEO, SMM, Social media, CRM, Sales, Analytics
Finance skills: Book-keeping, Auditing, QuickBooks, MS Office, Risk Analysis
Specialized skills make resumes more attractive to recruiters and hiring managers. Keep one dedicated slot in resume to showcase the skillset as well as in the cover letter. Optimizing the Hard Skill keywords on the resume will give it a boost.
Soft Skill:
One’s personality which can be referred as interpersonal skills. Like, some personal traits such as – communication, character, time management, and last but not the least, ethics in work. All these shapes the character, which can be put in front of people. Examples of Soft Skills:
Integrity, Dependability, Communication, Listening, Teamwork, Creativity, Problem-solver, Willingness to learn, Strong work ethics, Flexibility, Energetic, Enthusiastic, Attention to detail, Competitive, Proactive, Multi-tasker, Self-motivated
Soft skills gets better when it is being combined with accomplishments. Soft skills are the ones you can communicate during the interview.
Highlighting both hard and soft skills: –
- Turning up on time during interview
- Maintaining eye contact
- Being proactive
- Be prepared and confident on the hard skills
- Describing past experiences
- Asking follow-up questions
- Effectively working through skills
In summary both hard and soft skillsets can land someone a target job, while building soft skills will ensure further success on the job.