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What are important soft skills, and how to you learn them?
This is part of our professionals series
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13 answers
Vamshee Gunturu
Principal Engineer
187
Answers
Chandler, Arizona
Updated
Vamshee’s Answer
Great question from a student.
Examples of soft skills are below.
Communication skills
Time management
Work ethic
Critical thinking
Problem Solving
Flexibility
Dependability
Teamwork skills
Creativity
Teachability
Adaptability
Attention to detail.
Positivity or optimism
Some of these skills can be developed and improved by daily interactions and day to day activities at school or work.
Not all the above skills are must for a college or job, some of them are more important than others for a profession or college, some of them are nice to have skills.
Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Time Management, Interpersonal skills, Positivity and adaptability are some skills that would help you most in a collage or in a career.
Think about each soft skill and see where you stand, research online and find out what tasks are related to each soft skill, think about them and train your mind to observe those skills in your day-to-day interactions with friends/teachers/officers etc. and then try to practice them wherever needed.
Look for someone who are good at those soft skills, may be your parents/teacher/Head of school /Store Managers/Customer reps etc. You can try to learn from them.
Take a Class: There are lot of you tube videos/online tutorials/classes/workshops to attend and develop skills.
Volunteer in the Community: Find the volunteer opportunities in libraries/community center/community fairs etc. to get experience and exposure to job skills/soft skills.
Join Clubs: By participating in club activities at school or contest, students can learn working with others and build interpersonal skills/community skills etc.
TED Talks: Listening to TED talks helps , provides lot of insights .
Examples of soft skills are below.
Communication skills
Time management
Work ethic
Critical thinking
Problem Solving
Flexibility
Dependability
Teamwork skills
Creativity
Teachability
Adaptability
Attention to detail.
Positivity or optimism
Some of these skills can be developed and improved by daily interactions and day to day activities at school or work.
Not all the above skills are must for a college or job, some of them are more important than others for a profession or college, some of them are nice to have skills.
Communication skills, Teamwork skills, Time Management, Interpersonal skills, Positivity and adaptability are some skills that would help you most in a collage or in a career.
Think about each soft skill and see where you stand, research online and find out what tasks are related to each soft skill, think about them and train your mind to observe those skills in your day-to-day interactions with friends/teachers/officers etc. and then try to practice them wherever needed.
Look for someone who are good at those soft skills, may be your parents/teacher/Head of school /Store Managers/Customer reps etc. You can try to learn from them.
Take a Class: There are lot of you tube videos/online tutorials/classes/workshops to attend and develop skills.
Volunteer in the Community: Find the volunteer opportunities in libraries/community center/community fairs etc. to get experience and exposure to job skills/soft skills.
Join Clubs: By participating in club activities at school or contest, students can learn working with others and build interpersonal skills/community skills etc.
TED Talks: Listening to TED talks helps , provides lot of insights .
Roberto Fernandez
Servant Leader Apprentice
46
Answers
Miami, Florida
Updated
Roberto’s Answer
Soft skills... what a great interest for a young person. You are well on your way !
The list of soft skills is large and comprehensive. There are many good examples already listed in this discussion. I also like to call them "human touch skills". As a whole, those are the skills that will enable you to communicate, collaborate and interact with other human beings, to learn effectively, to experience and to project onto others, realization and satisfaction. Soft skills have two dimensions: the outwards dimension but also the inwards dimension. As human beings ourselves, we also deserve to treat our selves well.
Some people are naturally gifted with those characteristics and for them those things are instinctive and second nature. For some others, for most of us I should say, it is a learning process and those characteristics become skills that can be learned. Soft skills, like any other type of skill need practice, nurturing and feedback. I'd recommend to focus first on the ability to #1 Communicate, which includes the ability to #2 Listen. Communicating well, both ways, is the foundation of every other soft kill because you will pick them all by paying attention to what others have to say and to yourself; which brings the third big one #3 Self-awareness which is basically the same thing than listening, but listening to yourself.
Practice those three, (in no particular order) and you will soon get to #4 Empathy, the ability to put yourself on someone else's own shoes. Those four will get you a long way. There are many other great answers in the discussion.
Good luck !!!
The list of soft skills is large and comprehensive. There are many good examples already listed in this discussion. I also like to call them "human touch skills". As a whole, those are the skills that will enable you to communicate, collaborate and interact with other human beings, to learn effectively, to experience and to project onto others, realization and satisfaction. Soft skills have two dimensions: the outwards dimension but also the inwards dimension. As human beings ourselves, we also deserve to treat our selves well.
Some people are naturally gifted with those characteristics and for them those things are instinctive and second nature. For some others, for most of us I should say, it is a learning process and those characteristics become skills that can be learned. Soft skills, like any other type of skill need practice, nurturing and feedback. I'd recommend to focus first on the ability to #1 Communicate, which includes the ability to #2 Listen. Communicating well, both ways, is the foundation of every other soft kill because you will pick them all by paying attention to what others have to say and to yourself; which brings the third big one #3 Self-awareness which is basically the same thing than listening, but listening to yourself.
Practice those three, (in no particular order) and you will soon get to #4 Empathy, the ability to put yourself on someone else's own shoes. Those four will get you a long way. There are many other great answers in the discussion.
Good luck !!!
Kasana Peter
Nurse
2
Answers
Kampala, Central Region, Uganda
Updated
Kasana’s Answer
Soft skills help improve your relationship with people, colleages and clients such as excellent communication skills and interpersonal relationships skills. You can easily learn them and to master them you need to practice them.
Whever you are doing something for someone or offering a service to that person, put yourself in the shoes of that person, the way you would love to be treated is the same way you should treat that person. Then the soft skills will be intergrated up to a high level when you are able to do that. Thanks
Whever you are doing something for someone or offering a service to that person, put yourself in the shoes of that person, the way you would love to be treated is the same way you should treat that person. Then the soft skills will be intergrated up to a high level when you are able to do that. Thanks
Nandini Krishna
Manager
34
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Nandini’s Answer
Hello!
This is a great question! Soft skills are very crucial to that keeps us all employed and growing with our employer. Here are some of the soft skills that have helped me in my career:
1. Communication - How to effectively relay a message with minimal misunderstanding. Also applies to your ability to listen when other communicate. Communication is a 2 way street!
2. Presentation - Goes hand in hand with communication. How do we present ourselves and our materials (paper, powerpoint presentation, etc.) so that the other party is encouraged to listen.
3. Relationships - Build relationships that last a lifetime built on mutual values and respect
4. Team Work - Effectively working with a team by respecting other people's values and achievement
5. Time Management - Lastly, how to effectively manage our time so that we are not burned out.
Hope this helps. Best of luck!
This is a great question! Soft skills are very crucial to that keeps us all employed and growing with our employer. Here are some of the soft skills that have helped me in my career:
1. Communication - How to effectively relay a message with minimal misunderstanding. Also applies to your ability to listen when other communicate. Communication is a 2 way street!
2. Presentation - Goes hand in hand with communication. How do we present ourselves and our materials (paper, powerpoint presentation, etc.) so that the other party is encouraged to listen.
3. Relationships - Build relationships that last a lifetime built on mutual values and respect
4. Team Work - Effectively working with a team by respecting other people's values and achievement
5. Time Management - Lastly, how to effectively manage our time so that we are not burned out.
Hope this helps. Best of luck!
Jenny Stauffer
Human Resources
3
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jenny’s Answer
Hi there,
This is a great question! Soft skills are the skills of the future and honestly.... they can sometimes be pretty hard! Here are a few soft skills my team and I think are most important and some thoughts on how to build these in your daily life.
Communication - practice sharing your experience and knowledge. Think about your audience and the message you want to portray. Evaluate yourself and ask for input from others. Did you understand what I was asking? Was I clear with my request? etc...
Adaptability/ flexibility/ resilience - Change and disappointment are a part of life. Learn the things that enable you to pick yourself up after a setback. Do you need to surround yourself with friends and family? Prefer to have some time for quiet self-reflection? Do you journal or need to spend time outdoors? Use these things as tools to be able to be resilient in the workplace.
Self Awareness - Ask for feedback, set time for regular reflection, and be open-minded to other perspectives. Ask your friends and loved ones for feedback as well. Be specific when asking for feedback. What exactly do you want to know and how will you act on it?
Good luck!
Jenny
Discernment - Use all of your experiences to understand what motivates you and what tasks or work are not exciting. You'll become a better judge of this as you go along.
Public speaking - Speaking in front of your team, a crowd or a group will likely be part of any role you have in the future. Practice this as much as you can, volunteer to speak for your team when you read out to the class, or join an organization like Toast Masters https://www.toastmasters.org/ improve your skills.
This is a great question! Soft skills are the skills of the future and honestly.... they can sometimes be pretty hard! Here are a few soft skills my team and I think are most important and some thoughts on how to build these in your daily life.
Communication - practice sharing your experience and knowledge. Think about your audience and the message you want to portray. Evaluate yourself and ask for input from others. Did you understand what I was asking? Was I clear with my request? etc...
Adaptability/ flexibility/ resilience - Change and disappointment are a part of life. Learn the things that enable you to pick yourself up after a setback. Do you need to surround yourself with friends and family? Prefer to have some time for quiet self-reflection? Do you journal or need to spend time outdoors? Use these things as tools to be able to be resilient in the workplace.
Self Awareness - Ask for feedback, set time for regular reflection, and be open-minded to other perspectives. Ask your friends and loved ones for feedback as well. Be specific when asking for feedback. What exactly do you want to know and how will you act on it?
Good luck!
Jenny
Discernment - Use all of your experiences to understand what motivates you and what tasks or work are not exciting. You'll become a better judge of this as you go along.
Public speaking - Speaking in front of your team, a crowd or a group will likely be part of any role you have in the future. Practice this as much as you can, volunteer to speak for your team when you read out to the class, or join an organization like Toast Masters https://www.toastmasters.org/ improve your skills.
Lindsey Hatch
6
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Lindsey’s Answer
Hi! A very important soft skill that you're already exhibiting is self awareness - meaning by asking this question you are showing you're aware of the need to develop in this area for success professionally. So great job!
There are so many more soft skills that are important to career and personal success, but if I had to choose three as a focus for students entering the workforce I would say teamwork, time management and communication are foundational.
- For teamwork, I would focus on recognizing the role you play in a group environment. If you're on a group project, are you balancing taking the lead, listening to others and taking direction from others? Are you dependable and and positively holding others accountable? Do you have the group's goals in mind, not just your own motivations?
- For time management, it is important to be able to balance competing priorities and stay on top of deadlines. Do you have a system for tracking important dates, meetings, and deadlines? Do you work with others to make sure that deadlines are attainable, and if you're falling behind are you communicating that and trying to problem solve proactively?
- For communication, I would emphasize that regularly keeping in touch with friends, colleagues, managers is very important. Don't assume people will always reach out to you - strong communication is a two way street. Do you think of possible solutions before asking questions? Do you speak up if you do not understand something? Do you give and receive feedback openly and honestly?
All of those questions are ways that you can practice developing these soft skills!
There are so many more soft skills that are important to career and personal success, but if I had to choose three as a focus for students entering the workforce I would say teamwork, time management and communication are foundational.
- For teamwork, I would focus on recognizing the role you play in a group environment. If you're on a group project, are you balancing taking the lead, listening to others and taking direction from others? Are you dependable and and positively holding others accountable? Do you have the group's goals in mind, not just your own motivations?
- For time management, it is important to be able to balance competing priorities and stay on top of deadlines. Do you have a system for tracking important dates, meetings, and deadlines? Do you work with others to make sure that deadlines are attainable, and if you're falling behind are you communicating that and trying to problem solve proactively?
- For communication, I would emphasize that regularly keeping in touch with friends, colleagues, managers is very important. Don't assume people will always reach out to you - strong communication is a two way street. Do you think of possible solutions before asking questions? Do you speak up if you do not understand something? Do you give and receive feedback openly and honestly?
All of those questions are ways that you can practice developing these soft skills!
Gynielle Young
Sales
3
Answers
Florence, South Carolina
Updated
Gynielle’s Answer
I would say one of the most important soft skills to master is time management. That will help in both your personal and professional life. This is a skill that I constantly work on and I learned that planning your day, week or even month is the best way to prefect this skill. I try to right down my goals for the next day before I go to bed and ensure I get at least 3 things completed.
Priscila Arruda
Customer Success Manager
7
Answers
São Paulo, Brazil
Updated
Priscila’s Answer
Hi,
(This is a group answer) We believe there are a few that are really important: Decision making, Communication skills, team work, resilience, emotional intelligence, problem solving, risk management/ mitigation, active listening.
You can learn by experience (For sure you are already learning!), whatever is during school, an extra course, workshops, workplace, you can research on good websites, podcasts to learn more about your preferred skills and for sure do not forget what your parents taught you, ask things to them they are a good resource.
Also think about when you first get into the company, you will be part of a team, so it is very important to collaborate and to know the importance of teamwork and have communication skills in order to develop good relationships in the workplace.
Besides that, resilience and emotional intelligence, to learn to deal with failures or setbacks, reflecting on what went wrong and how can you make it better next time, so it is always a learning process. And without failure there is no learning. To be persistent as sometimes things don't come easy, so you need to take a deep breath, keep your head up and move on, keep trying and don’t give up so you can achieve the things you want.
Hope this helps! Best of luck in your career!
(This is a group answer) We believe there are a few that are really important: Decision making, Communication skills, team work, resilience, emotional intelligence, problem solving, risk management/ mitigation, active listening.
You can learn by experience (For sure you are already learning!), whatever is during school, an extra course, workshops, workplace, you can research on good websites, podcasts to learn more about your preferred skills and for sure do not forget what your parents taught you, ask things to them they are a good resource.
Also think about when you first get into the company, you will be part of a team, so it is very important to collaborate and to know the importance of teamwork and have communication skills in order to develop good relationships in the workplace.
Besides that, resilience and emotional intelligence, to learn to deal with failures or setbacks, reflecting on what went wrong and how can you make it better next time, so it is always a learning process. And without failure there is no learning. To be persistent as sometimes things don't come easy, so you need to take a deep breath, keep your head up and move on, keep trying and don’t give up so you can achieve the things you want.
Hope this helps! Best of luck in your career!
Shayla Williams
Sales
1
Answer
Warner Robins, Georgia
Updated
Shayla’s Answer
Hello,
The feedback listed above is great! In addition, I would like to add Emotional Intelligence to the list. Learn to communicate and pay attention to non-verbals such as body language, tone of voice and eye contact. Be able to diversify your communication across multiple ethnicities and cultures by listening attentively and checking for understanding. As long as you communicate well with emotional intelligence, it will benefit you throughout life. Lastly, emotional intelligence coupled with communication is what sets you apart and gives a "human experience" in a world where artificial intelligence seems to takeover.
The feedback listed above is great! In addition, I would like to add Emotional Intelligence to the list. Learn to communicate and pay attention to non-verbals such as body language, tone of voice and eye contact. Be able to diversify your communication across multiple ethnicities and cultures by listening attentively and checking for understanding. As long as you communicate well with emotional intelligence, it will benefit you throughout life. Lastly, emotional intelligence coupled with communication is what sets you apart and gives a "human experience" in a world where artificial intelligence seems to takeover.
Yhtiyar Achilov
Senior Advisor
17
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Yhtiyar’s Answer
There’re many important soft skills, however, some of the main ones are communication and interpersonal skills that make you build strong relationships with colleagues, clients, friends and in general improve your overall performance.
You can learn those skills by training yourself meeting new people, complementing and getting to know people you don’t know, public speaking classes, sales courses and more.
You can learn those skills by training yourself meeting new people, complementing and getting to know people you don’t know, public speaking classes, sales courses and more.
Elisha Barnes
Director, Global Payroll
1
Answer
Apopka, Florida
Updated
Elisha’s Answer
This is a great question! Self awareness and emotional intelligence are high on my list. In today's world it is so important to know yourself and get to know others to make it no matter what industry you are in. Being open to constructive feedback goes a long way with self awareness. Knowing how others perceive you is key to growing at any stage of life. Emotional intelligence is required to be a good leader no matter what industry you are in. Growing a career comes easier with these two skills.
Vítor Ferreira
Software Developer
4
Answers
Lisbon, Portugal
Updated
Vítor’s Answer
Listening
Empathy
Building rapport
Communication
Positive mindset
Patience
Kindness
Open mind
Emotional intelligence
Team Work
You learn from experience, I would say to challenge yourself, go outside the comfort zone, and all these attributes will be gained.
Empathy
Building rapport
Communication
Positive mindset
Patience
Kindness
Open mind
Emotional intelligence
Team Work
You learn from experience, I would say to challenge yourself, go outside the comfort zone, and all these attributes will be gained.
Itai Goldstein
Product Manager
1
Answer
Redmond, Washington
Updated
Itai’s Answer
In addition to what everyone wrote above, I think that it's important to remember that gaining soft skills take time. Unlike other subjects that you can just take a course to learn and you master it with a little practice, soft skills are our personality, it's who we are, how we were grown and what experiences in life taught us.
I'm not saying that you cannot learn soft skills, you can definitely do and you need to practice them. But if you work hard in an healthy environment, let the time pass and you'll feel the improvement of your soft skills.
I'm not saying that you cannot learn soft skills, you can definitely do and you need to practice them. But if you work hard in an healthy environment, let the time pass and you'll feel the improvement of your soft skills.