What are soft skills and how to develop them to grow in the career

With the advancement of technology, new work models have emerged, such as startups (small companies), remote work, and informal work, including entrepreneurship. The market is becoming increasingly competitive in every sector, and in order to secure the dream job, one needs to possess technical knowledge and appropriate qualifications.

College degrees, complementary courses, and postgraduate studies have become essential prerequisites for building a strong resume and applying for a job. These qualifications are fundamental in any field. However, to truly stand out in the job market, behavioral skills, in addition to technical skills, play a vital role. Behavioral skills are those that demonstrate a person’s emotional and social characteristics, and they can even determine an individual’s suitability for a particular job.

These behavioral skills, also known as “soft skills,” are developed by individuals throughout their lives. Soft skills encompass the behaviors and attitudes a person exhibits in their job or any other life situation, influencing their performance and evaluation of their work, alongside their technical knowledge.

As this subject generates significant interest and raises questions for those concerned about their career and job prospects, we will explain what soft skills are and how they can help, as well as how they influence professional and personal development. Are you interested in learning more? Continue reading this post!

After all, what are soft skills?

For a long time, technical skills (also called “hard skills”) were the only requirement to get a job. However, over time, soft skills gained importance and today, they are already part of the corporate vocabulary, becoming popular among organizations and transforming the market’s way of operating. This shift led to a greater value being placed on the socio-emotional skills of professionals.

Soft skills are defined as behavioral and interpersonal skills, which refer to the way a person behaves or deals with different situations. These skills are related to an individual’s personality, reflecting how they interact with others and perform their professional duties.

Where does the term “soft skills” come from? “Soft” is similar to “smooth”, but in this context, it is related to “interpersonal”—something that comes from within people, from their way of being. “Skills” is synonymous with “abilities”. Therefore, we can translate it as interpersonal, behavioral, or socio-emotional skills. Some examples of these skills include the ability to communicate effectively, empathize with others, practice resilience, and think critically, among others.

What about hard skills?

Hard skills can be classified as the primary skills required in the job market. They are professional skills related to an individual’s theoretical and practical knowledge, which are learned through years of study and put into practice in the execution of functional tasks in the work environment. They are the requirements stated in a job vacancy description and, in most cases, are mandatory and decisive.

With the necessary technical skills, an employee can perform their duties correctly without difficulties. For instance, a copywriter must have specific knowledge of their language, grammatical excellence, and familiarity with the Office package, among other requirements. On the other hand, a developer needs to have knowledge in HTML, programming, software, and other tools.

However, these professionals also require behavioral and emotional skills, also known as soft skills. These skills demonstrate how they act in various work situations in conjunction with their technical skills.

The importance of soft skills for the job market

In recent years, soft skills have gained relevance in the job market, becoming as important as hard skills. This is because soft skills have shown good results for businesses, creating a healthier and more productive work environment while also improving interpersonal relationships.

The view that only technical knowledge is needed for the production and execution of tasks has gradually changed: companies have begun to realize that they deal with people, not machines. As a result, market dynamics have changed, and demonstrating behavioral skills has become as important as mastering technical skills.

Companies have noted that their employees possess a wealth of qualities and experiences, which are reflected in their day-to-day work. These internal characteristics, aligned with the activities and culture of the companies, make teams more committed and productive, ultimately yielding better results.

Soft skills help solve problems, enhance communication, improve the leadership capacity of managers, and foster motivation among professionals. Additionally, they contribute to creating a more friendly organizational climate among employees, fostering trust and unifying the teams’ work. The potential that each person can bring to the work environment is what makes companies highly value soft skills today.

The soft skills that are on the rise

There are many soft skills that we can learn and improve, but mastering all of them is difficult. Therefore, the ideal approach is to choose those that are more relevant to your business’s area of activity and, based on each person’s personality, work on developing them. Below, we present some rising soft skills that often appear as job requirements and are highly valued in a work environment. Shall we explore them?

1. Collaboration

One of the main soft skills in any work area is collaboration. Being collaborative means showing empathy for others and being willing to help without thinking about yourself all the time. Knowing how to work in a team, discussing ideas, respecting other people’s opinions, and being open to exchanging knowledge and experiences are features that are highly regarded by recruiters during job interviews and, of course, after hiring.

2.       Flexibility

Being a flexible person, prepared for change, and able to adapt to any environment are other highly valued skills in the job market. Recruiters know that they can count on people who have these skills for new projects or the use of new technologies.

3.       Resilience

Regardless of the area of expertise, working under pressure is part of any routine. Deadlines and results are constants in the daily life of companies. Knowing how to face these challenges calmly, sensibly, and with focus is what makes a resilient person who can handle difficult situations without getting discouraged. Such individuals understand that mistakes are part of life and should serve as learning experiences.

4.       Clear communication

Last but not least, it is essential to have clear communication: expressing yourself well, with anyone and on any topic, is super valuable. Knowing how to listen and understand others in a collective work environment helps improve relationships between colleagues, customers, and managers. Additionally, it helps avoid rework due to errors caused by a lack of communication.

How to develop soft skills

To develop soft skills, it is necessary, first, to know yourself well: you need to identify your strengths and recognize your weaknesses. Ideally, you should develop soft skills while still in college; therefore, companies are increasingly preferring to hire younger people or recent graduates.

There are soft skills that are more relevant to certain areas of expertise. It is therefore essential to analyze each case. Before thinking about developing your soft skills, identify which ones will be most appropriate depending on the area of your interest. It is also important to consider that each soft skill has its particularities and ways of being developed individually. Check out some tips for developing your soft skills below:

1.       Be able to learn

To develop your soft skills, you must first identify them, and then learn how to use them. Even if you don’t have a specific course or training, soft skills can be learned; your mind must be open and ready for it. Start slowly and gradually. Practice listening and empathy, reflect on your relationships with people, and assess if there have been any changes. Very soon, you will be motivated to develop your soft skills.

2.      Take a break to reflect

With the rush of everyday life, we often don’t have time to stop and reflect. Self-reflection is important for us to observe the soft skills for which we already have some aptitude and those that need to be improved. It is also necessary to leave the comfort zone and practice them routinely.

3.       Practice hard

As we said, there is no point in knowing what soft skills you have if you do not use them in practice. For almost everything in life, perfection is only achieved with practice. With soft skills, it is no different. So whenever an opportunity to practice a certain soft skill arises, don’t think twice: practice. Even if it doesn’t work out right away, don’t give up. Keep trying and practicing until you can perfect them.

4.       Give and get feedback

Developing soft skills is a personal activity, but it can also be a collective one. In the same way that you seek to improve your behavioral skills, other people do the same. Everything is learning, and there is no competition. Helping others is a way to show empathy and share knowledge and experience.

Therefore, give feedback with tips and advice on how to improve some attitude that you may have identified in another person. And remember that you can also receive feedback. Just don’t take them personally; look at them as an opportunity to hone your soft skills.

Now that you’ve realized how important it is to develop your soft skills – both for your personal and professional development – and combine them with your hard skills, how about identifying them and starting to put them to use? If you need help, we are available! Get in touch with us right now.