Showing off your soft skills

Posted on June 15, 2020 - By Dr. Di

Once you’ve developed your soft skills, how can you show prospective employers what

you’ve got? Here are some ideas:

Do some homework and find out about the company, thinking of questions that you

might want to ask about their mission and the work they do. Starting with your very first

contact, be pleasant and cooperative. When you arrive for your interview, practice good

listening skills, establish eye contact with everyone you meet, be friendly, and, for sure,

turn off your cell phone; you don’t need any distractions. Relax to help others be

relaxed. Show confidence in the job skills that you have and an interest in how you can

fit in.

To show that you’re a creative problem solver, be ready to give a specific example from

your past work when you were able to define a problem clearly—say, a problem with an

unpleasant customer or an uncooperative coworker–create possible solutions, and

settle on the best, most effective way to proceed.

Also come to the interview prepared to talk about group work or team experiences

you’ve had. Be ready to show how you were a fully-functioning team member, pulling

your weight, keeping the team on track, meeting deadlines, and especially managing

conflict. This is what employers want and are having trouble finding.