Highlighting Soft Skills During the Interview
Posted August 12, 2013 & filed under Uncategorized
Soft skills play an important role in a company’s hiring decision, and highlighting them during an interview can go a long way towards making you a more attractive candidate for the job. People are more than just machines with a list of specs, and hiring managers like to see how well you interact with others and respond to certain situations. As a worker, you are much more than your years of experience, certifications, and other hard skills.
As it is in the sports world, the game isn’t played on paper. You can beat out the competition by actively demonstrating your soft skills during the interview. If companies wanted to hire employees solely on their credentials then they would simply do so based on your resume, and the interview process would become null and void. So sell those soft skills and convince the interviewer that you really are the best person for the job.
More show, less tell
Are you a positive and independent individual who also works well as part of a team? That’s great, but don’t expect the interviewer to take your word for it. Be prepared to cite examples of your soft skills during the interview. Simply stating that you possess certain skills makes it sound like you are just telling the interviewer what he or he wants to hear. Back up your words with solid examples. Talk about a time when you helped a team stay positive despite adverse conditions.
You can’t have it all
Name dropping every soft skill you can think of during the interview can become exhausting after a while. It is best to pick a handful of your best skills – or better yet, the skills that you have the strongest examples for – to highlight. Avoid droning on about how you are a positive, flexible, and creative problem solver who works well in teams and some day will be fit for a leadership position because you can cope with stress and communicate ideas well. It’s exhausting and will water down your actual strong points.
Having trouble identifying your strongest soft skills? See if any of the following describes you well:
A Positive Outlook
Time Management
Listening & Understanding
Flexibility
Strong Communication Skills
Confidence
Working well Under Pressure
Creativity & Problem-Solving
Teamwork
Giving & Receiving Criticism
Learning from Your Mistakes
Adaptability
A Hard Work Ethic
Coping with Stress
Leadership Abilities
By Kevin Withers
