Outside of job applications, soft skills can also help you do your job better (think: time management, stress management, conflict resolution, teamwork). Your soft skills, however, will give you more of an edge. That's why focusing all your energy (and resume real estate) on your hard skills will make it more difficult to stand out from other job applicants. If you're a medical coder, then you probably have similar, if not the same, technical skills as other medical coders. If you're an accountant, chances are other accountants are proficient with the accounting software programs you are. Why are soft skills important?Ī lot of professionals in your industry likely share the same - or similar - hard skills. Now that you have a strong grasp of what soft skills are, let's talk about why they're important. Here are a few common examples of soft skills: Soft skills can be personality traits, but you'll want to think about them in terms of what you bring to the workplace. Soft skills are the opposite - your more innate, natural abilities that can span across all professions and industries and are harder to quantify. Examples of hard skills include machine operation, computer programming, typing, and accounting. They're more technical and can be measured. Hard skills are the applied skills you've learned. When it comes to understanding soft skills, it's easier to think about them in terms of their counterpart: hard skills. You might often hear the term emotional intelligence thrown around when discussing soft skills. Soft skills are your character and personality traits they're the interpersonal skills you use each day. Before you become too overwhelmed, here's everything you need to know about your soft skills and how they can help you land your next job. You definitely want to showcase your soft skills on your resume, and you'll likely be asked about your soft skills in a job interview as well.īut do you really know what soft skills are and why they are important? Do you know how to best showcase skills on your resume and which ones employers find most valuable?ĭon't worry. It may not be a "need to have" for a candidate to get a great job, but certainly a "nice to have" that can help boost a candidates profile.You've heard the term “soft skills,” but do you really know what they are, or which ones employers find most valuable?Ĭhances are you've heard of “soft skills,” especially when it comes to resume writing and applying for jobs. In a similar way, familiarity with practice management, billing, or administrative software can be an advantage. Though it can be difficult to predict what methods a legal employer will use for this part of the job, the skills are easily transferrable. I would encourage any law student to take advantage of the various opportunities in law school to learn as much as they can about using legal research platforms, including certifications offered by Lexis and Westlaw. using video conferencing or knowing how to file documents electronically, to stand out. The past year has created some opportunity for those that are skilled in a virtual setting, i.e. Overall, the expectations are set fairly low in this category for legal practitioners as a result, but there is a certain amount of basic skill that is assumed in using software for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. In a typical law office or other legal setting, technical skills aren't the biggest priority as much of the work in the legal world was still highly analog prior to 2020. Assistant Director of Career Services and Pro Bono Coordinator, New England Law | Boston
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