On-Trend: Soft Skills

What's skills are HOT in hiring now? SOFT SKILLS! That's not to say that hard, technical skills aren't as important ... they are. (Especially in a competitive market, you need to be qualified or others will simply beat you for the job).

But for interviews, soft skills are it right now. (Think about it: We're in a pandemic. Our lives & business landscapes are shifting daily, we've had current events that have challenged our thinking and our attitudes, the way we approach things, etc.). And employers have masses of candidates available who have the skills they want. So, they're really assessing the traits & characteristics of new hires.

So when you APPLY, tee-up your technical skills. When you INTERVIEW, be prepared for much of it to focus on your soft skills. "Tell me about a time when you had to adapt quickly; compromise; be flexible; move with a decision with which you didn't agree; problem-solve a situation; lead amidst ambiguity; motivate; etc."

So when you pursue jobs, two strategies:

(1) Stay in the pocket with your skills, your level, etc. Market your hard skills strategically.

(2) For interviews, flip your switch and put 80% of your prep towards soft skills & EQ: decision-making, agility, strategy, etc. One-two punch!

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