While industries are seeing automation continue to take over repetitive, physical, and technological tasks, there is an increasing need for workers with transferable skills.
In a Monster.com study, it was found that 63% of employers said they would hire candidates with transferable skills and then train them on the job for more technical aspects of their role. It is likely that this number will only increase over time as more workers leave their jobs and the talent pool continues to get tighter.
Waiting for months for the right candidate to come along simply is not tenable in this job market. Companies have found that hiring malleable candidates with strong soft skills is a better option than waiting too long for a candidate with more experience. Training new hires on the job allows companies to get projects moving faster with more hands on-deck.
What can you do to show that your soft skills are strong enough to help you land the job? During your interview, be sure to highlight problem solving skills. Even if the experience may not directly pertain to the job you are interviewing for, showing that you put the effort in to resolve a major issue shows that you are dedicated and invested in your work.
Another soft skill to highlight would be a situation in which you were able to quickly adapt. Discussing how you were able to overcome an unexpected hurdle shows that you can make sound decisions under pressure when projects aren’t going the way they were expected to. There are plenty of soft skills that you may possess, but it’s how you present them in an interview that matters most.
Listing off your soft skills likely won’t help you in an interview. Instead, effective candidates will answer interviewers’ questions strategically, laying the ground for what issue needed resolving, how you went about it, and what resulted from your involvement in the project. Your soft skills should come through when answering these questions.
As companies are recognizing there are more jobs available than people looking for them, workers with strong soft skills and a willingness to learn at every turn could greatly benefit from the job market we are currently in.