The importance of both hard skills and soft skills cannot be understated when it comes to finding the right job and excelling in it. Understanding the difference between the two and how to effectively showcase them can greatly improve your chances of landing a job.
In this guide, we will explore the various elements of hard skills and soft skills, including how to identify them, and how to develop them. Additionally, we will delve into the importance of both hard skills and soft skills and how possessing a combination of them can set you apart as a candidate. Remember, even as you read this, you are already demonstrating a crucial soft skill: the desire to learn.
What Is The Difference Between Hard Skills And Soft Skills?
The main distinction between hard skills and soft skills is the way they are acquired and applied in the workplace. Hard skills are usually learned through education or hands-on experience, while soft skills are innate traits that develop over time. Hard skills, like typing, are specific technical abilities that are required for certain jobs. Soft skills, like time management or relationship-building, are more general interpersonal skills that are needed in many different roles. Both hard and soft skills are important for success in any job, but hard skills are easier to quantify.
What Are Hard Skills?
Hard skills, also known as technical skills, are abilities that are acquired through education or hands-on experience. These skills are tangible and can be measured, and they are often specific to a certain job or profession. You can demonstrate your proficiency in hard skills by showing certifications, portfolios, or skill assessment tests.
For some careers, such as doctors and lawyers, advanced degrees and rigorous testing are necessary to prove hard skills. For others, like web developers or copywriters, hard skills can be learned on the job or independently and can be demonstrated through a portfolio of work.
When creating your cover letter and resume, it’s essential to highlight your hard skills. This allows a hiring manager to see the specific skills you have acquired through past work experiences or education.
For example, if you have experience with video-editing, graphic design, and social media analytics through running a hobby YouTube channel, this may be relevant for a job in the creative field. However, it would not be relevant for a job in engineering.
While some hard skills may be essential for certain jobs, others may be negotiable. It’s important to apply for positions that align with your overall passion and expertise, even if you lack a few hard skills.
Examples Of Hard Skills
- Programming languages
- Website development
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Content development
- Copywriting
- Copyediting
- SEO marketing
- Statistical analysis
- User interface (UI) design
- UX Design
What are Soft skills?
Soft skills, also known as people skills, are traits and abilities that are developed over time and reflect your motivation and personality. These interpersonal skills, while difficult to measure, are highly valued in the workplace.
Using the example of a hobby YouTube channel, relevant soft skills could include creativity, communication, and collaboration. In your cover letter, you can highlight these skills by describing a specific instance where you collaborated with other niches YouTubers to create comprehensive videos on a software update, showing your ability to listen, collaborate and communicate effectively.
Examples Of Soft Skills
- Creativity
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Willingness to learn
- Leadership
What Skills Are Employers Looking For?
Employers are in search of a balance between hard and soft skills when evaluating potential candidates. The specific skills required vary depending on the position and field. In certain roles, strong interpersonal skills can compensate for a deficiency in a specific hard skill that is recommended.
In summary, soft skills are personal attributes that are essential in the workplace such as leadership, communication, and adaptability, while hard skills are technical abilities that are gained through experience, training, or education such as computer programming, accounting, and copywriting. When applying for jobs, it’s important to read through the job description and include both your hard and soft skills in your application. If you’re looking for a place to start learning a specific skill that fits your ambition, consider looking at LearnTube’s courses.
