Improve Your Soft Skills for Career Success, Not Just the Obvious
When you think about improving your career, you are probably focusing on complex skills like Excel or design. But soft skills like communication , adaptability, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness are just as likely to make you notice – if not more.
Soft skills may seem like something you either have or don’t have, but you can actually practice them. Pick one or two skills you want to focus on and try to practice as much as possible.
For example, if you want to boost your self-confidence at work, you can write down your reflections every week. Think back to your projects and meetings from the week before and think about what could be better or how you deal with difficult situations. You can use this introspection to identify patterns in your work style that are holding you back. The amount of research and effort you need to put in will depend on what you already know, which skill you will choose and how much energy you can afford to put in. Even if you find that you cannot devote much time or energy to practicing these skills, every effort you make is a step towards improvement.
These skills are key when managers are deciding who to hire or promote. By developing your soft skills, you strengthen yourself as a candidate, regardless of your level of work experience . You will have to make a conscious effort to improve your skills, and as a result, you may find that your next interview will go much smoother. Check out the full Muse article for a complete list of skills you might want to work on.
The Underrated Skills That Will Make You a Better Employee (and Human) | Muse