12 soft skills to include in your CV

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Your CV should certainly reflect your professional experience, but it should also include information about your personality and non-technical skills: your transferable skills, also known as "soft skills". These soft skills may not be directly related to a specific job, but rather to the way you work with your personality, habits, and individual way of thinking.

These "soft" skills, which we discuss in more detail below, are increasingly valued by recruiters these days.

Teamwork

Regardless of the industry or field you work in, teamwork is one of the key soft skills that should be highlighted in your CV. In any job, you will regularly need to manage projects with colleagues and therefore work as part of a team, so it is essential to work effectively with others. You will also notice that during the interview you are often asked about your teamwork skills and experience.

Stress tolerance

With a heavy workload, you may need to complete tasks urgently and under pressure. Stress tolerance is a quality that recruiters sometimes require, but it depends on the industry you work in. For example, employees in the healthcare and financial sectors (banking, insurance, etc.) are more exposed to stress, but rest assured that workplace stress can appear in all sectors of activity! Fortunately, however, there are sectors where stress is not such a big issue; you might work as a librarian and enjoy the smell of books in a quiet place!

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Organizational skills

No matter what job you do, you need to be organized. Ideally, plan your day and include all the tasks you need to complete every day. This will allow you to manage your time and organize your projects so that you meet the deadlines that may be set for you. A well-organized schedule enables better efficiency!

Proactivity and taking initiative

Do you know how to show initiative? This is a question that regularly comes up during interviews. Are you a leader, or are you a follower? Some people like to lead and take things into their own hands, while others prefer to follow instructions and do not like making decisions independently. What is the right attitude to adopt? There is no right or wrong attitude, since both leaders and followers are essential to any business. Whatever your profile, you will have a valuable role on your team, so do not hesitate to identify yourself and include examples.

Adaptability

With the development of new technologies and new ways of working, you must be able to adapt quickly. Today everything changes much faster in the workplace than before. The project you are working on may take a new turn overnight, and in that case you have no choice but to adapt and respond! Adaptability is an increasingly standard skill, and it is necessary to include it in your CV.

Flexibility

Flexibility is a rare quality. If you are skilled at, and above all enjoy, handling many tasks, you may find yourself in great demand. Not everyone can manage different projects at the same time, but some employees like to have a variety of tasks and deal with different issues every day. Versatility is highly valued in most companies, as it allows managers to assign different tasks and roles to the same person in order to save resources.

Independence

Independence is an important advantage that is highly valued by recruiters and managers. If you can work on your own and independently, without needing your employer to advise and guide you on the tasks you need to perform, this saves time and therefore money for the company.

Language skills

Language skills are in high demand among recruiters nowadays, and sometimes your language skills give you an advantage over other job candidates. If you are lucky enough to speak two native languages, mention it. You can also certify your language level with language exams such as TOEFL or IELTS. These language qualifications will definitely add value to your CV! In addition, if you have lived abroad and have actively used your foreign language skills, you should note this clearly in your CV, as practical language skills can be even more valued by the recruiter.

Computer skills

Do you know how to use the Microsoft Office suite well (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)? If so, mention it in your CV! Depending on your profession, we advise you to highlight any software you know how to use. If you work in design and marketing, mention your skills in Photoshop (photo editing software), your experience with WordPress (CMS) or Mailchimp (email sending solution). If you are a salesperson, there is customer relationship management (CRM) software such as Salesforce. Usually, recruiters mention the requirement to know certain software in the job ad, but even if they do not state it clearly, try to add any IT skill to your CV that may be useful for the job.

Employers receive many applications for every vacancy. Give them more reason to prefer your application by standing out from other candidates and including these important skills in your CV.

 Improve your computer skills with computer literacy courses.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving skills mean your ability to use creative and analytical thinking to deal with problems in the workplace. People who can approach problems from different perspectives and with alternative ways of thinking are usually better at solving problems, and such employees become key people in the organization. Skills in brainstorming, analysis, reasoning, negotiation, and proactive thinking play a major role in making you known as a problem solver in the workplace.

 Course "Decision-making and problem-solving".

Work ethic

Being honest and reliable is a desirable quality in every employee profile. People who can take an ethical approach to carrying out their tasks can be more dependable and will receive key roles in their careers. Suitable examples of work ethic can include the following soft skills: integrity, responsibility, discipline, professionalism, and teamwork.

Ethics in business - do you win or lose?

Initiative and curiosity

At work you may face many challenging tasks, and an initiative-driven approach fueled by your curiosity to learn and grow will be one of the key skills that make you a successful employee. People with forward-thinking minds who prepare for possible challenges at work are usually more successful. Taking the initiative to train yourself to use software that the company may eventually need is a good example, and if you mention a similar example of how you showed initiative in your previous job, you will certainly attract the recruiter’s attention.

The skills listed here can be expanded depending on your profession, industry, and experience, and there may be additional new skills that you need to develop in the long term. So our final advice is to always ask experts which skills may be key in your field, and also to always keep up with the requirements of changing times and trends in your work that require you to develop new skills.

Learn the best keywords for your CV.

If, with our advice, you manage to make your CV so successful that you are invited to a job interview, don't you think it's time to start seriously preparing for the interview itself?

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