CareerPlug

Whether a recruiter or a job-seeker, it may be helpful to be reminded every now and then that soft skills are an important component to a well-rounded candidate. A recent article in SI Review reported that strong work ethic is the most sought-after soft skill, according to the respondents of an Express Employment Professionals survey.

Here’s a recap of the soft skills cited in the survey and how respondents ranked them by importance:

• Strong work ethic – 23%
• Positive attitude – 17%
• Communication – 11%
• Being a team-player -10%
• Flexibility – 9%
• Being a problem solver -7%
• Being self-directed – 5%
• Working well under pressure – 5%
• Being a quick learner – 4%
• Organizational skills – 3%
• Creativity – 1%

Soft skills are also known as transferable skills and employers are always looking out for valuable examples of those that transfer most directly to their open position. A resume should pinpoint a few (1-3) specific soft skills and how they have been applied in a current position. Substantiating them with strong examples will add more credibility and engage a hiring manager. A resume with a laundry list of soft-skills can have the opposite effect. Hiring managers will learn more about your soft skills during the interview, so on a resume be sure to highlight only those most relevant to the open position, don’t build a generic list. For more examples of how you can infuse valuable soft skills in to your resume, check out these tips from Executive Resume Writer, Laura Smith-Proulx.