National Careers Week 2015 - The Digital Guide | Page 19
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‘SOFT’ SKILLS ARE DEFINITELY
THE NEW ‘HARD’!
Career coach and Eyes Wide Opened
founder Alastair Creamer tells us why…
What impact do you have on people?
Do you radiate energy, confidence,
self-assuredness? Do people look at
you and think, “That person makes
things happen.”
If you’re not sure, read on…
Employers tell us that these are just a few
of the fundamental qualities and
subtleties that make the difference when
they sift through hundreds of applicants
for a handful of jobs.
The obvious need to make a memorable
impression and show great ‘soft’ skills
might sound like old news, but it remains
a persistent issue for recruiters looking
to work with people whose attitude and
energy is as important as the skills and
experience they bring.
Let’s define ‘soft’ skills. These are the
people skills, communication, ways of
working (e.g. time management, team
work, application and focus). It also
includes social skills and your energy.
Your impact is important to you (how do I
come across?), and to others (how do they
see me?). Here are three skills to have at
How
to
dentify
the
right
p
the ready iin interview:ath
in
life
and
work
WHO
AM
I?
WHAT
AM
I
GOOD
AT?
What
makes
me
ME?
WHAT
ARE
THE
WORLD’S
NEEDS?
WHAT’S
MY
IMPACT?
Know how to tell your story
Self awareness and awareness of others
Make a list of at least five individuals
who’ve made a significant difference to the
way you approach life or deal with difficult
situations. When you talk about these
people and their impact on you, you’re
often actually talking about yourself and
the qualities that interest you.
Do you have succinct stories that
bring alive how you’ve reacted in
challenging situations and how you’ve
learned from them? If not, start preparing
now! Some of us find talking about
themselves difficult but it is always possible
to do this modestly and interestingly.
People want to get to know you quickly, so
make it easy for them.
With your growing awareness about
yourself comes an awareness about
others. Watch how other people
greet each other. Are they listening
or looking round the room? How do
they entertain a group of people with a
story? What’s their body language?
Your unique character, your personality
and your approach to life are all just as
important as the skills you’ve acquired.
If you can engage others in the story
of ‘you’, you stand a better of chance
of staying near the top of the ‘Yes’ or
the ‘Maybe’ pile.
Know how to give and receive feedback
www.ewopened.com
Think about how you’re perceived by
friends and strangers now and how
you’d like to (or need to) be perceived
by new people in your search for a
satisfying, fulfilling career. Ask 10
people in your network – personal and
professional – to share with you how
they’d describe you in five words or
five short sentences. If the feedback is
generously given (which it will be), it’s
bound to be true to them and
therefore useful to you. Being open
to, and acting on, their
feedback is a massive
contributor to preparing
yourself for this new phase
of having to engage new
people in your ‘story’.
Good luck and be yourself!