Importance of Soft Skills In a CV
As more remote work becomes increasingly common, a desired CV should preferably have some essential soft skills necessary for WFH. According to a recent study by Upwork, 22% of the American workforce is expected to work remotely by 2025.1 This shift has made mastering certain soft skills crucial for remote success, hence our blog on CV soft skills.
Did you know that 92% of employers think soft skills are as crucial as technical skills according to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2019 report? 2 These subtle yet powerful abilities can open doors to your dream job. This blog will explore the key attributes that will help you thrive in any remote work environment.
Communication: The Cornerstone of Remote Collaboration
Clear, concise, and effective communication is the hallmark of remote work professionalism. This is best achieved when keeping communication to the point, frequent, and by using tools effectively:
- Emails: These should be to the point and with relevant references to address all potential agenda points. Also, the person to whom the response is required should be clear.
- Group Messages: Using collaborative platforms for integrated teamwork such as Slack can greatly enhance teamwork and minimize timelines.
- Calls: For personal, secure, and time-sensitive communication, a direct call can often be the best solution.
- Video Conferences: For collaboration across projects and for managerial efficiency, it is often best to schedule a video conference with all stakeholders in attendance. Such measures ensure all participants can be brought up to speed with developments across different subjects.
- Instant Messaging: Texts from IM services like WhatsApp and iMessage can be used to contact collaborators directly to save time and effort.
Time Management: Balancing Flexibility and Productivity
The art of time management is crucial for any work, let alone remote work. However, the importance is further increased when working from your home outside a designated office environment. When working from home, distractions from friends, family, and chores can be expected which means time management is more important than working on location.
Game-Changing Soft Skills
- Effective communication: The ability to communicate with clarity of thought by focusing on only what needs to be expressed.
- Problem-solving: The ability to look at problems from various angles to solve them with the least resources possible.
- Critical thinking and Decision Making: Thinking rationally and objectively to make a decision.
- Teamwork and collaboration: The ability to cooperate with other subordinates and effectively work in teams.
- Emotional intelligence and empathy: The ability to understand human emotions while working professionally and make decisions that bring out the best outcomes for all.
Virtual Collaboration: Leveraging Technology for Remote Success
When working in teams in a remote environment, employees should have requisite skills at utilizing technologies and tools that can help minimize the effect of being remote, all the while working collaboratively. Soft skills in such an environment would include creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. By using the right remote tools for virtual collaboration like remote access software, virtual boards, etc., users can harness these skills more effectively. Some examples include Jira, Clickup, Asana, Slack, etc.
Read our blog here on effective digital tools for remote work.
Soft Skills in CVs: The Game Changers
Getting your dream job isn’t just about technical skills. In fact, soft skills can make a lot of difference. Employers want well-rounded candidates. So they look for skills like effective communication, adaptability, and problem-solving.
By showing your top soft skills for your resume, you prove that you can do the job well and help the company succeed. Employers want people who can adapt, work well with others, and solve problems. By showing your list of soft skills, you show you’re ready for any job.
Why Improving Soft Skills Are Important
Soft skills are vital in the workplace. They help professionals handle complex tasks, work well with teams, and adjust to new demands. Employers look for candidates with strong soft and technical skills with the job market getting tougher.
Improving your soft skills can give you an edge in your career. Skills like leadership, creativity, and time management can make you stand out. By focusing on these skills, you become a valuable asset to any company and boost your job prospects.
Head over to our Home Office section to read more about the essentials required for a home office.
To understand why the future of remote work is secure, read our blog in the Remote Work section.
References
- “Upwork Study Finds 22% of American Workforce Will Be Remote by 2025 | Upwork,” n.d. https://www.upwork.com/press/releases/upwork-study-finds-22-of-american-workforce-will-be-remote-by-2025. ↩︎
- “LinkedIn Report: These 4 Ideas Are Shaping the Future of HR and Hiring,” n.d. https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/global-recruiting-trends. Trends: Soft Skills, Transparency and Trust | LinkedIn,” January 30, 2019.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-2019-talent-trends-soft-skills-transparency-trust-bersin/. ↩︎
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