Every employer looks for certain soft skills that they expect potential and current employees to uphold.

Whether you are freshly out of school or you've been in the professional industry for several years, these are skills that will be important to carry with you in both your career and personal life.

No matter what position you're applying for, these are the top soft skills you want to highlight on your resume.

Communication:

Communication skills are important to have in any capacity. It is how we give and receive information in addition to how we convey our ideas and opinions with others. Communication is also knowing your audience and understanding how they receive information. Employers are always looking to hire someone who can communicate effectively and professionally. This will both enhance their business and interactions with customers. Communication skills are often ranked as one of the top criteria for potential employees. There are several forms to consider:

• Verbal (sounds, language, and tone)
• Non-verbal (facial expressions, body language, posture and distance)
• Aural (listening and hearing)
• Written (journals, emails, blogs, and text messages)
• Visual (signs, symbols, and pictures)

Active Listening:

Active listening starts with making a conscious effort to hear and completely understand the message being sent. This is achieved through careful attention and focus on the speaker.  Listening is considered one of the most important skills you can possess. How well you craft this skill will often impact on your career and quality of your relationships with others. Becoming an active listener is not an easy task, but your employer will applaud you for it.  It takes a lot of mental preparation and determination to be an active listener.  Below are a few actions to practice:

• Eye contact with speaker
• Occasionally nod
• Eliminate distracting thoughts
• Summarize periodically
• Do not interrupt the speaker to ask questions

Customer Service:

Exceptional customer service has often been thought of as the initial standard most businesses have adopted to guide the strategy, policy, procedure, measurement and company’s culture. Good customer service is treating all customers with a friendly attitude, being attentive to their needs and going above and beyond to provide satisfaction. This must include a thorough knowledge of your business to guide customers to making the best decision. To be efficient, knowledgeable and thorough while assisting customers in a timely manner is great customer service. Below are some additional attributes:

• Willingness to help customers
• Common courtesy
• Patience
• Adaptability

Problem Solving:

Problem solving can be defined as working through all the particulars of a problem to reach an effective solution. This is accomplished by identifying the problem, coming up with alternatives, evaluating, and selecting the most appropriate solution. This is comprised with strategic and systematic operations that can gauge an individual's critical thinking skills. To actively engage in problem solving, first identify specific problems that need to be solved then weed out the noticeably wrong solutions. Helpful tips below:

• Identify the problem and why
• Find a solution
• Implement solution
• Set a time to reflect/review the new results

Conflict Management:

Conflict is inevitable in all aspects of life. However, if employees are equipped with the right set of skills, they can address conflict in ways that create positive outcomes. You should take the time to review and identify the conflict before moving forward. Once you have a grip on the situation, you can discuss and select the best plan to manage the conflict. This is a process that requires critical thinking, and with practice you will be able to excel in conflict management. Here are a few tips to master this skill.

• Understand your role in managing/resolving conflict (How do you play a part in this)
• Be aware of the potential sources of conflict in the workplace
• Know ways to react to conflict that are positive and helpful overall
• Learn to resolve in collaborative ways

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