Hard and Soft Skills

Have you ever heard come across the terms Hard and Soft skills?

These are 2 different types of skills that we acquire in order to perform and excel in a job, no matter the industry you're in.

Most of us would be familiar with Hard skills as we've been through them since young. In school, we're taught mostly Hard skills. Math, Science, History, Geography - these are all knowledge that can be quantified through the tests and assessments that you have to take. Typically, you'll learn hard skills in the classroom, through books or other training materials, or on the job. Your university degree or vocational training are all Hard skills that have enabled you to land the job you're now in.

However, as I'm sure many of you are aware...is that these days, having solid Hard skills doesn't necessarily guarantee you your dream job. Having a degree or two, or having a 4.0 GPA does not mean you'll score the job you've applied for.

And why is this so?

For starters, we're a progressive society. Things are ever changing, and as a result, the way in which we think of solutions to new problems and discoveries have to change constantly. This requires a lot of creative thinking, and flexibility that Hard skills do not always cover. The work culture in many younger companies and start ups these days also focus a lot more on strengths outside of the Hard skills that their employees have. As a result, you may realise that you can no longer succeed on Hard skills alone.

And that's where Soft skills come in!

Soft skills are subjective skills that are much harder to quantify. They're also known as people or interpersonal skills. They relate to the way you interact with other people. Some examples of soft skills include - Communication, Motivation, Problem Solving abilities, Creative Thinking, Time Management and Leadership. It may seem like skills that you naturally learn or know, yet these are skills that are sometimes overlooked. And that is why some people are more successful than others. It's because they're able to leverage on Soft skills to push progress towards their goals or in their jobs. They're able to hone in on their Soft skills to stand out from their peers and co workers.