Here's how you can impress employers with your soft skills.

The value of soft skills in today's workforce cannot be underestimated. They are essential for creating a positive work environment, fostering effective communication, and driving overall business success. By honing your interpersonal skills, you will not only improve your employability, but you will also differentiate yourself from other candidates. Remember, employers are increasingly looking for candidates with a well-rounded skill set that includes strong soft skills. So, whether it's through active listening, adaptability, or emotional intelligence, demonstrating your competence in these areas can help you stand out and impress potential employers.

Showcase your communication abilities by clearly and confidently articulating your ideas in interviews and meetings. Demonstrate active listening by engaging with others’ input and providing thoughtful responses. Highlight your problem-solving skills through examples of past challenges you've overcome.

Absolutely, storytelling is a powerful tool in interviews. For instance, instead of saying "I'm a good communicator," you could share a story about a time when your effective communication helped resolve a conflict within your team. You might say, "In my previous role, we had a major disagreement within the team about our project's direction. I facilitated a meeting where everyone could voice their concerns. We were able to find common ground and complete the project successfully." This approach not only demonstrates your communication skills but also shows your ability to navigate challenging situations. It gives the employer a clear picture of how you apply your skills in real-world scenarios.

Keep a "brag book" type of document, it's important to have something that captures examples of key skill sets that you have that might be hard to "show" that you are skilled in like managing people, teams, and organizations. Based on your years of experience, if you are a very senior leader, you will have examples of how your managerial experience has progressed from manager to senior manager to executive and how the scope of responsibilities you managed grew. Over the years on my Linked In page, I am honored to have recommendations from former colleagues and employees who took the time to share a recommendation on my management/leadership style and what it meant to them / how it was helpful for them.

By narrating real-life scenarios, you offer employers insight into how you navigate situations within their organizational context. This storytelling approach is far more impactful than simply listing skills on a resume—it showcases your abilities in practical, relatable contexts, leaving a lasting impression on interviewers.

Compose accomplishment statements instead of listing previous duties/responsibilities. Start with verbs/action words. Find them in job postings you find intriguing. If the postings are seeking someone with experience developing, planning, administering and managing, craft an accomplishment statement or four explaining what and how you've developed, planned, administered and managed specific processes/budgets/programs/grants/etc. Include details that answer the who, what, why, how, when, where questions. Who did you develop it for or with? What exactly did it include? Why was it developed? How was it done? How long did it take? And so on... An accomplishment statement is a preview of a story you'll tell at the interview!

A one-size-fits-all resume is no longer sufficient in the modern job search process. Employers are inundated with applications, and a generic resume may fail to capture their attention. By tailoring your resume to the specific job you're applying for, you demonstrate your attention to detail, adaptability, and genuine interest in the role. When customizing your resume, focus on highlighting the soft skills that are most relevant to the position you're pursuing. For example, if the job requires strong communication and teamwork abilities, emphasize your experience in collaborative projects or presentations. If the role demands problem-solving skills, highlight instances where you overcame challenges or implemented innovative solutions.

I believe it's important to tailor your resume for each role and to highlight the skills that directly speak to your qualifications. I know a lot of people are leveraging AI tools to create tailored resumes these days. There are 2 schools of thought on that: everyone is doing the same thing using the same tools. I think AI tools may work better for those with fewer years of experience. It's hard if you have 15+ years to get the AI tools to sift through all that you have accomplished to craft a succinct resume. I am college adjunct professor and have tested most of the AI resume tools and find them to be very good for students who are just starting out and need help to craft a one-page resume.

I feel customizing resume doesn't have to be just mirroring the key words from JD. The objective should be to highlight any relevant or transferrable skills basically to show the hiring manager that you can get the job done for them because you have done the same/similar job in a certain way in your previous companies.

When preparing for a key interview, I scheduled mock interviews with friends and mentors, focusing on soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. These practice sessions provided constructive feedback and helped me refine my responses.

This is an area where AI tools could come in handy. These tools allow you to feed in your resume and the job description and will craft relevant interview questions and "grade" your responses and give you helpful tips on how you could improve your response. I also used to ask my mentors or fellow peers to help me with interviews especially if they have people management / hiring experience. I believe the key is to be prepared for your interview...know the company background...know something about the person(s) with whom you are interviewing. Be engaging...talk about your skills...ask insightful questions...show interest that you want the job.

Indeed, body language is a silent yet powerful communicator. For example, during an interview, instead of merely stating "I'm confident and approachable," you could demonstrate these traits through your non-verbal cues. You might maintain steady eye contact, offer a firm handshake, and use open body language. This not only conveys your confidence and approachability but also showcases your emotional intelligence and ability to connect with others. Being mindful of your gestures and posture can significantly enhance your personal presentation and leave a lasting impression on potential employers. Remember, actions often speak louder than words.

In today's digital age understanding the nuances of body language in video calls is equally important. Paying attention to camera angles, posture, and facial expressions can help candidates make a positive impression. Its a powerful tool to overcome anxiousness by techniques like conscious breathing or power posing which helps exude confidence

This is a hard one as in most instances, you are interviewing via Zoom so it's hard to judge body language. For the person interviewing, it's important to be dressed comfortably and be well-prepared for your interview. Doing those 2 things will help you appear more confident in the interview. Remember to be present, try not to ramble and give direct responses to questions, and do not do things like cross your arms.

It's important to follow-up with a Thank You note after each interview. Craft a Thank You note template that you can customize based on the role that you interviewed for, what you discussed, and any action items that you or the interviewer took away from the interview.

Absolutely, following up with a personalized thank-you note or email after an interview or networking event is a powerful way to stand out. This simple act not only expresses your gratitude for the opportunity but also showcases your communication skills and professionalism. By referencing specific points from your conversation, you demonstrate your attentiveness and engagement during the interaction. This attention to detail and courtesy are valuable soft skills that employers appreciate. So, remember, a thoughtful thank-you note can leave a lasting impression and potentially tip the scales in your favor.

Of course ! In an interview of networking event, a person usually meet several candidates potentially discussing about the same matter. Following up by mentioning what you particularly discussed emphasizes one's commitment to build a relationship. One can also engage in posts and comments through LinkedIn after the first meet. This I feel is the right way to strike a balance between professionalism and enthusiasm.

Soft skills are all about walking your talk. If you have self-identified gaps or places you'd like to improve, seek out new learning. Ask for feedback about what other people think of your soft skills, and listen openly; this will identify ways you can keep growing in the directions that are important to you.

Well as they say, technical skills can get you a job but soft skills are gonna help you keep it and move up the ladder. Investing on these can make one stand out as adaptable, empathetic & resilient

The more you relax, the more your natural soft skills will shine. When candidates are over polished and over practiced, it is difficult to see their natural soft skills. An interview or network meeting is never about impressing them, it is about natural fit and connection.