6 Essential Soft Skills to Broaden Your Career Prospects

Have you ever thought about what is the secret to career success? Is it natural talent, a strong network, or years of experience? As per the research by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center, hard skills along with technical knowledge have a minimal contribution of only 15% to career success, whereas well-developed soft skills and interpersonal skills are responsible for 85% of career success.?

What are the six essential soft skills that can boost your career? Let’s find out what the Nerdify experts have to say.

Soft Skills — Building Blocks For Your Career Success

As technology has excelled, industry giants look beyond only employees who can crack the codes and complete files in hours. You may secure the job with your ability to crack codes and quick work delivery, but in the long run, companies look for employees who can “work well with others”. This is where soft skills come into the picture.?

Soft skills refer to the non-technical capabilities that define how you work and interact with others. Below Nerdify experts outline six essential soft skills that can stand you out among your team.

1. Effective Communication Skills?

Effective communication is the basic and foremost skill you need at your workplace. As Rudyard Kipling said, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” With this drug, you can not only be a good colleague to others, but you can also cross the steps to be at the top.?

Effective communication is a combination of active listening and clear communication of ideas. You should know how to communicate the ideas in your head and ensure that they are also clear to the second person. Moreover, in group meetings, presentations, and one-on-one discussions, you must be an active listener, not the one yawning with eyes glued to the clock.?

2. Team Player Attitude

From your preschool era to the corporate world, the one thing that’s constant is the “team player attitude”. Whether it’s about brainstorming ideas for your next marketing campaign or teaming up on a big project, you must collaborate with your team members in professional settings.

This is why you need to be a team player so that you can contribute well to the projects without arguments and the workplace environment remains healthy, which is a crucial element for a company’s success.?

3. Emotional Intelligence

The term emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand, recognize, and manage our own emotions while understanding their influence on others. Whether you are in a personal setting or professional, this is a key skill for improved collaborations and effective communication.?

With this soft skill, you can understand other people’s personas better, which leads to reduced misunderstandings and builds strong workplace relationships. Furthermore, if you are in a leading position, you can better understand the individual’s strengths and weaknesses and manage conflict within the team.

4. Adaptability

In today's modern workplace, encountering new technologies, trends, and skills is the norm. Resistance to these changes can be detrimental, making adaptability a crucial trait for success. Whether it’s adjusting to a new workspace or participating in rigorous training programs, a can-do attitude is highly valued by employers.

Flexible individuals are often excellent problem-solvers, capable of steering a company through unexpected challenges. In times of uncertainty, they think outside the box and present alternative solutions. This positive outlook on change is a cornerstone for building a successful career.

5. Feedback Acceptance

Willingness to accept constructive feedback is an essential soft skill that can promise success in your career. Especially if you are new to your job, you must be open to listening to feedback and then making improvements.?

Constructive feedback helps you avoid future mistakes and maximize your skills. Taking feedback personally or becoming defensive can hinder your understanding and lead to stagnation in your career.

6. Time Management

Time management is essential for delivering maximum productivity in the workplace. Research shows that an average worker spends 51% of their time on a workday on no to low-value tasks. This is because they lack time management skills.

So, hone in effective planning, prioritizing, and organizing the tasks to allocate your time effectively to achieve the targets. This is not only in the favor of the company, but it will benefit you as well, and effective time management leads to reduced stress.??

Students who start working and building their careers while still in college is not a rare thing today. If you are one of them and need a little extra support from time to time, see how Nerdify can help. Check out Nerdify reviews to discover how others have already benefited from our platform and see if we’re the right fit for you.

In Conclusion

Ultimately, the secret to your success lies more in soft skills than in hard skills and technical proficiency. Being a good communicator with emotional intelligence is essential for understanding your colleagues. Additionally, a willingness to accept feedback, being a team player, managing your time effectively, and remaining flexible are all crucial for excelling in your career.