Soft and Hard Skills
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Definition - Soft skills, sometimes known as "people skills," are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable.
Soft skills are sometimes broken down into personal attributes, such as:
- optimism
- common sense
- responsibility
- a sense humor
- integrity
- time-management
- motivation
and interpersonal abilities, such as:
- empathy
- leadership
- communication
- good manners
- sociability
- the ability to teach
It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job.
Definition - Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that may be required in a given context, such as a job or university application.
Examples of hard skills include:
- facility with spreadsheets
- typing
- mathematical ability
- proficiency with software applications
- operating machinery
- software development
- speaking a foreign language
- calculus
Other attributes, such as the ability to empathize with others or to remain calm under pressure, are sometimes known as soft skills.