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The Top Five Skills Employers Look For

When you think about skills employers look for, what comes to mind? Most people think of skills related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). But there’s another set of skills that is just as important and can make you the best job candidate for the job: soft skills.

A Soft Skills List that Can Come in Handy in Your Job Search

  1. Problem-Solving Ability
    Staying competitive in the fast-paced world of business means taking on challenges and thinking critically. Companies are in search of employees who have the ability to identify a problem, bring attention to it and collaborate with others to address or solve it.
  2. Interpersonal Skills
    Speaking of collaboration, this is one of the top skills employees look for. Having strong interpersonal skills, such as being open-minded, conscientiousness and agreeable can create a strong team, and ultimately a strong company.
  3. Communication Skills
    The best job candidate can communicate the value they bring to the table, and if you can do that, there’s a good chance you will communicate well as an employee. Everyday work tasks require effective communication skills, like writing emails, providing status updates, contributing to brainstorming sessions and more.
  4. Management Potential
    Whether it’s communicating information to colleagues, planning budgetary needs or crafting marketing campaigns, most job positions will involve some element of management and supervisory skill. Senior leadership depends on strong managers to help business run smoothly.
  5. Detail Orientation
    Employers expect tasks to be planned well, executed on time and performed within allotted resources. Being detail-oriented and capable of project management helps effectively execute projects, which helps the overall company mission.

Take All the Career Guidance You Can Get

This soft skills list is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to career guidance. No two employers are looking for the same qualities for their ideal employee. If you can identify your strengths and be willing to build your skillset, you’ll come across as the best job candidate and increase your chance of getting the job.