The myth that people with "soft skills" aren't useful ends here and now.
There’s a myth going around the workforce that has us convinced that if you’re not essentially the greatest, most tech-savvy computer dude (or dudette) on the planet, then sorry kid, but you’re just not going to be successful or rich. Okay, so it’s not really that dramatic, but the basic premise is this: it’s the idea that what we know as “hard skills” (anything that can be taught and measured; there are many, but lately the most popular is computer skills) are inherently more valuable than what we know as “soft skills” (things that cannot necessarily be taught or measured as easily but do make you a good employee, such as communication skills, time management, etc.).
Because hard skills can be measured, we are more likely to place value on them. In an age where employees are afraid of being put out of work by a robot that can perform those hard skills, it’s necessary for me to point out that, to make a long story short, that’s not going to happen.
No, really. Chances are high you’re not going to lose your job because a robotic device was designed to perform a hard skill. Oftentimes, losing your job to someone more qualified is less of a matter of hard skills and more of a matter of soft skills. How well do you work with others? How effectively do you communicate? How is your time management?
Granted, the best way to ensure that you’re going to be successful in your job field is to have a healthy balance of hard and soft skills that are relevant to your career path. Planning on making it big in the IT industry? Then of course it’s still necessary and good to be well-versed in computers. But it’s also important to know how to talk to customers, coworkers, and supervisors. It’s also important to be flexible, to be smart with your time, and to show leadership. Hard skills will often be required no matter where you go, but chances are you don’t need to be a computer whiz to find workplace success.
The fact of the matter is that however this “soft skills aren’t as valuable as hard skills” myth got out of hand, it ends now. You need both to be a good worker in any job, period, let alone to move up the ladder to higher pay and more responsibility. While both hard and soft skills are valuable, soft skills are truly how you will sell yourself to the interviewer. You can put all your hard skills on your resume, and if necessary, you’ll be tested to prove you have those skills. Soft skills, however, are going to be what you talk about in your interview.
Your prospective employer won’t always ask whether you’re proficient in a foreign language or Microsoft Office, but it is pretty much guaranteed that they’ll ask you about a time you handled an irate customer/client or how you handle certain workplace dynamics, such as conflicts with co-workers or supervisors. The way that you interact with others and actively work to improve those “soft skills” will go a long way in determining whether you’re qualified for the job.
So, at the end of the day, you do still need hard skills. Many positions will often require you to have specific experience with certain programs, machines, or degrees of study. However, as important as these things are, they are certainly not the only things that determine your chances of getting a job, nor are they inherently more valuable just because they can be measured more easily. So the next time you get an opportunity in work or life to improve your soft skills, take it, because it just might help you ace that next interview.