| There are two different sets of skills that | | | | technical aptitude to learn an in-house system. |
| candidates must possess if they want to be | | | | Just about every white-collar office position |
| among the ones that employers consider for job | | | | requires a degree of computer hardware and |
| openings. The category often referred to as "hard | | | | software familiarity, too, particularly with word |
| skills" includes the college degree, other educational | | | | processing, database, Internet browser and email |
| attainments, general communications abilities and | | | | applications. |
| those precisely defined job-related skills that | | | | Flexibility and insight |
| define the specialty. | | | | There is a lot more managing going on in |
| There is a second, increasingly important category | | | | companies, both large and small, than can be |
| of qualities that employers wish to examine, and | | | | handled by people with "manager" in their titles. |
| they often examine these just as closely as the | | | | Employees at all levels are now responsible for |
| hard skills. Known as "soft skills," these are such | | | | managing multiple tasks, adjusting to changing |
| personal values, critical thinking tools and character | | | | work conditions, setting priorities, coordinating |
| traits as you will need for success in the specified | | | | team efforts and targeting (and retargeting) a |
| career. Some may be innate abilities while other | | | | constantly shifting set of goals. What employers |
| soft skills can actually be cultivated and refined | | | | are looking for, at all levels of responsibility, are |
| throughout a lifetime. | | | | natural-born, decisive leaders who can quickly |
| Numerous studies and years of business | | | | assess a situation, figure out what to do and |
| questionnaires have identified the leading soft skills | | | | when to do it, juggle simultaneous tasks and do |
| that top employers seek in an employee. You | | | | so, day in and day out, without undue stress. |
| should honestly assess your own strengths and | | | | While employers certainly want workers who can |
| weaknesses in these areas. Clearly, the more of | | | | use their heads on technical issues, they also want |
| these essential characteristics an employer sees in | | | | people who can analyze situations, assemble the |
| you, and reads about in your resume, the better | | | | information necessary for making "people" |
| your chances of landing the job you want. | | | | decisions and target key matters that need |
| Communications skills | | | | priority attention. This skill also manifests in an |
| The very first "personal asset" listed by the | | | | employee's ability to see the simple, |
| majority of employers today is "communications | | | | straightforward steps that may be obscured by |
| skills." An employee able to listen attentively, | | | | overly complicated procedures and processes. |
| speak precisely, read fast and write well is highly | | | | Interpersonal and leadership skills |
| valued in every line of business these days, as | | | | The catchall term, "interpersonal skills," describes |
| communications skills seem to have eroded in the | | | | the manner in which you relate to people, resolve |
| last several generations. Hard lessons were | | | | conflicts and, if you are a supervisor or manager, |
| learned about this basic skill set when it began | | | | encourage, motivate and lead others. Companies |
| disappearing, for a time, from our nation's college | | | | of every kind benefit from having "relationship |
| graduates. | | | | builders" who can help achieve consensus and deal |
| Based on the notion, once popular in the 1970s | | | | with abrasive personalities in a firm but sensitive |
| and 1980s, that high-tech workers didn't need | | | | manner. |
| English grammar if they knew the C++ and Java | | | | Some say that leadership is a quality you are born |
| programming languages, the trend toward | | | | with, while others make a good case that it is a |
| "focused training" as opposed to "general | | | | set of learned habits. If you are able to take |
| education" held sway with professional educators | | | | charge in confusing and critical situations, and have |
| for a mercifully short time. The notion that | | | | always found a way to bring squabbling |
| language skills were expendable was debunked | | | | co-workers together again, then you were born |
| long ago. If anything, basic language skills support | | | | with it - or learned it along the way! Who can |
| the acquisition and retention of other complex | | | | say? |
| "languages" used for programming and computer | | | | What one can say is that goal-driven leaders |
| security. | | | | create and maintain environments of productivity. |
| Solid foundations | | | | If you can motivate, mobilize and mentor others |
| Without clear communication, no aspect of a | | | | in the pursuit and attainment of high performance |
| business enterpriser will work effectively, not | | | | standards, then you are a leader, whether born or |
| sales or service, certainly not advertising or | | | | bred. If you have the important traits, that |
| management. If you are an "exceptional listener | | | | somewhat mysterious mix of experiences and |
| and communicator who clearly, effectively | | | | insight, you will be in great demand from the |
| conveys verbal and written information," then you | | | | growing number of companies that are learning to |
| should say so, in a similarly succinct fashion, on | | | | hire "attitudes and aptitudes" instead of merely |
| your resumes and applications. | | | | "resumes and references." |
| As far as general high-tech skills are concerned, | | | | Part 2 of this article discusses the work ethic, and |
| even fast food restaurants require employees to | | | | a way to embrace it with both passion and |
| have at least basic computer skills and enough | | | | professionalism. |
