Top 5 Soft Skills You Need on Your Resume

In this article you will learn which are the Top 5 Soft Skills demanded by companies and why you need them to shine and make a great impression in a Job Interview.

Nowadays, there is a high competition for jobs, so it is essential to stand out from the croud. The resume is the first thing, that an interviewer looks at while choosing a candidate. That means, you CV has to have to catch their attention as quick as possible. We not only recommend showing a good structure and organization of the contents, but also a well-thought content.

Candidates have all kinds of education levels, more or less work experience; but at some point they`re resumes look alike. For that reason you will have to focus on what differentiates you from them.

If you want human resources professionals to consider your application, you should include different types of soft skills in your resume. Unfortunately, the psychological aspects of professional skills have often been underestimated, which has spread the misconception that professionals should only acquire “tangible” knowledge gained through trainings and courses – and completely forget about their personal qualities.

What are the most outstanding soft skills? Here is our top 5 Soft Skills to use on your resume:

Emotional Intelligence: It refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions as well as those of others. In the workplace, this means that you are rational and even-handed, and can handle the ups and downs without losing control.

Problem solving: No matter what the task is, eventually something always goes wrong and employers want to know that you are capable of finding a quick and effective solution without any stressful reactions. In fact, there are jobs that are essentially consist of problem solving for the company, the customers, or both.

Critical Thinking: Being able to think rationally and reflectively is the foundation of critical thinking. Employers want to hire workers who can think one step ahead. That also means determining the best steps needed in order to avoid any issues and keep being productive and effective.

Flexibility: Many organizations and industries covet employees who are dynamic and adaptable to each situation, or who have the natural ability to use a variety of methods and approaches in different circumstances to obtain the best end result.

Organization: It’s not just about having a tidy desk, but about organizing tasks and projects for your co-workers and yourself, keeping deadlines, the ability to present yourself. If you want to show your organizational skills, having a well-structured resume certainly helps.

How will these skills be evaluated?

After going through a multi-stage selection process, the personal interview is usually the last step before getting the job.

Many recruiters do personality or skills tests and through this tool they observe how you behave and what social skills you have. They may also ask focused questions like:

-Past behaviors: how you have overcome any failures and what your behavior was like.

-Creation of hypothetical scenarios to know what you would do and how you would handle the situation.

-They ask all candidates the same questions so that they can compare the answers and pick the most interesting ones.

Differences in preparing for a virtual interview:

• Preparation: When you is facing an online interview you probably think that it does not need as much preparation as a face-to-face interview and that it will simply involve a “superficial discussion”… Wrong! An online interview can even exceed a face-to-face interview in time, so you should not underestimate it, but rather dedicate enough time to its preparation: Inquiring about the company in question, reviewing your experience and skills and practicing your answers to possible questions can be a good starting point for doing so.
• Atmosphere: In a face-to-face interview you are in a “controlled” environment, something that will not happen during the telematic interview, where you are responsible for controlling the situation on your other side of the screen and have to avoid any noise or interruption. Choose a clear and clean place where there are no obstacles behind you that might distract attention. Also, try to choose a place without bright colors, noises or distortions.
• Voice: During the course of a face-to-face interview, your voice is one of the personal traits by which you will be evaluated, in a telephone interview it will acquire greater importance as it is one of the few external indicators that can be evaluated by your interviewer. To avoid you voice reflecting a certain “emotional tension” or sounding monotonous, weak and/or hesitant, record and listen to yourself before the interview – that way you will be able to correct any alteration in tone.
• Appearance: While you don’t have to be dressed up from up to bottom, it is always advisable to look professionally. Believe it or not, this factor will be reflected in your voice and attitude!
• Non-verbal language: Try to adopt an optimal posture even when answering any question in which you feel uncomfortable or stressed out. And of course, smile when appropriate! Both will give you extra energy and dynamism.

How can Digital Latam help you?

Digital Latam has a great deal of experience interviewing candidates virtually: We can instruct you on what qualities to look for and what to expect from candidates, as well as guide you on what job recruiters look for, how to prepare for interviews or teach how to stand out. Do not hesitate to ask us your questions and we will be happy to assist you in the application process.