7 most important soft skills to develop for 2018

7 most important soft skills to develop for 20187 most important soft skills to develop for 2018Oftentimes when youre eying job descriptions, youre haphazardly and unintentionally checking off what requirements you match. Being fluent in programs, applications and languages are your hard skills - the technical aspects that allow you to master your job effectively and efficiently. While a robust set of hard skills is necessary for a flourishing career, its your soft skills that bring your wertzuwachs to life.These often underrated proficiencies make you a team player, a confident and compassionate leader and a dedicated, loyal professional. Much like you would continue your education or take a course to enrich your knowledge bank, continuously improving your communication style, body language, and working style is essential to success, too.As workplace expert Amy Cooper Hakim, Ph.D. explains, An employee can be taught how to use a certain computer program much more quickly than she c an be taught how to establish rapport or trust with a colleague or customer. Bosses look for those with excellent soft skills to lead others, to gain customers and to share and promote ideas in group settings.Here are some of the skills you may want to work on.Make more eye contactThough its likely been quite some time since you consciously minded your manners as your mother taught you, some of her life lessons extend far beyond childhood. One of which is making eye contact. As children, we are instructed that seeing eye-to-eye - literally - is a sign of mutual respect and assurance. But as we continue in our adult lives, facing disappointments and setbacks that may send our confidence down a notch, looking someone square in their baby blues might feel more difficult.Executive coach and entrepreneur Stacey Hanke says this behavior is the only one that builds an all-too-important agreement between two people, in geschftlicher umgang or in life trust. Especially if youre ahem, eying , a raise or a promotion, trying to snag a big deal for your company or give negative feedback to your direct report, if you look around the room instead of them, you wont be taken seriously.If you cant connect and engage with your listeners, you jeopardize building trust with your listeners. If your listeners dont trust you, you will not have influence on them, she says.To improve this skill, start small with your friends and family. Since you know and spend a vast amount of time with these folks, it feels more natural to maintain eye contact with them while youre catching up on the latest gossip, seeking advice or discussing your upcoming travel plans. The more often you engage in this type of behavior, the easier it will become to apply the ritual to your workplace.Speak in sentences, not paragraphsWe all have that pal who means well, but frankly, cant tell a story without it rambling on for ages. You might find it endearing when youre sharing beers on trivia night, but carrying out long-winded monologues doesnt usually go over well in the professional environment.As Hanke explains, speaking in paragraphs instead of sentences can frustrate those listening and make them automatically tune-out when you take the floor.We all live in a fast paced world receiving messages 24/7 every day. Speaking in short bullet point sentences, pausing to allow your listeners to stay with you will help you be heard above the noise, she says.To put this skill into practice, pinch yourself on the wrist each time youre about to chime in. This will serve as your reminder to think before you speak, giving you a minute to summarize your opinion or additional note without stuttering your way to a conclusion.Stand up for your ideas effectivelyWith limited budgets, changing economies and a turbulent political climate, its more important than ever to effectively communicate your ideas and needs with your employer. This is often a task thats easier imagined than executed, according to Hak im, who notes many people struggle with being clear. An example might be when you are trying to make a case for an additional employee, but you come unprepared with stats to prove your case and you back down instantly at the first criticism.Instead of being confident and ready to go up to bat for your ask, you might cower because you fear rejection or youre unable to truly dictate what you mean, what you need and why you need it. Hakim says joining a Toastmasters meeting can be a helpful, judgement-free way to improve your speech skills and put them into action so you can win your case - and stop working overtime.Give your voice an auditSure, you cant change the voice you were born with. But you can audit your rhythms, annunciation, and volume to best serve your career.Not sure how you sound, or cant remember the last time you were recorded? Youre definitely not alone, according to Hanke. She explains that most individuals believe they sound different than what their listeners hear . Especially during virtual conversations your voice is critical because in most cases you cant see your listeners.Hanke suggests recording yourself whenever you can.Audio and video dont lie. These tools give you the opportunity to experience what your listeners experience when youre communicating with them, she says. Until you take this step, there is a strong probability you are basing your level of influence and how others perceive you based on what you believe to be true rather than what your listeners experience.Practice being flexibleTimelines shift forward. Deadlines get missed. Contractors dont always follow through or meet your expectations. Budgets get cut. Sometimes managers are inconsiderate. Its all part of the natural ebb-and-flow of any profession, and your ability to flow with the inevitable is a must-have soft skill, according to Hakim. We need to be able to change direction quickly and embrace new ideas. Make a resolution to practice adapting to change, she says.On e easy way to implement this flexibility is to again, take a pause before saying no to any idea, request, or ask that might feel like its out of your comfort zone. The same goes with any tendency to complain. Take a moment to truly think if your negative mentality will change an outcome or if it will actually make the situation worse by poisoning others.Remember that top leaders - and employees - embrace different ideas and thoughts from those who are flexible and happy, Hakim says.Practice positive facial expressionsNo, this doesnt mean you should smile your way through something that makes you uneasy or pretend like youre ecstatic when youre having a rough day. Rather, this soft skill relates to how you treat others and how you express your opinion. As Hanke notes, if a colleague is articulating their excitement for a new deal, project, or promotion and you dont respond to their joy genuinely, they may doubt your intention.The same goes when youre giving a presentation - if you re not amped up and supportive of your own ideas, its difficult to engage others to hop on board.Prioritize dicke bretter bohren mssen-solving skillsAs a skill that borders between hard and soft, problem solving abilities are clutch for career advancement and team leading. The more actively you demonstrate your way to turn a disappointment into an achievement, the more trusted and valued you will be at your workplace and by management.Instead of merely relying on technology, Hakim says being able to exercise your brain on-the-spot is more impressive.Use your mind to think critically and to determine the most efficient and effective way to get to an end goal. Those who can think for themselves and who can justify proposed ideas are those who make headway in the business world, she says.You dont have to go back to school to double-down on this soft skill, but you can return to your childhood by playing a game There are fun ways to improve your cognitive skills, like playing brain-trai ning games when youre waiting in line at Starbucks.

The best and worst things to put in your cover letter

The best and worst things to put in your titelseite letterThe best and worst things to put in your titelblatt letterIn todays applicant-driven job market, an optional cover letter isnt actually optional.While your resume is meant to summarize why you are qualified for a role, the cover letter is what shows the employer why they should want you at their company. This is where an applicant can showcase their personality beyond a bulleted list of previous job titles. Strong cover letters portray a mix of your character, enthusiasm for the role, and unique background that qualifies you for this job above all others.While you want to stand out, some candidates take the opportunity for self-expression a little too far. Remember, this isnt your Match.com profile or long-awaited memoir. Keep it professional and avoid writing three paragraphs about your dogs favorite chew toy or, like this one infamous NYU student, brag about your ability to do 35 pushups.We asked career experts and hiring ma nagers what cover letters have left lasting impressions on them, and they shared the best and the worst cover letters theyve ever seen.If you want your next job application to stand out from the pile, follow these Dos and Donts of how to write a cover letterDo Include statisticsOne of my biggest pet peeves when reading a cover letter is when an applicant says that hes done something but doesnt provide any data to back it up. You saved your clients money by implementing a new cost saving system? Thats really great, but how much did you save them? This lack of really important information leaves me questioning how impactful the applicants contribution really welches. In order to truly make his cover letter stand out, the applicant should elend only say how he is an asset but actually provide data that proves this.- Jacob Dayan, CEO and Co-founder at Community TaxDont Copy Paste To Every CompanyI understand that applicants are typically blasting out their resumes and cover letters to a large group of companies, and the most efficient way to do that is to use a template to write their cover letter. This is leid a bad practice. However, far too often I see cover letters where the only thing that has been swapped out is the company name. A great cover letter will incorporate information about the specific company and/or specific job role. Even for job roles that are similar, the companies have different cultures and different ideals and traits that they value. With that in mind, an applicant should address those ideals and use his experience to demonstrate how he embodies those ideals- Jacob Dayan, CEO and Co-founder at Community TaxDo Make it PersonalOne of the main things that I look for in a cover letter is personalization and a clear and concise format. While it may be tempting to copy and paste the job title and company name into your letter and send it off, no job is the saatkorn and neither will each cover letter. Doing a little extra research to find the n ame of the hiring manager can make a difference in the cover letter as well as tailoring your previous work achievements to that of the job description. This helps you create a better structure for the cover letter-talk about the business, you, and then circle back to the business plus you.Dana Case, Director of Operations, at My CorporationDont Tell Your Life StoryOnce I was going through candidates for a position and in one of the cover letters I had an applicant talk about her journey through life. Her mission in life and her general outlook on the bad things in her life she wasnt shy about getting specific. A part of me wanted to meet her out of a weird curiosity, the rest of me knew that with a cover letter like that shed never get hired. Her cover letter told me most of all that she was someone who liked to talk a lot, and worse, she thought she had a lot to say. In my experience, the people who have a lot of wisdom dont advertise it, because they dont know that they have a lo t to say and would rather observe lessons they learn from other people.Whether on a cover letter or on a resume. Keep everything short clean and to the point. If people want to know your life story, and or, philosophy dont worry theyll ask, and thats not meant to be sarcastic, some employers will ask. However, its not information you should willingly volunteer it says things about you that you may not want to be associated.- Nate Masterson, Marketing Manager at Maple HolisticsDo Include a Letter Even if Its OptionalIf a cover letter is suggested or required, provide one. Youd be surprised how many people dont provide a cover letter, even when one is requested in my experience 65% 75% of job seekers do this.- Nate Masterson, Marketing Manager at Maple HolisticsDont Forget to Address the Hiring ManagerA bad cover letter has a single, gender specific salutation, i.e. Dear Sir or Dear Sirs or even Dear Sir or Maam. If you dont know who youre writing to, be generic Dear Company Name Tea m, for example.- Greg Szymanski, HR Director at Geonerco Management, LLCDo Research What Youre Applying ForThe worst cover letters are the ones that are mass produced. Addressed to Dear hiring manager shows that the applicant has not done adequate research on who is making the hiring decision. There are too many sources today to not find out.Not addressing how and why you are qualified for the actual job that is being hired for is another major mistake. Its important to illustrate how and why you are suited and deserve an interview. Its important to really read and comprehend the job description so you can address how you can meet those needs. Share examples with measurable results on what you have done, how you did it and how it helped the employer.- Laurie Kahn, Founder/CEO, at Media Staffing NetworkDont Include Your HeadshotIve seen incredibly short cover letters with just an awkward photo attached to them for no reason at all, staring at me silently. Others were written in a sur prisingly terrible English which is why they sometimes revealed quite dark and inappropriate things (I will work you). And some would overshare about why they left their previous jobs or about how incredibly awesome they already are at what they want to do.- Laurie Kahn, Founder/CEO, at Media Staffing NetworkDo Be UniqueWhen it comes to the best details, those that really make you like that person instantly, Ive only seen a few of those over the years.The most recent one came from a runway model who fell through a ceiling onto her head and neck. She survived a traumatic brain injury and had to learn to walk and talk again. And then she used her passion for acting to figure out how to remember again. She was a true survivor and concluded her cover letter with a simple Lets do great things together. I mean, how do you not want to work with someone like that?Personal details like these show determination, willingness to do the hard work and never give up. They put weight behind your cl aims of having certain qualities, whatever they are. And they also make any candidate memorable. I always encourage job seekers to share something interesting about themselves. You just need to be careful not to overshare.- Tomas Ondrejka, Co-founder CMO at KickresumeDont Get Overly WordyThe worst cover letters are long Ive seen 5 page epistles Keep it simple and get to the point or youll quickly lose the attention of the Recruiter. Its also inappropriate to include personal details like a photo, your age, your family situation or your hobbies. You may enjoy zombie role playing games, but if the information isnt relevant to the job, leave it off. The most entertaining cover letter Ive ever seen included a David Letterman-type Top Ten List of reasons he should be hired. 1 was because I have a great sense of style and an even better sense of humor. Unfortunately, the position we needed to fill was an Accounts Payable Manager, not a comedian.- Julie Cox, Talent Acquisition Leader at AECOMDo Provide All Contact InfoInclude contact info phone number, email address and city with state as a minimum. Also, be specific about what position you are applying to and make sure you have changed it from the last cover letter you sent- Linda Ferrante, VP Operations at RFT Search GroupDont Be Overly ArtisticDont get too crazy with graphics and colors If its too busy, people cant read it. Unless youre in a creative position or industry, simple is better.- Linda Ferrante, VP Operations atRFT Search GroupDo Be ConciseToo many job applicants seem to miss the point of a cover letter entirely. Its really just a bite-sized sales pitch that convinces the reader to take a look at your resume. You want some of your personality to come through, but dont be so casual that you cant be taken seriously. I once received a cover letter so pretentious and wordy, I thought the candidate must have accidentally sent me the first draft of their autobiography. Being overly self-aggrandizing is an i mmediate red flag to hiring managers and its a guaranteed way to have your application tossed aside. Additionally, some of the best cover letters Ive seen have been short and to the point. The candidate didnt come across robotic, but they wrote in a polite, professional tone and just mentioned a few examples of their background. That was all it took to get called back for an interview.- Lauren McAdams, Career Adviser Hiring Manager at Resume CompanionThis article was originally published on Kununu.com.

This is the one skill that all great leaders have

This is the one skill that all great leaders haveThis is the one skill that all great leaders haveWhat separates good leaders from great ones?In a recent Inc. video, author and ethnographerSimon Sinekexplains how great leaders keep the learning process going throughout their careers.Leadership is a skill, a learnable, practicable skill, and the best leaders dont consider themselves experts- they consider themselves students, he says.Sinek says good leaders are practicing. They have picked up on leadership skills and are beginning to apply what theyve learned.But a great leader is beyond that point. Sinek says that this person has truly exercised leadership skills and has a real knowledge of prioritizing the needs of the people - sometimes, before our own needs.Great leaders are always learningSinek says that great leaders are those who consider themselves students regardless of their status.Ive met some really, really senior, really, really remarkable people, and all they wanna do is read about leadership, talk about leadership, watch interviews about leadership- they have an insatiable curiosity to continually improve their leadership skills. In other words, they understand its not some rank theyve achieved, but rather, its a skill they need to perfect for the rest of their lives.Heexplains the same concept in another video.Teaching - like anything - is the art of sharing not just what you know, but what you dont know, he says.He also advises against using the term expert because he says theres so much more to learn.Here are three ways you can keep learning throughout your career.1. Embrace the beginners mindIna Harvard Business Review article, Roderick Gilkey and Clint Kilts definethis term, which was reportedly used by Buddhist monks, as a willingness to step back from prior knowledge and existing conventions in order to start over and cultivate new options- a challenge that typically activates right-hemisphere cognitions.They writeIn Zen Mind, Beginner s Mind, author Shunryu Suzuki describes the Zen mind as one that is open, allowing for both doubt and possibility, and one that has the ability to see things as fresh and new. As he observed, In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the experts there are few.No matter how many years of experience you have in your field, be open to the idea that there is always more to learn.2. Explore non-work topicsIts important to challenge yourself to learn something different, Kelsey Meyer writes inForbes.Engaging in presentations, specifically question-and-answer sessions, is my favorite learning practice. One of our investors, adventur.es, hosts education sessions monthly on topics ranging from game theory to why we get fat. As a leader, you should encourage these types of events during the workday to challenge your employees to learn something outside their specific job responsibilities. This will stimulate their brains by making them focus on something unexpected, which wil l undoubtedly enhance their creativity and brainstorming skills at work.Be open to learning new things - doing so canboth challenge you and keep your skill set sharp.3. Use others as a resourceJust as Sinek says he learns from his students, you should be receptive to others so you can learn new things,no matter how far up the corporate ladder you are. Your employees and fellow executives can be immense resources for inspiration and creativity.Dont limit yourself to what you know already - get comfortable with the idea that theres a universe of knowledge youre not yet familiar with, and make an effort to get there by trying new things and learning from others around you in the office.