Question

When hiring future workers, employers look for hard skills (those we learn such as mastery of software applications or accountancy procedures) and soft skills. Soft skills are personal characteristics, strengths, and other assets. Studies have divided soft skills into four categories: 1. Thinking and problem solving 2. Oral and written communication 3. Personal qualities and work ethic 4. Interpersonal and teamwork Your Task Using the preceding categories to guide you, identify your own soft skills, paying attention to those you think a potential employer would value. Prepare lists of at least four items in each of the four categories. For example, as evidence of problem solving, you might list a specific workplace or student problem you recognized and solved. You will want to weave these words and phrases into cover letters and résumés, which are covered in Chapter 15. Submit in a Memo Format.

Answer 1

• Problem solving skills: these are the skills that determine the source of problem & also find an effective solution. Some of the problem solving skills would include active listening, research, analysis, creativity etc. for example, a nurse would require active listening & communication skills when coordinating with the patients & also need effective technical knowledge relating to diseases & medications.
• Oral & written communication skills: some of the communication skills for career progression would include body language & non verbal cues, verbal & presentation skills, teamwork skills, active listening & questioning skills etc. for example, supervisors who communicate with their subordinates in conveying the feedback, giving credit to others, disciplining the employees etc.
• Personal quality & work ethic skills: some of the personal quality & work ethic skills would include dependability & responsibility, self motivated, honesty & integrity, adaptability etc. for example, an employer would usually expect all his employees to be loyal, truthful, honest & understanding depending on the situations experienced by the company.
• Interpersonal & teamwork skills: some of the interpersonal skills would include having control over one’s emotions i.e. emotional intelligence, reliability, empathy, leadership etc. For example, project managers must coordinate with coworkers and propose solutions to whatever problems may surface on a daily basis. If the project manager is prone to emotional outbursts in the face of difficulties, he or she may lose the trust of the other project members.