Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills Posted on October 15, 2019October 15, 2019 by Paige Doepke There are two types of skills used in resumes hard skills and soft skills. When used correctly, they work together to form a powerhouse resume that provides the hiring manager a glimpse into the job seeker.What are Hard Skills?Hard skills are taught skills. They are quantifiable and are often learned in school, throughcertifications, or in previous work experience. Hard skills are specific to each job and are often the basis of job requirements.Recruiters look for hard skills on your resume to gauge how well youd perform job duties. Hard skills are especially important because of applicant tracking system (ATS) algorithms used to rank and filter job applications. Hard skills are also resume keywords, which are words recruiters use to search ATS for applicants. For a resume to be highly searchable, it should include the exact hard skills found in the job description.Read more8 things you need to kno w about ATSTop 500 resume keywords (and how to use them)What are Soft Skills?Soft skills are typically interpersonal people skills or desirable personality traits thatrevolve around character, teamwork, communication, and work ethic. Soft skills tend to be transferrable between jobs or industries but are more difficult to quantify on a resume than hard skills.Hard Skills vs. Soft SkillsA combination of hard skills and soft skills forms a well-rounded job applicant. While hard skills are quite different than soft skills, the combination of the two creates a good balance between knowledge and interpersonal attributes. Hard skills show mastery and proficiency while soft skills show communication and relational abilities.For example, a software engineer may have the following skills on their resumeJavascriptJavaCASELinuxThey may also have the following soft skills on their resumeDetail-orientedSuperior time managementWork well under pressureThis applicants hard skills demonstrate a very different, very specific competence compared to their soft skills. Hard skills help the applicant get past ATS while showing experience level and qualification for the position. Soft skills make the applicant human, showing leadership, empathy, and character.Hard Skills ListHere are some examples of hard skillsTech Hard SkillsData miningAnalyticsHTMLData analysisSaaS in cloudCodingAIMachine learningBig Data EngineeringPythonJavaScriptJavaApache HadoopApache SparkExcelComputer scienceData visualizationsale MarketingSEO/SEM marketingMarketingSocial mediaOutreachInside salesOutbound callingStrategyForecastingCRMAccounting FinanceMathematicsBookkeepingITQuickbooksGAAPAnalyticsAuditingCash flow managementMicrosoft OfficeRisk AnalysisHow to Find Hard Skills for Your ResumeResume hard skills must be reexamined for each job opening. In order to find skills that will bestattungs the attention of recruiters and help get you past ATS, job seekers should analyze the job description. Look spe cifically for skills that are mentioned first or listed more than once, as those are likely high-priority to the hiring manager.When choosing hard skills to include, bear in mind that tense matters in ATS. Be sure to use the exact form of the word used in the job description.Analyzing each job description can be time consuming, but it is important. Jobscan can help by automating the process of locating hard skills. Just upload or copy and paste your resume beside the job description of your choice and Jobscan will do the rest.?Soft Skills ListCommunicationLeadershipAdaptabilityProblem-solverListeningTeam-orientedTeam playerStrong work ethicDecision makerStrategic thinkerSkilled CollaboratorTime managementSelf-motivatedMultitaskerConflict resolutionResponsibleFlexibleOrganizedWork well under pressureCompetitiveEntrepreneurialIntegrityHands-onneuheitConsistentCreativeEnergeticEnthusiasticDrivenAttention to detailHow to Use Soft Skills in Your ResumeJust because soft skills are non-tec hnical does not mean they cant be worked into measurable accomplishments. In fact, they should be. Soft skills become more tangible and believable when combined with accomplishments and measurable results.For example, if you have a summary ansicht in your resume, try working soft skills into it, like thisProduct manager, problem-solver and super communicator with 15 years of experience in product strategy. I have carried more than 20 successful products from start to completion.This summary statement uses the soft skills problem solver and super communicator while also including measurable metrics as proof of experience. When working with soft skills, a job seeker should always try to pair a soft skill with a measurable result.Another way to include soft skills is in the form of accomplishments in the experience section of a resume. For exampleUsing my strong organizational skills, I created a new filing system for more than 300 patient files.Read moreHow to Showcase the Top Executi ve Soft Skills on Your ResumeNote A version of this article was published by James Hu on January 4, 2016. It was rewritten and updated by Paige Doepke on October 14, 2018. Last updated October 15, 2019.Facebook Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important