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Six Soft Skills Every Las Vegas Job Seeker Should Advertise in an Interview

You’re preparing for a job interview, and you want to stand out from the competition. While your hard skills might’ve initially caught the recruiter’s attention, it’s your soft skills that will seal the deal.

This isn’t to say hard skills aren’t important, because that certainly isn’t the case. However, it’s much harder to teach soft skills than hard skills, so you’ll want to craft responses to interview questions that highlight what you have to offer.

Here’s six soft skills you’ll want to promote in your interview.

Communication

It doesn’t matter how skilled you are if you can’t communicate. This is one of the easier soft skills to highlight in an interview, as you’ll obviously be doing a lot of speaking. You may also get the chance to put your written communication skills on display, if you have the opportunity to reply to any emails or text messages. Regardless of the medium, be cognizant that your ability to communicate will be closely watched.

Time Management

No one wants to hire a candidate who can’t meet a deadline. You’ll likely be asked at least one question like “How do you prioritize projects?” “How to do you manage distractions?” or “What techniques do you use to ensure you meet deadlines?”

Use examples to make it clear that time management isn’t a problem for you. If you’re not asked any questions that touch on it, be sure to mention your commitment to it.

Teamwork

Having the ability to work well with others is a must. Make it clear you’re a team player by sharing a time you helped a colleague out for the greater good. You might also touch on a group project you were part of, noting people you worked with in different departments and giving credit where it’s deserved — i.e., not just singing your own praises.

Flexibility

Most jobs aren’t the same every single day. Hiring managers want to know you’ll be able to adapt to changing conditions. Make your case by sharing specific examples of times you’ve gone out of your way to adapt to changing conditions — i.e., worked longer hours before a big deadline or learned a new skill to fill in for a colleague.

Additionally, you might even get the chance to show this skills off when scheduling your interview. If the date, time or location of your originally-scheduled interview needs to chance, do your best to go with the flow.

Leadership

You might not be applying to a leadership role, but that doesn’t mean employers don’t value this skill. Highlight your leadership abilities by sharing a time you stepped up and resolved a challenging situation, made a tough decision or helped bring your team together. This will show the hiring manager you’re someone with the potential to grow into a leadership role in the future.

Positive Attitude

Managing — or working alongside — someone with a perpetually negative attitude isn’t fun. Put your positive attitude on display in the interview by smiling frequently, not complaining about previous jobs, maintaining eye contact and showing enthusiasm for the job.