Soft skills: The secret ingredient to your career advancement

Dearest Go Getter,

You might be wondering why you are unable to advance in your career despite having the education and all the additional certificates needed to prove your worthiness.

Well according to Achieng’ Abok, a Professional Development Specialist, you may just be lacking the secret ingredient needed to help you propel in the right direction- soft skills.

Soft skills or people skills are one’s ability to relate with someone. While they are a bit more difficult to develop than the hard/ technical skills, which are quantifiable, they are arguably equally important in any setup.

So what are some of the soft skills required to succeed in the professional space?

1.     Effective Communication

“Communication is just not talking. It is the fact that one can articulate ideas clearly and persuasively,” says the Nairobi-based expert.

This must be accompanied by active listening skills. This helps in identifying underlying concerns, frustrations, disengagement, or burnout- hallmarks of quiet quitting- or goals that others in the organization (internally and externally) may not be explicitly stating.

“When hiring managers are looking to fill leadership positions, they want to see that candidates possess both strong articulation and active listening skills,” says Achieng’.

2.   Problem-solving

Employers value employees who can think critically and solve problems creatively.

As an employee or new hire, the ability to solve problems, rather than simply identifying them, is a sure fire way to stand out and put yourself on the fast track for hiring and career advancement.

A lot of leaders value this skill in potential employees as opposed to those who constantly identify them and even make it easier for them to advance in their careers.

3.   Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Another skill that is not heavily discussed and is very valuable is EQ.

“A lot of times, we hear situations where managers struggle to empathize with their teams, manage people, or frustrate employees. Problems do occur and when managers lack the EQ to understand the emotional needs of the people they work with and address their concerns, it can breed frustration, disillusionment, and even mass quitting,” says Achieng’.

A leader who can understand and manage their own emotions as much as they can manage other people’s or subordinates' emotions is capable of building strong relationships (internally and externally), recognizing others’ talents, and solving problems.

4.   Time management

A lot of professionals are guilty of time mismanagement, something a lot of leaders and executives dislike.

“You need to value time,” says Achieng’. “When one keeps time, it shows you can effectively and efficiently prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, reflect on your personality and EQ, and show that you are a reliable person. If you are a reliable person with the executives, then they are very sure this reflects the people you serve.”

“People always want more money but they do not understand what they need to offer the employer so getting more money is easy. Make the work of the employer easy for them to promote you. Make sure they recognize these skills. You do not need to be a busybody but you just have to be recognized for some of the above skills in addition to having technical skills,” emphasizes Achieng’.