We all know employers consider your experience and skills in terms of the specific role they want you to fill. But what about the other skills that can have just as much importance, such as empathy, encouraging others and keeping calm in the face of stress? You may think these soft skills either come naturally or not at all, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
- Empathy. Developing the ability to sense other peoples’ emotions and imagine what someone else is thinking or feeling goes a long way. The ability to empathize with colleagues, clients and customers helps them feel connected to you. How can you improve your own sense of empathy? Appreciate those with differing viewpoints, backgrounds and perspectives and value what you have in common. Expand your perspective: volunteer, travel, go to cultural events, continue your education. Empathy helps you to feel more comfortable with everyone around you.
- Conflict resolution. Conflict arises even in the best companies. If you can keep your head and help others with their differences, you’ll prove to be extremely valuable. This skill improves your relationships with co-workers, making your work more effective. Conflict resolution shows an employer your maturity and possible leadership potential. So how do you improve this skill? Allow each side to air their frustrations in a non-judgmental space and work with each side to come up with a solution.
- Keeping your cool. If you can manage to stay calm in a pressure-filled situation, you’ll make yourself into a very strong asset for any company. As anyone knows, it’s a matter of when a problem will arise, not if one arises. People naturally look toward the most level-headed person to help them deal with the problem. So how do you best focus your energy to keep calm? Keep your temper and avoid yelling — these show your control. Never pass judgment without knowing the whole situation, and (literally) take a deep breath or two when stress arises.
- Communication. Think of the many ways you communicate at work: email, face to face, texting, talking on the phone. All of them involve getting a message across to someone else. The best communicators know how to listen well and hear what the other person says, paying close attention so they can respond in the best way. They ask follow-up questions to make sure they truly understand what the other person means. Be aware of your body language, make eye contact and write clearly for the best understanding all around.
Practice your soft skills to improve your career prospects. If you need skilled medical help, talk to the experts at Medical Professionals.
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