Rizzalyn Vales

HARD SKILLS AND SOFT SKILL When applying for a job or for an internship, there are two different things but leads to one road that we should consider having; it is the hard and soft skills. Often, employers look and assess applicants through these two sets of skills. The question is how can we differentiate these two and what are the examples? Let’s start off with hard skills. This is something you can quantify or learn in school, organizations, textbooks and even inside the company you are in (if already employed). the things you are able to perform in a particular job, depending on the role you have to play. Example, you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, you can speak Mandarin and French fluently, you’re good at operating machines or doing graphic art for advertising and you are good at getting good shots using your cameras. Those are the skills that your employer could easily recognized when they saw your curriculum vitae (CV). Hard skills can be developed through series of training and schooling. On the other hand, soft skills is also known as the “people’s skills” or the ability to react in a certain situation wherein it tackles good decision-making and some sort of “interpersonal skills”. It is how you interact with other people and how you deal with them. Sum total, it is the values and behaviors towards work and your work mates. Examples of it are your communications skills, adaptability, flexibility, patience, work ethics, how you manage your time and how you solve problems efficiently. It’s not about how hard you work but how smart you work. People often work hard but forget about their values when a certain point of their employee life is being tested by unethical workmates, stress and pressure. Soft skill is really valuable for the employers for this is one of the primary basis of your personality assessment. WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT? Hard skills that you have is on top of the priority of the employers because often they are not going to hire a journalism graduate in a software development company unless one has a background. But in the far end of reality, employers prefer someone who practices the field and nature of the company. It is easy for the employer to train a person to learn that certain hard skill but on the other hand, it will take blood and sweat to inculcate soft skills to someone such as patience and loyalty to the company. What’s more important to me is to harness both skills. In that way, you’ll have good performance while having a harmonious relationship with your workmates. You have to emphasize both skills and show your manager or your boss that they did the right thing of accepting you in the company. Often they prefer people who can work in a pressured environment, a person who is a team player and can be a team leader and of course, a person who is willing to learn. Soft skills are the things that we already have, it just needs developing. Given the proper supervision of the elderly and experiences throughout your growing process. Develop both skills and you’ll always be ready to face terror bosses and the challenges that life is spitting you. APPLICATION: When you are finally in, do your best to show your work mates that you deserve to be in that position. Here are things to remember when inside office premises: Work professionally and efficiently Behave as an adult Accept criticisms Though you’re not a fan of huddles, try to at least get along with your co-workers Never talk back to your boss or other people Be punctual