Highlight These 5 Professional Soft Skills in Your Next Job Interview

Hard skills are concrete skills that are typically learned through education and experiences. However, soft skills are traits and abilities that help you in the workplace and impact how you interact with others. During job interviews, you will have the chance to highlight your different soft skills through the past experiences that you share. Here are five soft skills to incorporate into your interviews.

1. Adaptability

Being able to quickly adjust to new circumstances is a skill that many employers look for. They want to know that you can handle difficult and unexpected situations.

Adaptability is helpful when working on projects that are constantly changing. Deadlines may change, the core purpose of the project may change based on external factors, and projects may be scrapped due to limited funding or a shift in business goals. Whatever the circumstance, employers want to feel confident that their employees are able to thoughtfully accommodate changes.

2. Creativity

Creativity is the ability to think outside the box, to use one’s imagination and produce innovative ideas. When job descriptions emphasize business strategies, employers will often look for candidates who will bring fresh ideas to the role and the company.

Creativity can be highlighted in many areas, from starting a new initiative to innovating change due to an observation.

3. Problem-solving

Problem-solving involves handling difficult situations and identifying solutions. Both adaptability and creativity can be incorporated into one’s problem-solving abilities.In preparation for your interview, think of a complex problem you encountered at work and explain how you resolved it through a creative process. Use the STAR method to tell your story. Explain the Situation surrounding the problem, outline the Tasks or goal, describe the Actions you took, and share the Results. The STAR method is a clear way to explain how your actions led to a positive resolution.

4. Work Ethic

Work ethic consists of the characteristics of how someone approaches their job, including the pride they take in the quality of their work. A strong work ethic leads to being an employee who is reliable and professional. One’s personal attitude about the work and company will be reflected in their work ethic.

In your cover letter and during your job interviews, you can incorporate your work ethic into your answers by highlighting your dependability and your high quality of work, willingness to take initiative, and respect for your colleagues and company values.

5. Motivation

The reasons for acting and behaving a certain way explains what motivates you. Think of the reasons why you were attracted to the specific job for which you are applying. What motivated you to apply for that role at that company?

When your values align with the company, you are more likely to be self-motivated to help the company succeed. Yes, you’ve applied because you need a job; however, what about this particular job excites you? Exude that excitement to demonstrate that you are the right fit with the company.

– Mary-kate Grohoski, Sales Manager

Put these tips to use by finding your next job on NYFA Classifieds, the go-to listings site for artists, arts administrators, and museum professionals. Follow us @nyfa_classifieds on TikTok for more creative career tips.