Even though it’s vital to invest time and energy in acquiring the technical skills you need for a perfect tech job, soft skills are just as critical. They play a prominent role in connecting with others, conveying your ideas, and learning from those around you. Because many tech jobs now involve teamwork, soft skills are becoming more and more significant. Read to learn what soft skills are and how to showcase them on your resume.
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What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are those involved in communicating with other people and figuring out how to overcome challenges without using a technological solution. In the absence of soft skills, you would be similar to a robot. You could perform useful functions but may not present them effectively, learn from other people, or address complex problems.
For these reasons, your employer needs to see these abilities before making a confident decision. Your resume, while a one-way conversation, offers a great place to display an array of attractive soft skills.
How You Can Showcase Soft Skills on Your Resume
One way to demonstrate your soft skills is by choosing the right verbs to describe things that you’ve done at previous jobs or while taking classes. For example, you can use verbs such as:
- Fostered
- United
- Coordinated
- Contributed
- Anchored
- Collaborated
Also, when discussing how to approach problem-solving, you can use terms like:
- Addressed
- Assessed
- Intervened
- Revised
- Reinforced
- Augmented
Highlight Experiences, Contributions, and Leadership
While you may not elaborate on your hobbies or experiences on your resume, you can carefully select those that would require soft skills.
Experiences That Can Demonstrate Soft Skills
While many experiences can bolster your resume, some are better suited for conveying your soft skills. For example, you can outline experiences such as:
- Periodically volunteering to help middle school or high school kids
- Volunteering for community activities
- Activities connected to a church, temple, mosque, or other places of worship
- Volunteering to support senior citizens
The Value of Contributions and Leadership
When you contribute to technical communities, you convey various soft skills to an employer. By interacting with other professionals and learners, either as a contributor or a leader, you develop and exercise abilities, such as:
- Presenting new ideas to groups or individuals
- Curating ideas before choosing which ones will provide the most helpful contribution
- Listening to and applying feedback
- Feeling out the right time to convey an innovative solution or strategy to those you’re working with
- Following through on initiatives you’re responsible for managing
IEEE Computer Society has local chapters, technical communities, and conferences—all of which can build relationships, share and contribute to research, and organize local events. For example, you have the opportunity to take part in our Distinguished Visitors Program, which connects computing experts with different chapters, enabling those selected to serve as guest speakers at local events.
Gain Soft Skills with the IEEE Computer Society
One of the core soft skills needed to succeed is the ability to work with and learn from other people. Not only can you gain this from a membership with the IEEE Computer Society, but you can check out our blog to learn more about what it takes to excel in the tech fields.
