Soft Skills:

Consistent progress in a workplace, such as an organization, requires candidates with particular attributes. These traits of employees decide whether an individual makes professional interactions with his work fellows or not. Generally, these characteristics are known as soft skills. These include work ethics such as the ability to communicate in a well-manner, teamwork, critical thinking, and much more.

However, it’s a myth to choose which of them is well suited for the growth of a business organization. Want to see how these skills work in the development of a person and company? Let’s dive right into the details to see how soft skills prospect a positive change like a business. 

Why are soft skills important?

Before we go any further, let me say that employers always hunt for someone who can create a progressive environment. Also, soft skills are not only crucial in the workplace. They also play a fundamental role in the personality building of an individual in society. A person who thinks in a unique style talks politely shows a helpful attitude to others, and always be on time is liked by everyone. 

Soft Skills List:

There is a long list of soft skills, but some of the salient types are:

• • Communication Skills

• • Leadership

• • Time Management

• • Adaptability

• • Creativity

Let me explain them one by one. 

1. Communication Skills

Building a skill set and position requires effective communication skills. We always stay in need to convey our opinions to others. Therefore, one must be courteous and respectful while making intercommunication. Honestly, your point becomes more influential when you talk confidently with a smile.

Generally, customer-based jobs demand appealing communication skills. Make eye contact and try to be more formal. Active listening skills also fall in this category. Listen to your client carefully and suggest a wise solution according to his need. On the other hand, a good sense of humor also matters. You can have fun with your fellow workers in the workplace. 

2. Leadership

Giving a group of people direction for a particular goal so they may get ready to take some action can be termed leadership. When we talk about leadership, we are not meant to say that it is only bound to a professional workplace. Leadership is all about consultancy or mentorship. Moreover, it’s about bringing motivation to your teammates. 

But that’s not all, a leader must own decision-making ability too. He must be optimistic and confident enough to deliver his perspectives. Above all, a real leader motivates and engages the whole team. 

3. Time-Management

Having good time-management skills in the workplace is such a blessing. It’s an art to meet your work goals in desired time. This is one of the important soft skills that boost your career. You are probably wondering how it is helpful. Let me show you how!

Sometimes, you are overwhelmed with your work and come under pressure. However, why does this happen? This is because you don’t prioritize your time goals. Give precedence to your work and make a schedule to complete the tasks in a sequence. This ability not only makes you able to concentrate on your work but also increases your efficiency. Once you get the secret of time management, you will be unstoppable both in your daily life and workplace.  

4. Adaptability

Changing your personality according to the needs of the situation and environment is often called adaptability. A person who becomes rigid and does not accept the changes cannot make progress. Employers always look for a job applicant who is competent enough to learn new skills with time. Simply, we can say that go with flow attitude is liked by employers. 

In addition, adaptability is a skill to prepare your mind for new challenges. And remember that a flexible person adjusts to all sets of circumstances. Most importantly, an adaptable person always tries to make improvements. 

5. Creativity

If a person thinks in a distinctive style while giving solutions to problems, then he is creative. Well, it’s not about imagination only. Having the sense to view things with a unique outlook comes with its definition. You might have noticed that some people are naturally blessed with innovative minds. However, this skill can be developed as well by practicing productive things. 

Now, here the question arises of how a creative person is helpful to the employer. The cool thing is that a creative person tries to think out of the box when facing a problem. Therefore, he may bring different ways to figure it out rather than sticking to a single solution. 

FINAL WORDS

What it all boils down to is that if you want to own a stronger position in the market, then pay heed to develop the soft skills in your personality. These skills will make you a good fit for high-level opportunities. Besides, they also make you a beloved person in society. The bottom line is that once you have developed them, you will hit the sweet spot!

FAQs

What are some examples of soft skills?

As far as the examples are concerned, there are many. They all play a fundamental role in the growth of individual traits and success. Let’s have a glance at their list:

• • Work ethics

• • Good communication

• • Problem-solving

• • Teamwork

• • Time-management

• • Critical thinking

• • Self-management

• • Willingness to learn

Why do we need soft skills?

The answer is that we always need to interact with the people around us. These skills, such as good communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, decide how well we can behave with them. Moreover, they also predict how fruitful you can be for society. So, these skills are essential to being a productive person. 

How do you improve soft skills?

Well, this is much easier than you think. All you need to do is open your mind to learning new things. Raise your confidence, be more polite to everyone and take care of others. Try to fix a time for each task and organize your whole day’s plans. Accept the new challenges and explore the universe to boost your creativity. 

5 Mistakes to Avoid While You Still Have a Job

Having a job is a great blessing and when you are working somewhere in a stable position, you don’t want to think about bad times. However, the fact remains that there are no guarantees that you might still be employed next month or even the next week. The employment scenario has changed drastically after the economic recession and the number of people without jobs has increased quite a lot lately. While it is true that you cannot do much to avoid getting fired once the boss has made up his mind, there are still many things you can do when you still have a job that can help you later on.

When you have a job, make sure that you are not making any of the common mistakes mentioned below:

Ignoring Self-Improvement:

The most important thing you need to do when you are employed somewhere is to work on self-improvement. Everyone possesses a lot of skills but unless you constantly work on polishing those skills, you will end up being out of touch. Since new technologies are constantly being incorporated at offices, the most important thing is to learn how to use them and make sure that you are using all tools at your disposal to perform effectively and efficiently. This way even if you are fired in the long run, you can get another job much quicker based on your experience and know-how.

You can very easily sharpen and polish your existing set of skills by enrolling in an online course, reading help materials and books, and learning from a colleague or senior.

Not Availing Opportunities:

This mistake also takes its branches in the previous one as a person who does not avail the learning and training opportunities provided by the company is doing himself great harm. Companies often organize training sessions and workshops for their employees that are aimed at honing and sharpening their skills. Most employees consider such exercises tiresome and boring and do not attend these sessions. The fact is that the employees are the ones who can reap maximum benefit from such sessions and work towards the advancement of their professional careers. So whenever your company organizes a workshop, be a part of it and learn all you can to improve your own skills.

Not Saving Money:

You need to start putting money aside while you’re still receiving a steady paycheck. Most people do not feel the urgency to start saving money when they have a job and often waste too much money on useless things.  However, once you are without a job, the money just flows out and there is no steady inflow of cash so you are left in a tight spot. It’s much easier to start saving money when you are employed as you can take a little out of your salary every month and put it in a savings account.  This way even if you are terminated you will have a considerable amount of money saved which can be used while you are looking for a job and will definitely take the pressure off you.

Not Developing Contacts:

One of the most important things you need to realize when you are working in a professional environment is that developing a strong network of people assets is extremely important for your career. People assets are the most significant and important part of your professional life as they can be the most valuable contacts which come in handy when you are having problems at work or in case you get fired and are looking for a new job.

When you are employed somewhere, not only can you make a lot of contacts at work, but you also get in touch with clients and customers.  If you are good with people skills, you’ll be able to make new contacts immediately and even if you are not good at this, you can learn by watching others.

Remember, the wider your network of people is, the easier it is for you to get a job if you are fired or even get better job opportunities when you are still employed.

Not Planning Ahead:

When you are at a stable and secure job, it is understandable that you do not want to think of other options or plan ahead. However, if you do not plan ahead you can face a lot of problems later on as sooner or later everyone has to evaluate where his career path is headed. You need to take a break and consider what you want from your professional career in the next five years. Make a list of all the goals that you need to accomplish in order to get there and then check how many of these goals have been accomplished by you to date.

Next, you can make a list of what changes in your professional path are necessary to reach the goal and start working on achieving them. If you are planning ahead and are prepared for the next five years, even if you are fired at once, you will know what your career path is and what you have to do next to get the job that will help in keeping you on track.

Conclusion:

It goes without saying that being jobless and unemployed is a tough time and anyone can break under the pressure. However, since we are all aware of the fact that the chances of being laid off are increasing for every single person, it is better to be prepared well in advance so that if the circumstance arises, we are able to deal with the situation positively. You need to keep in mind that getting fired is not the end of the world and with patience and a proper approach you can get a new job within no time. Keep in touch with your colleagues from all the post offices and make sure that you send them a message or an email from time to time so that they think of you in case a job opportunity arises.

Addressing Workplace Conflict

Conflict, when people are working together, is a part of ‘doing business’. It can be defined as a sharp
disagreement or opposition of interests or ideas.
Conflict is a normal and natural part of any workplace. When it occurs, there is a tendency for morale to
be lowered, an increase in absenteeism, and decreased productivity. It has been estimated that managers
spend at least 25 percent of their time resolving workplace conflicts – causing lowered office
performance.

Sources of Workplace Conflict

There are many sources of workplace conflict.
Some of the most important are:

• • Poor Communication:
    Different communication styles can lead to misunderstandings between employees or between employees and managers. Lack of communication drives conflict ‘underground’.

• • Different Values:
    Any workplace is made up of individuals who see the world differently. Conflict occurs when there is a lack of acceptance and understanding of these differences.

• • Differing Interests:
    Conflict occurs when individual workers ‘fight’ for their personal goals, ignoring organizational goals and organizational well-being.

• • Scarce Resources:
    Too often, employees feel they have to compete for available resources in order to do their job. In a resource-scarce environment, this causes conflicts – despite awareness of how scarce resources may be.

• • Personality Clashes:
    All work environments are made up of differing personalities. Unless colleagues understand and accept each other’s approach to work and problem-solving & conflict will occur.

• • Poor Performance:
    When one or more individuals within a work unit are not performing – not working up to potential – and this is not addressed, conflict is inevitable.

• • Office Romance:
    Office romances can be a cause of workplace conflict. Workplace romances are dangerous because they can lead to conflict within the organization. Public displays of affection can make co-workers uncomfortable and accusations of favoritism may occur, especially if it is a supervisor-subordinate relationship. If the relationship goes awry, one party may seek to exact revenge on the other.

• • A consequence of Workplace Conflict:
    Unresolved conflict in the workplace has been linked to miscommunication resulting from confusion or refusal to cooperate, missed deadlines or delays, increased stress among employees, reduced creative collaboration and team problem-solving, disruption to workflow, decreased customer satisfaction, distrust, split camps, and gossip. The conflict has been noted to be an indicator of the broader concept of workplace harassment. It relates to other factors that might co-occur, such as role conflict, role ambiguity, and workload. It also relates to
    strains such as anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and low levels of job satisfaction.

• • Addressing Conflict:
    There are a number of ways that can be utilized to address workplace conflict:

• • Avoidance:
    ‘hiding our head in the sand’, hoping the conflict will go away.

• • Collaboration:
    Working together to find a mutually beneficial solution.

• • Compromise:
    Finding the middle ground whereby a ‘little is given and little is gotten’.

• • Competing:
    ‘may the best person win?

• • Accommodation:
    Surrendering our own needs and wishes to please the other person.

• • Mediation:
    Accepting the decision of a mediator who is neutral to both parties Handling and resolving conflicts that arise in the workplace is one of the biggest challenges. Typically there are two responses to conflict: run away (avoidance) or ‘battle it out’. In either case, we often feel
    uncomfortable or dissatisfied with the results because no resolution has been achieved. By learning to constructively resolve conflict, we can turn a potentially destructive situation into an opportunity for creativity and enhanced performance.

 Starting the Job Hunt – Grooming Yourself

The hunt for that “good job” does not start by searching for jobs – although most of us would like to think so. In order to secure a good job you will need to be proactive rather than being reactive. A successful job hunt starts from “self-grooming”. Education; your GPA will only take you that far; because universities and educational institutes no matter how highly rated they are will only be able to educate you that much. Mr. Monis illustrated this by saying that he uses only 5% of the knowledge he picked up at an educational institute, the rest comes from grooming and his observations. Polish your interpersonal skills by expanding and diversifying your peer group; yes, that means interacting with Uncles and Aunties. You may even ask your faculty how professional they think you are; their responses will help you fine-tune and make changes where necessary.

 Preparing Your CV

In the words of Mr. Monis Rahman, “your CV is of utmost importance because it is your ticket into the company”. Almost 80% of the applications are rejected based on the layout of the CV – if it has many spelling mistakes, bad formatting, and simple copy-paste text, chances are it will end up in the bin. You should be creative while making your CV, and have a friend proofread it for you just to make sure there are no grammar or composition mistakes. Usually, for every advertised position a company receives hundreds of responses; it is understandable, most of the time hiring managers just glance at a CV – so make sure yours catches their interest at first glance. It should tickle their fancy, and once they start reading, your CV should incline them to meet you. A good resume answers a key question before it is posed – “why should they hire you?” You will need to highlight the skills, interests,s, and passion you have along the lines of the company’s expectations and of course the job description. For example, if you are applying for the position of a “Financial Manager” you should highlight your passion and interest in number crunching, and financial matters; you should also mention project work from your Financial Management coursework. Tweak your CV into something the managers “expect” to see.

The Best Way To Find Out A Good Job

During his talk in Karachi, Mr. Monis Rahman asked the audience what they thought was the best way to find a good job; some of them said online job portals others said newspapers – one said “talking to people”, that’s it said Mr. Monis and explained further. Ask your friends to recommend some places – this does not mean you are asking them for a “request for employment” or asking them to get you into a company. You are just telling them that you are “ready and available for a job” and are actively seeking one. Those among your friends who are employed will ask you to turn in your CV; once you give them one, they will pass it along to their superiors with the words “Sir, this is my friend and he is good” or “Ma’am, I know someone who will definitely bring value to the company”. What this does is, it brings your CV on top of the pile of hundreds received through advertising – not a “request” but a “recommendation”. The superior will proceed with trust since your CV came through an employee’s testimonial and this will improve your chances for an interview.

 Importance of Internships and Experience

Practical experience is very important because it shows the employer you have a hands-on experience in the field you are being interviewed for. A simple 3-month internship as Mr. Monis says will be the best investment you can ever make to secure a stable career. In response to one of the questions about the difficulty in finding an internship, Mr. Monis Rahman said no one can refuse a free employee with fire in the belly and a spark in the eye. He suggests you be aggressive when it comes to finding out an internship – go to the companies and personally speak with them, bring your passion out and talk to them about the ways you can add value to the company because the only reason a company will be inclined to hire you is the assurance that you will add value to the company.

Reaching Out – Searching For A Job

Ask your friends and your network to let you know about any company they know is hiring. Besides that, online portals also improve your reach three folds. ROZEE.PK is one of the best online portals you can register to for a job hunt. Having over 30,000 employers having both medium and top tier stature, just with submitting your CV to ROZEE.PK, you can reach out to a big chunk of hiring companies. Call up HR Managers and ask them if there are any positions open – Mr. Monis Rahman added that the supply and demand of jobs and willing employees are badly unbalanced due to the economic conditions, there are far more potential employees compared with companies hiring for the new resource so you will need to stand out to secure a job in these times.

 “To Do” Before The Interview

It is of utmost importance to know about the company before you go for your interview, particularly about their way of operations and the weaknesses that they might have. If the company went through tough times in the recent past, you should know about it and have some suggestions of ways you could improve had it been you in the position then. You will need to tailor your profile and CV in a way that incorporates the company’s needs and requirements.

 Attending the Interview

“Once you are called in for an interview, you will need to bring out your best side,” said Mr. Monis, he also said you should present yourself in a way that appeals to the customer. In the case of the company and the interviewee, the company is your customer. “People like those who are similar to people” added Mr. Monis. Your dress should be in accordance with the culture of the company you are going to; if they prefer suits and ties go for it even if you don’t like to wear suits. Do not be stubborn, be flexible. During the interview you will be asked all sorts of questions, some would be simple for you others might pose a challenge; the key here is to convert every answer into your strength. “Be confident and respond to questions with an affirmative voice”, suggested the young CEO.

 Responding to Offers

While responding to offers you need to tread carefully, particularly if it is your first job. You need to give an impression that you are not greedy; but, on the same side, you need to put a price that is neither below nor above. Mr. Monis elaborated on a simple trick to answering technical questions like “how much are you expecting?” You should answer the question flexibly, for instance; “Oh I am flexible sir, but what bracket do you have in mind?” By responding like this, you are getting a bracket the company is willing to pay – you never know the company might be paying more than you are expecting, this is why it is wise to let the company quote you a bracket. Once you have the bracket, just quote something within that bracket. While negotiating offers, Mr. Monis suggests interviewees not be harsh or rude – being firm and confident is something else. At this point, you cannot afford to be arrogant. According to Mr. Monis, one should “lean towards boldness rather than humbleness”.

 Luck and Destiny’s Play in a Job Hunt

Towards the conclusion of the speech Mr. Monis Rahman allowed a Q&A question, during which one of the attendees asked “how will you relate the influence of luck and destiny during a job hunt”. As a response, Mr. Monis said; “Right place and the right time are obviously very important, but it is not in your own hand. All around you, there are numerous examples where people seem to be more lucky than normal – the reason behind that is they make their own luck”. You can make yourself “lucky” and be at the right place at the right time by being aware of the market – what are companies looking for, what issues are they facing and how can you add value to the company? This value addition is what the company desire to hire. You will need to have a good set of skills combined with good knowledge and also you will need to illustrate these throughout your interview process to land a good job which will indeed lead to a growing career.

 What Mr. Monis Rahman said is something that we all know well. In fact, we know it all so well we often put it in the back of our minds and this is why finding good jobs is hard. The wisdom Mr. Monis shared so passionately with aspiring young professionals will indeed help them towards securing a brighter future.