Saffron Wildbore
~ 3min read
~ 3min read
Soft skills are incredibly important when it comes to finding a job and advancing your career. Soft skills show your employer how well you work in a team, your problem solving skills and much more. One of the most important soft skills that you can have whilst finding a job is the ability to network.
Carry on reading this blog post to find out how to use your soft skills to your advantage when it comes to landing yourself that graduate job.
Soft skills are certain personal attributes that help you interact with other people, listen and communicate effectively.
Some examples of soft skills include:
Active listening
Communication
Problem solving
Teamwork
Adaptability
Leadership
Conflict resolution
Work ethic
Some people who have high emotional intelligence naturally possess these skills, but if you don’t there are always ways to improve through soft skills training courses.
Networking is a great way to learn and improve your interpersonal skills. Networking can be done both in person and online using LinkedIn.
In person networking events can be a great way to meet like minded people and expand your knowledge in your field. However, when you’re first starting out in your career, walking into a room of strangers can be daunting.
Whilst you build your professional confidence, LinkedIn is a great tool to foster meaningful and interpersonal connections. Through the use of this platform, you can connect with mentors, coworkers and important names in your field.
This can help you improve communication and build strong soft skills, as you will learn how to talk to people from different backgrounds. LinkedIn can also help you to showcase your skills and experience, allowing you to find greater work opportunities.
Our North America Talent Team gives some great tips to help you get ahead in your new role.
It’s crucial to ensure that there are certain things on your profile.
Profile picture
A headline
A 2-3 sentence summary
Technical and soft skills
Work experience
Education
Personal accomplishments
Volunteering experience
Once you’ve got all these ready, it’s time to start using the platform. Connect with friends, tutors, and colleagues, use the search box to find LinkedIn groups on topics you're interested in, and follow thought leaders who share content on topics you're passionate about.
Get to know the person you’ve connected with! Keep it short and sweet and explain why you want to get to know the person.
Share your professional achievements with your network. Explain what your process was, the results and what you’ve learned. If someone comments on your post, respond!
Support other people’s achievements too.
Contribute to discussions that interest you instead of just liking posts. Explain what your key takeaways were, ask questions and give your opinion.
Share articles you think your network will find helpful or interesting.
The most important thing is to be authentic, if you’re not yourself it’s unlikely that you’ll resonate with your network.
Once you’ve followed all these steps, you’ll be on your way to advancing your soft skills and networking your way to a successful career in your chosen industry.
But first, take the first step and apply for a graduate role with mthree.
Saffron Wildbore is a Senior Marketing Executive at mthree. She has worked in marketing, specialising in creating content for over 4 years. Saffron focuses on writing tips for graduates, Alumni interviews and more!
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