Soft skills aren’t soft anymore.

Since 2019, HR thinkers have been rebranding “soft skills”—human-centric skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership—as “power skills.” Why the change?

The term “soft skills” was coined by the U.S. Army in the late 1960s. The Army applied the term to important skills that do not require the use of machinery; by contrast, skills that do involve machinery have since that time been known as “hard skills.” But that basic distinction is now giving way to a more nuanced view.

In many situations, marketing skills are needed for non-marketing jobs. Maybe you work for a smaller business and you’ve been tasked with keeping an eye on the social media analytics, or you’ve been asked to make small changes to the website using WordPress.

Interviewing for a new position is perhaps the most intimidating part of a job search. It’s exciting to learn more about what you might be doing in a new role, but it can be difficult to know the right things to say.

We all know hard skills are important to every job. Each position has different hard skills that employees need to have (e.g. technical, software, and hardware knowledge for an IT professional, spatial awareness, design, and carpentry skills for a contractor). But at the end of the day, what are the skills every employee needs to have? Soft skills. 

But, what are soft skills? They’re the skills you’d like to see in the people you work with, like good communication, flexibility, and adaptability.

Starting as a new project manager can be incredibly daunting, so it’s helpful to know what skills you need to bring to the table to be successful. Skills like risk management, problem solving, and critical thinking are core skills that are needed by any project manager, but skills like active listening, effective communication, and technology knowledge are what make the difference between a subpar leader and a great leader.

Sweaty palms. Rapid heartbeat. Tremblings hands and legs. Dry mouth.

Have you experienced any of these physical symptoms before or during a job interview? If so, you are certainly not alone. Job interview anxiety does not discriminate; it can strike anyone, regardless of his or her age, educational background, or professional experience. Research shows that over 90% of adults in the U.S. experience job interview anxiety. The best weapons for battling nerves and anxiety before and during an interview are preparation and practice.

With ongoing advancements in conferencing technology and an increasing number of organizations employing global workforces, virtual communication has become a regular part of business culture. Virtual meetings, particularly video conference calls, offer many obvious benefits, including convenience and flexibility. Even a hospital stay is no longer an excuse to miss a meeting, as long as your hospital has wifi. But video conference calls can quickly turn awkward if the participants are not taking special attention to their body language cues.

Researching, applying for, and interviewing for a job can be extremely stressful. Just like entering the dating world and searching for your perfect partner, the process of finding your dream job can be daunting, and you might be afraid of rejection. In fact, a 2003 survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Everest College shows that 92% of U.S. adults have job interview anxiety.

We communicate in both personal and professional settings on a daily basis, but how much of our written or verbal communication resonates with the audience on the receiving end? Strong communication skills are essential in all types of business and can help take your career to the next level. If you can communicate with clarity, tact, and honesty, your ideas will have an impact. Check out these ten tips for effective communication in our latest infographic.

Communication is an integral part of business. However, we often focus on how to communicate verbally and forget to address nonverbal communication skills, including listening. Learning how to be an active listener can help you impart empathy and fairness in your professional and personal relationships. Improve your active listening skills with these four tips.