10 Important Soft Skills for Successful Scientists
Posted August 10th, 2020
There are two main types of skills: hard and soft. Generally, professionals concern themselves most with their hard skills, as they believe that technical ability is vital for their success.
While that is certainly true, soft skills are increasingly important. In fact, hiring managers are increasingly favoring candidates with strong soft skills, at times over job seekers who have more technical experience or capabilities but aren’t as adept in the soft skills arena.
If you want to make sure that you can be a successful scientist, here’s what you need to know about soft skills, including which ones you simply must possess.
Why Soft Skills Are Important
In many cases, your soft skills determine how you navigate a professional environment. They impact how you interact with others, approach your work, and view your responsibilities. If you have strengths in the right ones, you typically mesh more efficiently with a variety of environments and are more likely to exceed expectations on the job.
Additionally, soft skills aren’t as easily taught, in comparison to technical ones. Often, they are learned over time, and the process relies heavily on personal experience. At times, they are also reflections of core parts of your personality, and those can be hard to change even with a significant amount of effort.
Ultimately, soft skills play a big role in your professional success. As a result, hiring managers do take them into consideration (if not outright prioritize them) whenever they fill a position.
10 Important Soft Skills for Successful Scientists
While nearly all soft skills provide professionals with value, certain ones are crucial to your success in a scientific workplace. Here are ten that most employers consider the most critical:
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- Interpersonal
- Problem-Solving
- Communication
- Flexibility
- Work Ethic
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Attention-to-Detail
- Organization
- Accountability
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Showcasing Your Soft Skills During Your Job Search
Ideally, you want to ensure that the hiring manager knows you possess those capabilities even if they aren’t explicitly listed in the job description. It isn’t uncommon for hiring managers to include only hard skills when reviewing the must-haves for the job, even if they also consider soft skills vital parts of the equation.
As with hard skills, it’s always best to show, not tell. Provide the hiring manager with clear examples of your putting those capabilities to work, as well as how they led to your various achievements. This approach is much more effective than simply telling the hiring manager that you have a particular soft skill, as it lets them see how you put them into action.
Call Our Team Today
Ultimately, soft skills are vital if you want to excel in your scientific career. If you’d like to learn more, the team at Bayside Solutions can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our skilled recruitment team today and see how our career advancement expertise can benefit you.
