How to Improve Your Soft Skills for Career Success

Employers are increasingly looking for candidates with strong soft skills.

Soft skills are those interpersonal behaviours, personality traits and abilities that people use in the workplace when interacting with others and performing their work. They include skills such as creativity, communication, active listening, team work, time management and adaptability.

But what if your soft skills are lacking or need improvement? The good news is that there are proactive steps you can take to develop and strengthen your soft skills. Here’s how:

First step: Ask for feedback on your soft skills

Some people are naturally aware of their strengths and weaknesses. However, many struggle to self-assess their soft skills accurately.

To better understand your existing soft skills and identify areas for development, ask for feedback from:

• Friends and family
• Trusted co-workers
• Former managers or supervisors

This honest feedback will help you clarify your strengths and pinpoint which soft skills need improvement. It also provides a strong foundation for setting personal development goals.

Take on a new challenges to grow your skills

Once you’ve identified the soft skills that need work, actively seek opportunities to develop them.

At work, consider:

• Leading or supporting a new project
• Taking responsibility for a specific task
• Running a team meeting or discussion
• Writing reports or taking minutes
• Organising an event or internal function

Outside of work, you can build soft skills by:

• Volunteering for a community cause or charity
• Joining a team sport or coaching one
• Participating in a professional networking group
• Taking a class, such as drama or public speaking

Choose activities that specifically target your soft skill gaps and align with your career goals.

Consider soft skills training or courses

If you feel your soft skills are lacking in a particular area, then it may be worth undertaking some microcredentials or non-formal learning to enhance them. For example, Coursera offers some online short courses in the following areas:

• Critical thinking/ creativity and problem solving
• People management
• Emotional intelligence.

If you are interested in virtual training (interactions with students and teachers via an internet connection) then it may be worth contacting the Australian Institute of Soft Skills Training who offer a range of different soft skills training in areas such as time management, strategic thinking, and leadership and management.

Additionally, it may be worthwhile checking out your professional association if you are a member of one, or are thinking about joining. These organisations often have soft skills courses on offer to members as part of their career development offerings.

When choosing a potential course, keep in mind that any soft skills training you undertake should be strongly linked to the work environment you are in or wish to work in, and crucially, that these courses will lead to job opportunities.

Practice your skills

Once you’ve taken the initiative to improve your soft skills, it’s essential to practise regularly. Consistent application of your new skills in daily work and social situations will help solidify them. The more you practise soft skills such as communication, adaptability, or leadership, the more confident and competent you’ll become.