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Soft skills

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Soft skills is a sociological term which refers to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to varying degrees. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job.

Some examples of soft skills:

Personal Qualities:

Interpersonal Skills

  • Participates as a member of the Team
  • Teaches others
  • Serves Client / Customers
  • Exercises Leadership
  • Negotiates
  • Works with cultural diversity

(from U.S. Department of Labor - Employment & Training Administration):

Soft skills can also be an important part of the success of an organization. Organizations, particularly those frequently dealing with customers face-to-face, are generally more prosperous if they train their staff to use these skills[citation needed]. For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.