Career growth is a product of experience, expertise, adaptability, and networking. Another important aspect of professional success is the balance between the hard skills and the soft skills. Hard skills are defined as the technical knowledge, the measurable skills and the generic skills related to a particular industry, while soft skills are the skills that are related to interpersonal communications and emotional intelligence.
For the past years, employers have been considering the hard skills in hiring and promoting their employees. But as the workplace changes and robots are taken over the basic functions, soft skills become as important as before for career progression. The issue still remains the same: which of these two skill sets is more critical for long-term success? This article aims to discuss the differences between soft and hard skills, their roles in career growth, and how both can be used to fast track one’s career.
Understanding Hard Skills and Their Role in Career Growth
Hard skills are task-focused, they are quantifiable and they are learned at work, at school or through training. They are important for performing specific technical jobs in different fields.
Examples of Hard Skills:
- Coding and programming (Python, Java, C++)
- Data analysis and statistics
- Accounting and financial modelling
- Graphic design and video editing
- Engineering and technical drafting
- Foreign language skills
- Cybersecurity and IT networking.
Importance of Hard Skills in Career Advancement:
Specialized Knowledge: There are many jobs which are specific to certain fields and cannot be done without proper training. For example, a software developer has to know coding languages, and a financial analyst has to know about market trends and forecasting.
Higher Earning Potential: Professionals with more skills tend to have an upper hand in salary negotiations. Some of the high paying skills include machine learning, cloud computing and digital marketing among others.
Job Market Relevance: In technology and data oriented industries, employees with technical skills are likely to have job security and career path.
However, this is not enough when it comes to relying only on hard skills for long term career management. Today’s employment market requires a set of skills that go beyond the technical—adaptability, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills.
The Rise of Soft Skills in Career Development
Soft skills are personality driven, non-technical skills and abilities that determine how one relates to colleagues and co-workers in the workplace and how one navigates through work related issues and situations in the professional world. They are not specific to any particular industry and can be used in various jobs and career trajectories.
Some Examples of Soft Skills:
- Communication and listening skills
- Management and leadership of teams
- Persistence and flexibility
- Analytical skills and decision making
- Intelligence emitted and handling of conflict
- Planning and execution
- Creativity and innovation
Why Soft Skills Are Getting More Important:
Workplace Collaboration: There are many jobs that entail group work and, consequently, the need to convey information accurately. They appreciate those professionals who can easily get along with their teammates, express themselves correctly, and find common ground.
Leadership and Career Progression: As individuals advance in their careers, they realize that technical skills are no longer as important as managerial skills such as leadership and decision-making skills and the ability to handle people.
Automation and Integration of Artificial Intelligence: Due to the fast development of artificial intelligence and automation, many technical jobs are now handled by robots. But, skills like emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and creativity cannot be learned from machines.
Although soft skills are important, they cannot be used on their own to develop a professional capacity. The only way to grow in one’s career is not to focus on soft or hard skills but on how to use both of them correctly.
How to Balance Hard and Soft Skills for Career Success
It is the people who have both hard and soft skills that are the most successful in their careers. Here’s how you can ensure that you are developing both of those skill sets and how to balance them:
How to Develop and Enhance Hard Skills:
- Continue Education: Stay current with the industry by enrolling in courses, getting certifications, and training programs.
- Gain Practical Experience: Transfer book knowledge into practice through projects, internships or freelance work.
- Technological Assistance: Use the software and tools of the industry to increase production and knowledge in the area.
The Key Soft Skills That Will Help You Grow in Your Profession:
- Improve Communication: Develop public speaking skills, writing skills, and interpersonal communication skills to express yourself clearly.
- Emotional Intelligence: Learn to identify and deal with people’s feelings so as to improve on one’s relationship in the workplace.
- Build Leadership Skills: Manage people, teach colleagues, and learn how to choose the best strategy.
Both technical and social skills are valuable and when combined make professionals more flexible, desirable in the market and ready for promotion.
Which Skill Set Matters More?
It depends on the industry, job role, and career goals whether hard skills or soft skills are more important when setting eligibility requirements. However, today’s workplaces need both:
For Early-Career Professionals: Hard skills can be most important, as they are required to obtain a job and perform it. Employers usually look for applicants who are eligible for the position and have the required skills for the position.
For Mid-Level Professionals: As professionals gain experience, they need soft skills. They need communication, teamwork, and adaptability to be able to lead and grow in the organization.
For Senior-Level Professionals and Executives: Leadership, negotiation, and strategic thinking are critical. At this stage, hard skills are often less important than people management, decision-making, and vision setting.
Both skill sets are important for career growth: hard skills for performing job tasks and soft skills for collaboration, leadership, and career growth. Instead, both should be learned and acquired to some degree. We know that employers look for people who can show them technical knowledge as well as communication, problem solving, and leadership skills. The job market is changing, and the most effective workers will be the ones who keep cultivating their hard and soft skills to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving workplace.
