2.2. Soft skills and Hard skills
Why are soft skills and hard skills important for jobs
Do not know what they are? Do not worry we will explain them in this section
In jobs or employment, you need a set of skills in order to succeed in your job. These skills can be divided into two categories: Hard skills and Soft skills.
Hard Skills or Technical skills
Hard skills which are also known as technical skills, are role-related qualifications, that are gained through formal education, professional or job experience and training (Pavlou, nodate, Lee, 2025). Examples of these include: nursing, food and baking certification, plumbing and report writing.
Soft Skills or Personal skills
Soft skills also known as personal skills or personal traits are the ones related to your personality and personal qualities and traits. These are gained through various, life-long professional and personal experiences. Some of these skills are role specific such as teamwork for jobs that require you to work as part of a team; while others are general skills required for almost any job such as communication (Pavlou, nodate, Lee, 2025). Examples of soft skills include (as shown in sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.2): Cooperation, Communication, Leadership, Innovation, Adaptability and flexibility. In addition to time management and teamwork
In fact nowadays, specifically with the evolution of technology and globalisation of talent and the constantly changing work environment and landscape, employers are focusing more and more on soft skills as opposed to some hard skills, particularly those soft skills that are transferable to different environments and roles (Linkedin, 2024).
This means that your soft skills (like the ones found in the career tests) are very important when searching and applying for jobs, because they will bring out and emphasise your key skills and competencies which are needed for the job you are applying for. In summary, these soft skills are an essential component and addition to your CV and as a result your Cover letter. In the next, Module 3, we will explain in detail how you can use these skills when writing your CV and Cover letter.