Soft skills are your ticket to a smooth career change. Yes, of course some technical skills will be necessary but it’s worthwhile to note that you don’t need to meet all of the qualifications to be a good fit.

In a recent study using LinkedIn data, Maria Ignatova reported that women feel they need to match nearly 100% of the job qualifications in order to apply, while men will typically apply if they meet just 60% of the qualifications. Her study also found that women apply to 20% fewer jobs than men, even though they are 16-18% more likely to get hired! So, again:

You DO NOT need to meet all of the qualifications

to apply for a job.

(And in a career change, you probably won’t.)

You do, however, want to be sure that you match the at least SOME of the qualifications, and having a good mix of technical skills and soft skills is a great way to accomplish that.

Since the average person changes jobs over 12 times, it’s likely that you’ll wind up switching careers a time or two as well. And since soft skills tend to be the most easily transferrable from one career field to the next, if you’re not working on your soft skills, you’re in danger of falling behind.

No matter what industry you’re in (or what you want to target next), find ways to use skills like:

• Leadership
• Adaptability
• Interpersonal Skills
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Creativity
• Attention to Detail
• Time Management
• Ability to Prioritize
• Work Ethic
• Problem-Solving

These soft skills are in high demand, and that won’t change any time soon. While the world is busy creating new ways to automate processes, there will always be a need for human skills in the workforce.

Not only are these soft skills automation-proof, they are universally transferrable to almost any field, and they are prime characteristics used in leadership roles.

So, if you’re planning on making a career change, transition, or pivot, working on your human skills can be super beneficial to securing a new position.

Now is the time. Make this a priority. Commit.

There’s no time better than the present to start working on these skills. Schedule something into your calendar, set a reminder, use a post-it, or whatever you need to do to make it real for you. You’ll be glad you did, and your career will thank you for it, too.

Here is an actionable example of leveling-up your soft skills:

Learn a new language. I know it may sound overwhelming, but there are plenty of apps that make the experience very approachable.

Afterward, you’ll be able to add another language to your resume AND you can flaunt your new, stronger soft skills like:

• Communication
• Work ethic
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving

Mike Bird, a career and leadership coach for undergrads, adds,

“I second your idea of driving soft skill development through language learning. I learned French throughout my mid-20’s and in addition to the improved soft skills you mentioned, my emotional intelligence really grew as I became much more empathetic of people who speak a different mother tongue than me.”

Other actionable ways to level-up your soft skills include:

Karen Silins, a jobseeker advocate, resume writer and career coach, writes,

“Blessedly, there are tremendous free and low-cost options for people to obtain professional development online and in-person.  Typically, that in-person training is more at corporate, community college, and community center/library level, whereas online comes from multiple sources, including LinkedIn.  However, individuals must be careful in thinking that any course can transmit into soft skills immediately.  Mentorship is also incredibly valuable.  From interpersonal communication, public speaking, conflict management, and emotional intelligence, to trend awareness, situational awareness, and time management, all of these skills are developed over time and with practice.  This means practicing with others, using it in your daily interactions and approaches in your workplace and personal life, and realizing you can’t work on 10 of these simultaneously.  Just like learning a new language, it is with use that you gain proficiency.  Read about them, take courses in them, and use them.  As a couple of skills start to become more routine to you, add another.  Also, remember that others come equipped with certain skills you don’t have and vice versa, so learn from them.”

Ashley Watkins, a nationally certified resume writer, job search and interview coach, and LinkedIn Top Voice for 2019, adds,

“Volunteering for steering committees or focus groups can be a great way to improve/showcase several soft skills at once. You may even land a solid reference or referral opportunity from it.”

Continuing Ashley’s comment, Sarah Johnston, an executive resume writer and interview coach, writes,

“[steering committees and focus groups] also allow you to work with people that often aren’t in your inner-circle.”

Nii Ato Bentsi-Enchill, a career coach and counselor, notes that,

“Under the umbrella of ‘Communication’, I would specifically suggest that folks seek opportunities to improve their public speaking and writing skills. Being a good communicator is so critical to advancement and leadership. Public speaking is scary to most, but you can start as small as leading a ‘lunch and learn’ at your office and progress from there. On the writing side, if your company has a blog or newsletter, you could author and submit something that could get published and may gain you some visibility by demonstrating your thought leadership.”

Barb Penney, a career consultant and resume writer, adds,

“There are a ton of personal development books, blogs and podcasts full of ideas on developing leadership skills. Great way to begin.”

Adrienne Tom, an award-winning executive resume writer, posts,

“I’m a big fan of ongoing skills development and professional development. There are so many awesome ideas shared in this thread: take classes, volunteer…but my personal fav is to try new things. It may mean joining a committee outside your usual work focus…taking on new projects outside the normal scope of work…or taking the leap to learn a new task, even if it makes you uncomfortable. So many awesome things have happened to me when I said yes to new things – even when they scared me.”

Fareen Shaikh, a remote career and interview coach, says,

“Side hustles always teach you a great deal. It helps you not only develop your technical skills but also put helps you work on all the skills you’ve mentioned in your post. You learn to work around managing expectations with yourself and people that you decide to work with.”

Sharon Hamersly, a LinkedIn and career coach, suggests that you,

“Volunteer for a cause you are passionate about. You have to work as part of a team and often, work with people who are very different, so you improve your teamwork and flexibility skills.”

Adding to Sharon’s comment, Sarah Thornburg Jolly, a career counselor, writes,

“I took a few years out of the working world to raise my babies, but during that time I stayed active by volunteering some of my time each week. It was great because it gave me flexibility to raise my children, but I could continue to show growth, work ethic, and had something to fill the gaps on my resume. It’s an excellent way for entry level students to gain experience and references, as well as helping (and showing employers) causes they care about. I will always advocate for volunteer work!”