How to get the most out of your social skills for your job search

You wouldn’t encounter a single job description in the market that does not demand some sort of social skill. Every employer wants their candidates to possess interpersonal, communication, or relationship-building skills so that they can adapt well to the company culture. Social skills help you be a better collaborator with your colleagues and also contribute toward better client satisfaction.

What are social skills?

Social skills determine how well or poorly you interact with others in your life. If you want to fit in with the workplace culture your employer has established, it is vital that you possess the right social skills. Today’s workplaces are more attuned to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Here are the most useful social skills you must nurture for a successful career:

• Communication - verbal and nonverbal
• Empathy
• Active listening
• Positivity
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Customer service
• Conflict resolution

So, how can you highlight your social skills for potential employers?

Consider all the steps of the hiring process. First, you will submit a well-written cover letter along with your resume for the job application. You will also include a link to your LinkedIn profile in your resume. Then, you will be invited for an interview by the employer. All of these opportunities are chances for you to emphasize your social skills.

Displaying social skills on a resume

Your resume is the best impression you can give the employer before meeting them. When creating the key skills section of your resume, you must take care to add a good mix of hard and soft skills to it. Soft skills will almost always enhance your social skills. You can get creative with the way you present your social skills on the resume, rather than just listing them in the skills section. For example, if the job description asks for product demonstrations, you can add achievements to the work experience section that highlight how you have great presentation and demonstration skills.

Emphasizing social skills on a cover letter

Most hiring managers read your cover letter before they pick up the resume, so it is a great place to showcase your social skills. Just as with your resume, you must always tailor your cover letter to the job description. Pick one or two examples of accomplishments you made due to your social skills and emphasize them on the cover letter using bullet points. You can even use the STAR method to briefly narrate a career story involving your social skills to impress recruiters.

Adding social skills to your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is one of the biggest job search tools of our time. Some career experts believe that your LinkedIn profile is just as important as your resume for the job search. Most hiring managers search for candidates on LinkedIn before making a move, so having a polished LinkedIn profile is actually worth it. There are plenty of allocated spaces for your skills on LinkedIn. Use them wisely to display your social skills.

Bring up social skills during an interview

The interview itself will be a test of your social skills. The interviewer will be able to glean a lot about how you respond to a stressful situation and interact with new people through your performance at the interview. You will most certainly be asked behavioral questions during your interview. When giving your answer, remember to emphasize how you used your social skills to take control of the situation.