6 Soft Skills You Need to Advance Your Career

6 Soft Skills You Need to Advance Your Career6 Soft Skills You Need to Advance Your CareerDeveloping the right soft skills can go a long way in determining your career success.While hard skills are still a necessary part of career education, your career education still needs to include soft skills if you wish to succeed.Soft skills shape how you work and interact with those around you.But how do you know what soft skills will help grow your career?Check out our list of 6 soft skills you need to advance your career.1.Communication skillsNo matter what industry you are in, knowing how to communicate well is always a helpful skill.Knowing how to communicate effectively both in written and verbal communication helps establish a positive perception of yourself.Having excellent communication skills means that you can effectively communicate your needs and ideas, and you know how to listen to others actively.Active listeners pay attention when others are talking, taking in what is being pre sented and offering thoughtful questions and responses.Good communicators can get their ideas across clearly while also being able to listen fully to others opinions.Having good communications skills makes you more valuable in the workplace as you can clearly present ideas, listen to feedback well, and build positive relationships.2. AdaptabilityRegardless of who you are or what your role is, change is always a part of your life.Being able to adapt to change quickly and decisively makes you invaluable.You will experience change in your workplace, whether it be a change in management, change in work style, or maybe even a change in your seat.If you can approach change with a positive attitude and quickly adapt to the new way of work, you show that you are a team player who is willing to grow and improve.Your willingness to accept the change and adapt will be remembered by those around you and will reflect well on your performance.3. TeamworkHaving the ability to work well with others is a skill everyone needs to know.Even if your work can be done alone, a companys success is mainly dependent on many people working on a common goal.Knowing how to function on a team and be a team player will help support company goals and establish positive relationships with others.To be a team player, you need to be able to work in harmony with others, being inclusive to new ideas and respectful of others needs and beliefs.Being able to work on a team shows that you can collaborate and strengthens the quality of your work.4. Emotional IntelligenceEmotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others.Those with strong emotional intelligence demonstrate good self-awareness, emotional regulation, a strong sense of motivation, an ability to empathize with others, and strong social skills.Being able to recognize your emotions in the workplace and regulate them shows you can keep calm under pressure and react appropriately t o stress.Strong motivation helps you seek out new opportunities for growth.Empathy and social skills help you build positive relationships and connect well with others.5. Work EthicWithout a good work ethic, you will elend be able to succeed in your career.Even if you possess all of the technical knowledge, without a strong work ethic, you will not go far.Being willing to take the initiative and get a job done will lead to much success.Employers value workers who are willing to work hard and go the extra mile.6. Openness to FeedbackIn the workplace, being able to receive and listen to feedback is critical to career growth.If you are unable to handle constructive feedback, you are holding yourself back from doing the best you can do.Being able to listen to constructive criticism and apply it to your work can improve your work performance.It also can make you seem more approachable and adaptable if you are willing to listen to feedback and act on it.