So, what exactly are soft skills? Soft skills are a set of personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. These skills include things like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, time management, adaptability, and empathy. Essentially, soft skills are those intangible qualities that make a person a good team player, a good communicator, and a good leader. Many job seekers often focus solely on their technical abilities, and naturally detail these in their resumes and cover letters and rightly so to some degree, depending on the role. While these skills are certainly important, they’re not the only factors that employers look for when evaluating candidates. In fact, in many cases, employers are just as interested in a candidate's soft skills as they are in their technical skills and sometimes more emphasis is placed onto soft skills.

Soft skills are particularly important in today's workforce because the nature of work is changing – big time! With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence or AI, many technical jobs are becoming automated, meaning that technical skills are becoming less important. Instead, what employers are looking for are individuals who can work well in teams, communicate effectively with others, and adapt to changing circumstances. These are all skills that fall under the umbrella of soft skills.