Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: Which are More Important for the Workplace? 🛠

If you think that your knowledge, degree, and experience make you a perfect candidate for a particular job, you’re most certainly correct. However, if you also think you don’t need anything else, you’re in for a reality check. You also need soft skills.

That’s why we compiled this ultimate guide on the importance of soft and hard skills as well as the difference between them. If you’re a beginner who’s just entering the workforce or a veteran who’s looking for a fresh start (or even a career change), you’re probably wondering which skills to highlight in your resume and which to leave out.

That leaves you with the questions like:

• What are hard skills?
• What are soft skills and do they even matter?
• Is there any difference between the two?

Luckily, I have the answers you’re looking for right in this guide. Keep reading to get the full breakdown of hard vs. soft skills, find out the difference between them, and get the best tips on how to make sure the recruiters know you’re the best person for the job!

I. Are Hard and Soft Skills Equally Important?

Essentially, the difference between hard skills and soft skills is vast and clear.

• Hard skills are technical and easily quantifiable. They are the knowledge we gained through education and work experience.
  
• Soft skills are interpersonal skills that have more to do with your personality. They shape how you think, operate, work, and how you interact with others.

Hard and soft skills are inherently different. However, they do complement each other. In other words, although easily distinguishable, they go hand in hand, and you can’t have just one set.
 
Here are a few examples of hard skills vs. soft skills.

Some people think that hard skills are the only ones that will set them apart from other candidates. And, I get that. Hard skills are essential.

After all, you worked for years to master them; you shed tears, sweat, and maybe even blood to get that degree and climb the corporate ladder to get to where you are. So now you’re happy as a clam because your resume shines, and your dream job is but an interview away, right?

In reality, hard skills will make the employer consider you for the role, but they won’t nail you the job.

Of course, the same goes for soft skills. They are necessary, but they aren’t enough. You can have the perfect list of soft skills on your resume, be the epitome of communication skills, and abundant leadership qualities; none of that will matter unless you also have the hard skills to back them up.

➤ Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills — A Team Effort

In the matter of hard skills vs. soft skills, we’re not talking about an either/or situation. Perfect candidates are the ones that have:

• The necessary hard skills for the job
• The complimentary soft skills
• And the foresight to showcase both in the right way

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Boy, that’s a lot! Getting a job isn’t easy.” you’re entirely correct. Getting your dream job doesn’t just happen. You have to work for it and make sure the employer sees you as the ideal person for the job.
 
The only way to achieve that is to represent both your soft and hard skills in the right way. Of course, you ideally also have to have them all.

So, if getting a job is so hard (and it is), how do you do it? Well, in this guide, we’ll go over the fundamentals:

1. The difference between hard skills and soft skills
2. Which particular skills from both groups are the most important
3. How to highlight and showcase them on a resume
4. How to slip them in on an interview

Essentially, we’ll talk about how to use and exhibit (or, better said, flaunt a little) the exact skills you need to land a job quickly and effortlessly.
 
Let’s unpack this, shall we?

III. What Are Hard Skills?

Now let’s get one thing straight. Pretty much any skill is teachable. You can learn just about anything if you devote enough time and effort to it. There’s a famous saying that it takes around 10,000 hours to master a skill. That’s not far off from the truth. The question, however, is if you have the necessary time for each skill.

Some skills are inherent. They are part of our personality and the ingrained skill set that we have. Because they come so naturally to us, we hone them throughout our life and perfect them without much effort.

Hard skills are NOT like that. They are teachable, quantifiable skills that are more of a technical nature. We acquire and hone them through learning. We might do that in a classroom, through book reading, or by getting practical on-the-job experience; either way, we learn them rather than naturally developing them and honing them.

➤ Are Hard Skills the Be-All and End-All?

There are skills that you can only learn in a classroom or from other people. Hard skills are just that. They are knowledge that has been passed on to you that you can prove you have. You either have a degree or previous experience that can vouch for your capabilities.
 
Hard skills take years to acquire; they take serious training and are easy to measure. With hard skills, employers know where they stand with all candidates because it’s easy to fact-check them.

Let’s say you’re applying for a job as a teacher. You are great with kids, can communicate with them without any issues, and your organizational skills are on point.
 
That’s amazing! It sounds like teaching is the right career choice for you! However, suppose you don’t have a teaching degree, along with the necessary technical knowledge of how to do everything the teaching job entails (such as lesson planning, report writing, etc.). In that case, you won’t get a teaching job no matter how good your interpersonal skills are.

The other way around is also true. If you can’t communicate properly with the kids and connect with them, and if you don’t have the leadership skills that will allow you to turn a room of unruly 8-year-olds into a room full of kids ready to listen and learn, then you most likely won’t get past the first round of interviews for a teaching job. Come to think of it; you might also not pass the resume stage (unless you showcase ALL your skills in the right way. But we’ll get to that later).

➤ Why Are Hard Skills Important?

Hard skills relate to a specific job or, sometimes, to a particular field. They are clearly defined, and you usually need to have a close or exact match in order to be a candidate worth considering.
 
Hard skills examples are:

• Specific
• Easily measurable
• Clearly defined

So, they are technical skills that are somewhat specialized. They are the backbone of your entire skillset.
 
That sounds pretty important, right? Well, yes. Your hard skills are actually a representation of your potential. They aren’t all you have, but they do show the employer that you can complete specific tasks and that you’re worth their time and resources.

Now, hard skills aren’t always something you either have, or you don’t. Some jobs and industries require further on-the-job training and don’t ask for many hard skills from the get-go. Furthermore, many industries are evolving constantly, and not many people can stay up to date with all the changes. That’s especially true for the tech industry and other similar fields that have a fast-paced evolutionary timetable.
 
So, although no one is expecting you to know everything, you do need at least some hard skills that you can build off of. Imagine your skillset as a house. Soft skills are the furniture, decor, and all your personal belongings that make the house yours. Hard skills, on the other hand, are the foundations, walls, wiring, and appliances. Without soft skills, the house would be impersonal. However, without hard skills, it would be unlivable.

➤ Are Hard Skills Transferable?

A transferable skill is one that’s portable. It’s the one you take from one job to another and apply no matter the circumstances. In other words, it’s a skill that will come in handy no matter the job you’re doing.
 
Both hard and soft skills are transferable. However, hard skills are only transferable to a certain degree. If you’re moving up in your field (in other words, staying within the same industry), most of your hard skills will be transferable. Your marketing degree will always be relevant when it comes to jobs in the marketing field, and your knowledge of managing social media will come in handy even if you’re switching from a social media job to a different part of marketing.
 
However, hard skills aren’t as transferable as soft skills. Skills such as organizational skills, time management, leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence will come in handy even if you’re a librarian who decided to be a sales rep. Your master’s degree in library science, on the other hand, won’t matter that much to the hiring managers who will ultimately decide if you get to make a career in sales or not.
 
Hence my saying hard skills are only transferable to a specific degree.

There are also such hard skills that are necessary for any job. Managerial skills, for example, will undoubtedly catch the hiring manager’s eye, even if you are switching fields. Other skills, such as knowledge of MS Office, are common enough (and also pretty much a necessity for any job), so they are inherently transferable.

➤ Can I Make My Skills Transferable?

 With enough effort, you can make any skill that you have transferable. Typically, transferable skills are:

• General ones (listening, written communication, public speaking, punctuality, etc.)
  
• Interpersonal ones (providing and receiving constructive criticism, resolving conflicts, delegating tasks, developing relationships with clients and coworkers, etc.)
  
• Management skills (recruiting, evaluating, motivating, monitoring, and supervising employees, identifying problems and coming up with solutions, etc.)
  
• Clerical skills (data entry, managing records, creating reports, maintaining correspondence, using office equipment, etc.)
  
• Research and planning skills (planning, implementing, and troubleshooting solutions, analyzing information and making firm decisions based on them, etc.)
  
• Computer and technical skills (using job-related machinery, software, hardware, and equipment, etc.)

As you can see, a lot of skills are transferable. Even the specific ones, such as technical skills, aren’t necessarily completely related to only one job position. For example, some companies may use the same software and are looking for candidates who have previous knowledge in using it.
 
Furthermore, sometimes the skills you do have aren’t an exact match for what an employer is necessarily looking for but show that they can quickly train you or simply upgrade your existing knowledge.

The difference between transferable hard skills and soft skills is this — hard skills are easy to measure. They are quantifiable and, therefore, easy to relate to a specific job.

IV. What Hard Skills are Employers Looking For?

Clearly, every hiring manager has a list of hard skills in mind for every job position they are trying to fill. Some of them aren’t as important as others (in other words, they’d be willing to compromise on them), while others are essential.

Because hard skills are technical and specific, it will be clear from the get-go which ones are non-negotiable. If you’re applying to be a Java web developer, excellent knowledge of Java is a clear must.

However, that’s not your only hard skill, is it?

You probably also have other hard skills that your potential employer will appreciate. Maybe they are even looking for them. The trick is to list the ones that are relevant to the job you’re applying to.

Technology and computer skills fall into the hard skills category. They are also highly transferable. So, those would be the hard skills that the hiring managers would look for no matter the job description and duties.

Generally speaking, some hard skills are in high demand. Now, as I already explained, hard skills are very specific to a job, but you can still get the upper hand by gaining (or highlighting) the sought-after hard skills on your resume.

1. Computer technology (knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, knowing your way around social media, basic or advanced HTML knowledge)
   
2. Hard communication skills (proficiency in foreign languages, copywriting, proofreading and editing, etc.)
   
3. Project management (along with knowing how project management apps such as Trello, Jira, Zoho, etc., work and how you can utilize them to their full potential)
   
4. Data analysis (database and resource management, data collecting, analyzing, and engineering)
   
5. Design skills (from basic Adobe knowledge to advanced UX and UI design)
   
6. Marketing skills (content creating and management, SEO, email marketing, Google Analytics, SEM, etc.)
   
7. Web development and mobile development skills

➤ What Are the “5 Hard Skills?”

If you’ve been around the block a few times, you’ve probably heard other people talk about the famous “5 hard skills.” These are the general hard skills that you need for basically every job.
 
Don’t worry; chances are you already have them all.

1. Relevant degree
2. Industry-specific certifications
3. Technical skills
4. Computer skills
5. Analytical skills

As you can see, these are very general and broad hard skills. You will, of course, be more specific on your resume and during your interviews. Generalizations won’t lead you anywhere. Anyone can say they have “computer skills,” but not everyone can say they have a well-rounded knowledge of the MS Office suite and back that up with facts and numbers (which is what you have to do to land a job, but we’ll get to that a bit later).

If you’re looking for a list of hard skills that are the most sought-after, try putting one of these on a resume:

1. Business and Data Analysis
2. Civil Engineering
3. Computer Troubleshooting
4. Perl/Python/Ruby
5. Project Management
6. Copywriting
7. Smart Contract Development
8. Patient Care
9. Database Management and Software
10. Photo Editing
11. Electronic and Electrical Engineering
12. Macro/Micro Economics
13. Marketing (SEO/SEM)
14. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining
15. Server Maintenance
16. Graphic Design
17. HTML/CSS/Javascript
18. Automotive Services, Parts, and Design
19. Cloud and Distributed Computing
20. Language skills
21. Social Media
22. User Interface Design
23. Accounting and Finance
24. Video Editing

Of course, this should go without saying, but only list those skills you actually have. These 24 hard skills are the ones that are a hot commodity on the market (currently) and are potentially your ticket to changing careers or getting a better job (provided you have them).

V. What Are Soft Skills?

As we’re dealing with the difference between soft and hard skills today, we can’t move on without explaining what soft skills actually are.

We already mentioned that soft skills aren’t as tangible and quantifiable as hard skills. But does that make them less important? Absolutely not.

Soft skills are everything that makes you a good, reliable worker who’s worth the company’s investment. Technical knowledge, although important, isn’t enough to make you a perfect candidate. You also have to have the right motivation, attitude, and personality.

94% of recruiters look at soft skills on a resume and ask about them during interviews. That’s a very high number that we simply can’t ignore. It suggests that slapping a few general and vague soft skills on your resume might not land you that dream job.

And that would be right. But why is that?

➤ Soft Skills — the Breakdown

Soft skills are entirely transferable. They are also the ones that best describe you as a worker. They show your potential.

When a hiring manager is interviewing people for any position, they aren’t just looking for a person to fill that specific job at that precise moment. They are looking for a person who can fit into the existing team, do the job well, and potentially fill other roles in the future. So they are actually looking for people with scalable skills and the potential to grow.

Soft skills are a good indicator of future behavior and growth, which is why only 9% of recruiters say they are willing to hire someone even if they don’t have the necessary soft skills.

This is because your soft skills determine how you’ll do your job regardless of what your task is. Although soft skills are a part of your personality and make you who you are as a worker, you can learn them. Sure, you might not be a people person, but you can learn how to communicate clearly and efficiently, right? That is a skill that many recruiters are looking for, regardless of the actual position.

➤ How Do You Identify Soft Skills?

Soft skills aren’t exactly something that’s easy to list. For example, here’s a quick rundown of the most important soft skills examples that recruiters will tell you are essential:

• Persuasion
• Interpersonal Skills
• Strong Work Ethic
• Self-Confidence
• Honesty
• Psychology
• Self-Motivation
• Time Management
• Dependability
• Communication
• Physical Fitness
• Listening
• Problem Solving
• Collaboration/Teamwork
• Good Attitude
• Customer Service
• Compassion
• Leadership
• Judgment
• Active Learning
• Coordination
• Detail-Oriented Approach to Tasks
• Flexibility/Adaptability
• Decision Making
• Critical Thinking
• Organization
• Perceptiveness
• Ethical Conduct

Do you have them all? Do you excel at each and every one? Of course not. To land a job (any job, really), you have to identify your soft skills and highlight them properly.
 
That’s much more difficult than identifying your hard skills. You already know which degree you have, what technical skills you possess, and if you are good with computers. But what about your soft skills? You’ve worked in teams before, but were you a good team player? You’ve certainly communicated with people, but was your communication clear, concise, and compelling?

To identify your soft skills, you need to be self-aware. However, you also need to be willing to listen to criticism and adapt to feedback. If you think you haven’t gotten any over the years, then you need to take a hard look at the past conversations you had with people you’ve worked with (or cooperated with in any capacity) and see if there were any potential issues that you turned a blind eye to.
 
Look into your previous work (be it school work or professional work), and pinpoint areas in which you excelled. Ask your friends, coworkers, and even family what your best traits are. Chances are, they’ll list some of the soft skills I already mentioned.

➤ What Are NOT Soft Skills?

Now, while you’re talking to the people around you, you might get compelled to list every single compliment you get as a skill on your resume. Oh, you’re just such a nice person; everyone says so! That’s amazing; but that isn’t a soft skill.

Soft skills are all those personality traits that will assist you in doing your job and being a good coworker. However, they aren’t general positive traits that you have. They have to be applicable in the work environment.
 
So, stick to pertinent and relevant (actual) skills when trying to identify your soft skills. Being a blast on a night out, having good aim while playing darts after a few beers, or being a good shoulder to cry on are admirable traits, but they won’t impress the recruiters as much as they do the folks around you.

VI. Why Are Soft Skills Important?

A good team works together seamlessly. There’s trust between the members because they know they can depend on each other. Your soft skills essentially attribute to how good of a team player you are.

Practically every job requires interaction with people. Even if you have a remote position that has to do with data entry and you have zero human interaction — you still have coworkers that you have to report to, or collaborate with.

Every human interaction requires the use of our soft skills. You might not see yourself as a good negotiator because you don’t have much experience, but the truth is that you only think you don’t have experience. We spend a lot of our time negotiating with people around us and reaching compromises that work for everyone. It’s a vital part of being an adult. It’s also a highly sought-after, transferable soft skill.

Having excellent soft skills that you continually work on and hone is vital for your professional development. No matter how much potential you have as an employee, without soft skills, that potential will be hindered and limited.

By 2030, over two-thirds of all jobs will be soft-skill oriented. That won’t be a harsh transition; recruiters are already putting a lot of emphasis on soft skills.

Soft skills are vital for:

• Promotions and career progression
• Maintaining a good and healthy work environment
• Maintaining good relations with clients
• The future, as they can’t be automated (unlike some hard skills)

VII. What Soft Skills Are Employers Looking for?

Soft skills will make or break you (in terms of landing a job). They tell the recruiter how well you play with others and how efficient you can actually be. However, not all jobs require the same set of soft skills. A physics professor doesn’t need the same soft skills as a manager.

However, some skills are simply a must-have:

1. Time management
2. Problem-solving
3. Listening
4. Leadership
5. Work ethic
6. Teamwork
7. Innovation
8. Adaptability
9. Communication
10. Ability to perform under pressure
11. Delegation
12. Creativity

Communication, organization, and teamwork are among the most critical soft skills. So you won’t be wrong if you list them on your resume. However, keep in mind that some industries, like the hospitality industry, put a lot of emphasis on a specific set of soft skills. Communication, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure are more important than emotional intelligence and critical thinking, for example.

It’s essential that you’re familiar with the soft skills that are considered a necessity in your field. That’s the only way you can know which skills to hone and showcase to recruiters. If you aren’t sure which skills are the most vital, you can’t really go wrong with the fan favorites mentioned above. Still, I suggest you do thorough research and find out the specifics.

VIII. So, Bottom Line — What Is the Difference Between Hard and Soft Skills?

As I’ve mentioned before, hard and soft skills are quite different. You’ll easily recognize them and classify them in the right category.

The main differences are that:

• Hard skills are measurable
• Soft skills aren’t as tangible
• Hard skills are technical and specialized in nature
• Soft skills have more to do with personality traits
• Hard skills are easy to identify
• Soft skills require some introspection and self-awareness to identify
• Hard skills will be clearly defined in the job description
• You might need to look for keywords to determine which soft skills the employer is looking for (for every specific job ad)

It’s important to note that there are also hybrid skills. They are the perfect combination of technical and non-technical abilities and skills that make a person ideal for a specific job.
 
Given that jobs are becoming less and less distinctive in terms of skills, hybrid skills are the market’s latest hot topic. Gone are the days where one person had one job that required only a few hard and soft skills.

For example, modern administrative staff does so much more than simply filing. They also have to know how to update websites and design presentation materials. So, aside from having the necessary job-specific hard skills, they need a few more that have nothing to do with administration, to even be considered for the job.

That’s why it’s important to really read the job description (and the ad) and see which skills the job requires. That’s the only way you can see which ones you need to highlight and present.

IX. How to Showcase Your Skills on a Resume

It’s vital that your resume includes both soft and hard skills. If you can, set aside a section of your resume for soft skills. You can list them and even make a little scale underneath each skill to show just how advanced that particular skill is.

Make sure to mention the hard skills within the body of the resume (when you’re talking about your achievements and previous positions). Remember that both hard and soft skills are equally important.

You can also slip in soft skills within the body of the resume. No matter which option you go for, always follow up with facts and, if possible, numbers. Show the recruiter why that skill was vital for your success and show how that success impacted the company’s bottom line. After all, you’re applying to contribute to their team; make sure you show them you can actually do that.

Don’t mention ALL your skills. First of all, if you do, your resume will be three pages long. No one has the time to go over that.

So, pick and choose which skills to mention. Search through the job description and identify what the recruiters are looking for. Then, mention those skills in your resume. This will almost certainly get you a call for an interview.

Also, do more research. Just reading the job description isn’t enough. If you’re applying for a position you’ve never worked on before, make sure you’re completely familiar with the potential tasks that role entails. Then, tailor your resume accordingly.

X. How to Mention the Relevant Skills on an Interview

Getting a call for an interview is an exciting moment. However, don’t let your guard down. The interview is where you’re supposed to shine.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to mention your soft and hard skills again. Make sure to highlight those included in the resume but also, if you have the time, mention the skills you didn’t include in the resume.

After all, the interview is your chance to showcase the best you have to offer, not just repeat your resume verbatim.

Just like in the resume, follow up every statement with facts that will serve as testimonials. Don’t just say you have good organizational skills. Instead, say how your team and subsequently your previous company benefited from that skill. Make sure to mention how your hard (and soft) skills evolved.

Have you identified your hard and soft skills? Do you know what you have to bring to the table in terms of skills and abilities?

I hope this article helped you make the distinction between the two categories of skills. What do you think — which are more important? Which skill will always land you a job interview? Drop a comment below!

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