Hiring managers typically look for job candidates with both specific hard skills and soft skills. But if you are a fresh college graduate, soft skills are more important for you. We often used the term “soft skills” in a corporate environment. But what are soft skills and why are they important in the UAE job market? Soft Skills are defined as personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. It is also known as “people skills”, “interpersonal skills” or “social skills”.

With the UAE’s rapid economic growth, it has attracted different nationalities from around the world. This makes soft skills a key element in managing the professional relationship at workplace.

5 Soft skills everyone needs in the UAE job market:

01. Communication skills

Communication skills are always top of the soft skills list and often mentioned as the “essential skills” for a job. It simply means to express yourself clearly. The majority of jobs require employees to have good communication skills so that they can express themselves in a positive and clear manner, both when speaking to people and in writing.

02. Teamwork

For sustainable growth, teamwork is very important. Employers want collaboration within the team to reach the common goals and objectives of the organization. That means, sometimes being a leader and sometimes being a good follower.

03. Problem Solving

Employers prefer their employees to be the problem solver and not to be the problem cribber.  Even in interviews, most HR managers often ask “How did you solve the problem”? Today’s organizations are looking for talent who have the ability to take responsibility and solve the problem and grow further.

04. Making Decisions

If you posses the problem-solving quality, by default you tend to make good decisions. The results of the decision are important but not as important as the ability to take critical decisions. Correct decision making comes with years of experience on the shoulder. As fresh graduates, you need to showcase your decision-making ability by way of your critical contribution during events and college activities.

05. Self-Motivation

Training is a vital part of employee’s growth but organizations cannot constantly invest in paid motivational programs. The employee needs to be self-motivated. To fall is a part of life, but to stand up and keep moving forward is what makes you stronger. Self-motivated employees don’t need close supervision and they get the desired results for the organization. For a fresher, you need to have a few instances where you motivate  yourself and do the job in hand.

Westford University College offers career oriented programs to enhance the soft skills for working professionals. Our curriculum of BA hons in Business Management (BABM) and MBA are designed in collaboration with the industry leaders and business houses.