It doesn’t matter if you are a student who you are a professional. The 21st century careers pose challenges to every individual in different ways.

Experts from the industry have called the period, the age of learning.

Businesses work in a globalized market space.

There is new technology coming up everyday.

It is not very surprising to find both students and professionals taking up courses to improve their hard skills such as learning new software tools, new concepts etc.

But one should also be aware that soft skills are as important as hard skills not only in helping people crack interviews but also in growing within an organization and in career.

In this write-up, you may get an idea of what is the difference between hard skills and soft skills, and why the latter is very important in a person’s career.

If you are someone who is trying to working towards developing effective communication skills then this write-up may help guide you better.

Soft Skills Vs Hard Skills – What is the Difference?

Hard skills are skills that can be measured.

There can be a test or an interview conducted to check the knowledge or abilities of an individual as far as hard skills are concerned.

The knowledge of subject, concepts, software tool etc. all come under hard skills.

Hard skills are mostly specific to jobs. For instance, to work in the software development industry, an engineer may require programming knowledge as a hard skill.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are skills that cannot be measured but are part of personality traits and have to with the person’s presentation and thinking.

There are many skills that come under soft skills including communication, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership qualities etc.

All these qualities can decide how successful a person will be during his/her career.

Why are Soft Skills as Important as Hard Skills for a Professional Career?

Soft Skills can Decide Career Path

Soft skills can be a deciding factor in an individual’s career in many ways.

For instance, a person’s English communication skills may be key in deciding whether he/she gets a job where interaction with consumers or inter-departmental interaction may be necessary.

Soft Skills can Decide Survival and Career Growth

Going further, once a person gets into a job, there will be many other skills that will be required for him/her to survive and perform well in the work environment.

Skills like problem-solving, teamwork, listening, decision-making and managing conflicts can all come to picture at various stages of a person’s career.

These skills, therefore, play a deciding role in an individual’s career growth

Soft Skills – The Foundation of Careers

Another key challenge with building soft skills in comparison with hard skills is that there may not be any particular gauge to measure whether or not you have earned the skills.

For instance, work ethics, commitment, generosity, motivation and many other skills can be developed through training programs or may come as an integral part of an individual’s personality.

These qualities can play a big role in shaping the professional personality and so the career of a person.

What do Soft Skills Training Institutes do to Develop Soft Skills?

Soft skills training institutes play a vital role in shaping the personality of people to make them more presentable and effective in the workplace.

The training institutes have years of experience in developing people and they may follow a methodical process to create awareness and inculcate crucial qualities.

The problem with earning soft skills is that many of us do not know what the various soft skills that may be essential for career success are.

Once a person is aware of the various types of soft skills, the next step will be to know how to develop the skills.

Enrologies, a soft skill training institute in Bangalore has a specialized curriculum and expert faculty who develop individuals to become successful professionals in their careers.