Our May 13 #FridayForum featured industry experts BOCA Communications HR Director Wendy Brittain, Aspira Consulting CEO & Founder Oscar Garcia and Bill.com PR Specialist Phoebe Nguyen. Moderated by PRSA-SV Board Member Adriana Gonzalez Sebastian, the panel offered lots of valuable tips about how to ensure your resume makes it to the top of the pile and what PR agencies and companies look for when evaluating PR candidates. Click here to watch Resume Building, What Employers are Looking For.  

Besides a flawless resume, an honest but convincing cover letter and prompt follow up skills, there’s something else job seekers need to master: soft skills. While most PR professionals are trained to be good communicators and know how to do the job, some haven’t put as much emphasis on developing their creativity, critical thinking, dependability, adaptability and empathy.

Soft Skills Help You Land the Job
Check out the VitaNavis blog “Employers Say College Grads Aren’t Prepared for Work. Here’s Why.” According to a Gallup Poll, while a whopping 92% of educators (i.e., Chief Academic Officers) believe college grads are prepared for the workforce, only 11% of employers believe college grads are prepared.

That same poll found that 44% of employers believe soft skills make up the greatest skills gap. In fact, 72% of employers say soft skills are just as important as technical skills. Plus, the last couple of years have only intensified the issue. In a recent McKinsey Global Survey, 58% of respondents said closing skills gaps in their companies’ workforces has become a higher priority since 2020.

Soft Skills Help You Keep Your Job
According to Psychology Today, “Soft skills are often seen as a byproduct of our career growth but are becoming central to being productive at work . . . these skills can be the difference between impact and no impact in a job.” As VitaNavis advises, “The technical ability to do a job is one thing. The interpersonal ability to do a job well is another thing entirely.” Click here to learn the Top 10 Soft Skills College Grads Need for the 2022 Workforce (and Beyond).

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