Hard and Soft Skills: Understand the Promising Skills in the Job Market

Me. Anderson Barros da Silva, coordinator of the Human Resources Management course at Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual, explains the main skills that professionals should pay attention to and prepare

For a long time, the labor market valued professionals with skills related to the position or function that the professional occupied and wanted. However, with constant changes and new technologies, companies began to talk about professional skills, which is an essential factor when choosing a candidate.  

And in this scenario of new market needs, companies and recruiters have come to see skills, competences and professional behavior as a differential, which can be developed, mobilized and consolidated, in addition to courses and certificates.  

According to Me. Anderson Barros da Silva, coordinator of the Human resource Management from Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual, currently has two outstanding concepts in the job market that are being considered with a great competitive edge: Hard Skills and Soft Skills. “These are a set of different skills, which we know as competencies, that people can possess.”  

But what are Hard and Soft Skills?  

At hard skills refer to the set of technical skills, that is, to specific and tangible skills, whether in a specific area or field. “These are usually acquired through formal education training and practical experience, such as those of a technical, technological, bachelor's and teaching degree. Just as they can be evaluated by an aptitude in relation to the domain and operation of new technologies and software, knowledge of foreign languages, among others,” explains Anderson.  

already the soft skills, the teacher points out that they are related to behavioral skills, that is, they are behavioral and social skills that are not necessarily related to specific technical knowledge, precisely for this reason, these are more difficult to be quantified, evaluated and formally taught, as they are related personality traits, attitudes and interpersonal skills. “These represent the desired socio-emotional competencies, which include communication skills, leadership, critical thinking, collaboration, empathy, problem solving, creativity, adaptability and emotional intelligence. The big difference is that these skills are transferable and can be applied in various situations and contexts”. 

“Both are important in the job market, and, many times, a balanced combination of the two has been the great demand of employers, because, while the hard skills are essential to accomplish technical and job-specific tasks, soft skills are fundamental to improve communication, collaboration, leadership and adaptability, becoming valuable in any work environment”, says the professor of Human Resources Management. 

Thinking about the scenario soft and hard skills valued in the labor market, which is in transformation, which ends up demanding qualified professionals to act in an innovative and enterprising way, Anderson Barros listed the promising skills and competences for professionals to consider in their trajectory. 

Between the soft skills most requested we found: Effective Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Critical-reflective Thinking and Problem Solving, Teamwork and Collaboration, Adaptability and Flexibility, Leadership and Creative Thinking.  

The most sought-after hard skills in the job market today are: Data Science and Analysis, Software and Programming, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Business Analytics, Graphic Design and UX/UI Design and Digital Marketing.  

Barros points out that professionals should pay attention to the fact that the demand for these skills may vary according to the sector, function and organizational culture, as well as due to changing market trends. Therefore, it is essential to keep up with the latest trends and requirements of the sector, as well as to research and understand the specific needs of the market, in which one is interested. 

To develop the soft and hard skills promising, the professor always recommends keeping up to date on market trends and changing. “It is important to change the mindset, from fixed to growth, seeking to adopt and maintain a lifelong learning approach, better known as “lifelong learning”, with specific and continuous specializations. Another fundamental point is self-knowledge and self-awareness, in which people must know their own skills, strengths and areas for improvement, as this will allow the development of behavioral skills relevant to the current job market”. 

Finally, the Human Resources Management coordinator at Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual points out that in addition to professionals paying attention to investing in specific specializations, professionals capable of acting efficiently and effectively with socio-emotional behavioral skills are needed. “Therefore, investing in Hard and Soft Skills can help build a solid and successful career. It is important to assess the needs of the field, in which one is interested, and seek opportunities for learning and development, both in technical skills specific to the area, and in behavioral skills”.