They go by many names. Sometimes, they&rsquo;re dubbed &ldquo;intangibles.&rdquo; Others like to call them &ldquo;soft skills.&rdquo; We just see them as part of what makes you a more well-rounded candidate than anybody else up for the job. One of the most important things you can show off to potential employers are these skills and traits that prove that you&rsquo;re more than just qualified on paper, but you can bring a whole different kind of spark to any organization.
In LinkedIn&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/business/learning/blog/learning-and-development/most-in-demand-skills-2020">list of the most desired</a> soft skills of 2020, we can see a list that features something just about any candidate should already have under their belt. They might just not know it yet. These skills range from intangibles like creativity, all the way to collaboration and adaptability. The very first thing you can do is identify these soft skills within yourself so you can highlight them come interview or application time.
Are you worried about that gap in your resume? Well, start thinking about all of the real-life accomplishments that occurred within that time. That &ldquo;gap&rdquo; might actually be an opportunity to promote the unbelievably-necessary soft skill of adaptability. During that period, you maybe worked on finding ways to be more proactive and go after every opportunity that came your way. Or maybe you took that time to upskill and learn something new and just there alone you&rsquo;ve got everything you need to showcase your ability to manage stressful situations or your drive as a self-starter.
What about a soft skill like collaboration or even mediating conflict? It may seem like you&rsquo;d need very specific examples from a previous job, but there are plenty of life events that give you the same experience. A mother works harder than any office worker on these exact skills every single day and sharpens those skills actively, so be proud to highlight that.&nbsp;
Sometimes, these skills are sitting right beneath your nose. They&rsquo;re absolutely essential qualities that every employer looks for and chances are, you practice them and show them off every day. If you&rsquo;re someone who has been out juggling multiple jobs and school, you&rsquo;ve already got true attention to detail and organizational skills that the company you&rsquo;re interested in would love to hear about. Especially when it comes time for the interview.
Speaking of the interview, this is probably the most important stage you have for pointing employers towards the intangibles that set you apart from the pack. Whether you&rsquo;re trying to stand out amongst other candidates who have the same skills as you, or trying to prove value despite not having as much traditional experience as the position calls for, your ability to demonstrate these intangibles comes to life during the interview. The employer will be looking for any sign that you&rsquo;ve got something else up your sleeve. Prove this to them by using the skills you&rsquo;ve listed out and worked on above and detail more than how you use them every day, but how they&rsquo;ll come in to play at your new position.
Go further during the interview and actively shine the spotlight on your intangibles. It&rsquo;s easy to be enthusiastic without going too far. Set the tone as an engaged, excited candidate that has a real passion for this position and let that come through your conversation. Another important intangible you can promote during this process is your value as a problem-solver, be ready with specific examples of times you&rsquo;ve worked through something difficult, professionally or personally, that will translate to this role. Sprinkle in details of your leadership qualities and your ability to collaborate comfortably, and you&rsquo;ll be able to walk away from the interview knowing that you gave them a lot more than just a resume to consider.
For the employer of today, they&rsquo;re looking for candidates who may look good on paper, but really come to life in person. By putting an emphasis on the development and portrayal of intangibles, you may find that <a href="http://www.careercircle.com/">you unlock more opportunities</a> in the process. You&rsquo;re so much more than what your resume says, and you should be proud to show that off.

One of the most important things you can show off to potential employers are these skills and traits.

How to Uncover the Hidden Soft Skills You Already Own

One of the most important things you can show off to potential employers are the skills and traits that prove that you’re more than just qualified on paper,

The perfect position doesn&rsquo;t always come at the right time. Sometimes, we may not be as &ldquo;ready&rdquo; on paper as we&rsquo;d like to be for the application process. Whether it&rsquo;s things in our lives that are keeping it from being the ideal moment, or we don&rsquo;t have every requirement that the position calls for, it can seem like it&rsquo;s just not meant to be. But for those who are either currently in the process of, or about to embark on, the upskilling journey, there are ways to approach this position with confidence and use your current situation to your advantage. Here are just a few things you can try.
Know the Value Behind Your Choice to Pursue a Technical Certificate&nbsp;
So you&rsquo;ve just started, or maybe you&rsquo;re nearing the end, of that certification that&rsquo;s perfect for the job you&rsquo;re interviewing for. That&rsquo;s perfectly fine! Chances are, if you landed the interview, the hiring manager will be just as eager to learn about the proactivity and dedication that set you on this upskilling journey as anything else.
Make sure to have your talking points ready to go on just what it was that pushed you towards adding these new skills and talents to your repertoire. Any organization is going to love to hear that you took matters into your own hands to chase a dream job (like theirs!) or to simply better yourself as a professional. Don&rsquo;t dwell on the fact that you&rsquo;re not yet certified. Instead, shift the focus to your excitement about the process and your seriousness about the craft. By pairing a real enthusiasm for the opportunity at hand with the new skills you&rsquo;re learning, your potential employer will see you as a candidate that&rsquo;s soon-to-be-qualified, but already fully dedicated.
Demonstrate What You&rsquo;ve Already Learned From Your Certification
No, you might not have that shiny Google IT or Salesforce Admin certificate in your back pocket just yet, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean you haven&rsquo;t picked up a trick or two. If you&rsquo;ve already been taking the course, you absolutely have plenty to show. So then&hellip; show off a little!
During the hiring process, demonstrate just how much you&rsquo;ve learned. Take anything you&rsquo;ve already picked up from your certification process and use it in the interview to show that not only are you well on your way to mastering this field, but that you&rsquo;re a quick learner who is eager to broaden their skillset. The organization you&rsquo;re speaking with will be able to tell just how far down the road you already are, while knowing that you are the type of driven person any company would be lucky to have.
Keep Your Eyes on What&rsquo;s Next
Just because you&rsquo;re still waiting to finish your certification doesn&rsquo;t mean you can&rsquo;t take a look at your next challenge. An eye to the future is what has you upskilling to begin with, so lean into that desirable trait when you can. Employers love candidates who strive for more.
Take a look at other avenues for upskilling that you may be interested in in the future. Whether it&rsquo;s for the position you&rsquo;re interested in, or just other skills that you&rsquo;d want to add, it&rsquo;s always best to have a plan for your next big thing. Your potential employer will love to hear that even though you&rsquo;re not even done with your current certification, you&rsquo;ve already got plans for what you will do when you knock this one out of the park.&nbsp;
 Being in the middle of a certificate course doesn&rsquo;t have to be a burden when you&rsquo;re going after that great fit. If you play it right, you actually might even be able to use it to your advantage. So go ahead and apply for jobs while you upskill, because some lucky organization could always use a candidate <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/career-paths">who never stops improving</a>.

The perfect position doesn’t always come at the right time.  But there are ways to approach a new position with confidence.

Upskilling in Progress: 3 Steps For Highlighting Your Proactivity Before You’re Fully Certified

The perfect position doesn’t always come at the right time. Sometimes, we may not be as “ready” on paper as we’d like to be for the application process. But for those who are either currently in the process of, or about to embark on, the upskilling journey, there are ways to approach this position with confidence and use your current situation to your advantage.

About 13.6 million Americans are unemployed. One third of employers say they don&rsquo;t have enough applicants. That gap is due to lack of training and advocacy. &nbsp;
In 2018, we launched CareerCircle as a means to bridge the skills gaps and help underserved people find jobs. It isn&rsquo;t enough to promote equality in the job market, we have to actively seek out and advocate for people with the right soft skills and passion, and give them access to the technical training they need to get hired.&nbsp;
When we started, our goal was to get 10,000 members into our platform by the end of this year. Today, we have exceeded our goal with over 11,000 members and have built partnerships with the leading tech companies in the world including Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce. And we&rsquo;re just getting started.&nbsp;
We began with a humble but aspirational promise: &nbsp;to erase the opportunity divide by training and advocating for underrepresented talent and connecting them with employers who are developing workforces prepared to meet the needs of tomorrow's economy.
Today, we are a bold, fearless company with the support of a mission-driven community and a passion for getting people hired in positions they never thought possible. We&rsquo;re thrilled to announce a new brand identity that reflects our passion and celebrates the people we serve.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/resize=width:1600/XqPIYWbISrakVfGSpTUb" width="100%" />
<h2>An identity centered around inclusion</h2>
Our logo is reflective of our approach: a person at the center of everything we do. Whether providing opportunities for a candidate, helping a hiring manager develop a strong workforce, or supporting a fellow team member, people are what matters most. The dot represents the unique individual at our core. The surrounding circle is multi-dimensional and open, reflecting the flexibility and care that we provide to the people who rely on us.&nbsp;

<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/U1Q8pVPdS8akNabcwKEU" width="100%" />

<h2>An opportunity for everyone</h2>
We wanted our digital experience to make people feel both welcome and represented, and created a custom illustration style that focuses on people in action. Core concepts of diversity, inclusion and advocacy are represented by the tools that the characters use to help themselves. Abstract hurdles are transformed into attainable goals while the use of flat color reinforces simplicity. Rounded edges and approachable character expressions reinforce inclusion, and the balance between realistic representation and hand-drawn style reflect the duality of professionalism and humanity.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/rII8F9P9TkWSAhi79cG9" alt="undefined" width="100%" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />
<h2>Delivering on our promise</h2>
Our visual identity system is only one expression of our promise to get people hired. Our brand experience is powered by our advocacy team and AI-fueled platform that removes unconscious bias and matches employers with the right candidates. We take a 360&ordm; view of each candidate, going beyond work experience and uncovering hidden skills and career paths they never knew existed. We bridge technical skills gaps with discounted (and sometimes free) courses and certifications that up candidates&rsquo; market value and helps employers develop a strong workforce.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/LR4I7TyS6OfLBXGfv2d3" alt="undefined" width="100%" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" />
<a href="https://www.careercircle.com/" rel="follow">Explore the new CareerCircle</a>

About 13.6 million Americans are unemployed. One third of employers say they don’t have enough applicants.

Creating CareerCircle

In 2018, we launched CareerCircle as a means to bridge the skills gaps and help underserved people find jobs. It isn’t enough to promote equality in the job market, we have to actively seek out and advocate for people with the right soft skills and passion, and give them access to the technical training they need to get hired.

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Staff Writer

144 Articles

How to Uncover the Hidden Soft Skills You Already Own

Upskilling in Progress: 3 Steps For Highlighting Your Proactivity Before You’re Fully Certified

Creating CareerCircle