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Non-technical skills, often called soft skills, are critical for your CV because they demonstrate your personal attributes and how you'll fit into a company's culture. In fact, a LinkedIn survey revealed that 92% of hiring managers consider soft skills as important as, if not more important than, hard skills. Including a balanced mix of these competencies shows you are not only qualified for the role but also possess the personal qualities to excel and collaborate effectively.
Non-technical skills are personal habits and innate qualities that influence how you work and interact with others, distinct from role-specific technical abilities. They reflect your work ethic, resilience, and interpersonal dynamics. Hiring managers prioritize these skills to assess cultural fit—a key factor in employee retention and team cohesion. A candidate with strong soft skills is often seen as more adaptable and easier to integrate into existing teams, reducing onboarding friction.
While the priority of specific skills varies by role, several core non-technical competencies are consistently valued across industries. Based on our assessment experience, the following ten skills are among the most influential:
| Skill | Why It's Important |
|---|---|
| Communication | Essential for clear information sharing and building positive relationships with colleagues and clients. |
| Collaboration | The ability to work directly with others towards a common goal, emphasizing teamwork. |
| Cooperation | Involves working supportively alongside others, contributing to the company's overall success. |
| Organisation | Enables effective workload management and productivity, especially under pressure. |
| Time Management | A subset of organisational skills, crucial for meeting deadlines and prioritising tasks. |
| Prioritisation | Allows you to focus on the most critical tasks, aligning your efforts with company goals. |
| Adaptability | The capacity to process and respond to change effectively, a key trait in dynamic environments. |
| Creativity | Leads to innovative problem-solving and can generate positive change for the company. |
| Emotional Intelligence | The ability to understand and manage your own emotions and empathise with others. |
| Enthusiasm | Demonstrates genuine passion for your work, which drives engagement and long-term success. |
For roles like customer service, communication and emotional intelligence are paramount, whereas creative positions highly value creativity and adaptability.
If you identify a gap in your soft skills profile, you can take proactive steps to improve. Seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or a mentor is one of the most effective methods; they can provide objective insights into areas for development. Additionally, self-directed learning through online courses, books, and podcasts can offer structured guidance. A practical approach is to observe successful colleagues and model the positive habits that contribute to their effectiveness, such as how they structure their day for better time management.
To ensure hiring managers notice your soft skills, create a dedicated "Skills" section on your CV and list them as bullet points. Tailor this list for each application by carefully reviewing the job description and prioritizing the skills mentioned. For example, if a job ad emphasizes "thriving in a team-environment," lead with collaboration and cooperation. Using the same language from the job description helps your CV pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and quickly shows you are a good fit.
Effectively showcasing non-technical skills on your CV is a strategic way to stand out. Remember to tailor your skills list for each application, use a dedicated CV section, and support your claims with concrete examples in your experience bullet points. By demonstrating a strong balance of technical and non-technical abilities, you present yourself as a well-rounded and highly desirable candidate.
