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Soft Skills are Essential
According to a study in 2016, 93% of employers term soft skills as either “very important” or “essential.”. However, 54% of employees say they did not include soft skills in their resume. You can help your child get an edge on job applications, college admissions and scholarship applications by helping them use JAKAPA data to build a section related to soft skills in their resume.
JAKAPA measures 32 skills in five critical areas. Your student’s data dashboard shows comparative and growth data on each skill. They can use this data to include a soft skills section in their resume and show their awareness of soft skills and their commitment to improving theirs. The top 3 soft skills in short supply are problem-solving 37%, critical thinking 32%, innovation, and creativity 31%
To help your child get started, identify their strongest skills and list ways those skills have impacted their success. A soft skills section on a resume like look something like this:
Soft skills: I have used JAKAPA, a software that measures, trains and tracks 32 critical skills for X years. Below details my top strengths based on self-assessments and peer assessments from people who know me well.
Self-Management skills: 4.7/5.0
- Time management – 4.9/5.0
- I arrive at work and school on time every day
- I meet my deadlines
- Detail management – 4.8/5.0
- My work has been checked and is accurate
- I pay attention to details that matter
Innovation skills: 4.6
- Creativity – 4.8/5.0
- I can come up with unique ideas
- I can solve problems in innovative ways
- Information processing – 4.9/5.0
- I can make connections between facts I know
- I can apply what I learn
Continue through each set of skills, identify strengths and list a couple of attributes related to those strengths. Select skills based on the type of job or scholarship and consider the skills that will matter most for success. Eastern Kentucky University compiled a list based on job listings and identified the following skills are critical: Communication, Courtesy, Flexibility, Integrity, Interpersonal skills, Positive attitude, Professionalism, Responsibility, Teamwork and Work Ethic.
Helping your child showcase their soft skills can make the difference. JAKAPA users have shared that their soft skills resume has led to their securing a job.
