Have you wanted to feel comfortable in the place you work… Very often employees are not happy with their job policies and the benefits they get, as part of a generation of new ideas, we´re all looking for the future. According to the “Cities for the Best Work-Life Balance 2019” study, 40 cities were evaluated  based on a series of factors related to the amount of time a person dedicates to their job (Total working hours) commuting, and holidays taken, also the equality between peers, evaluating their access to health and welfare programs, gender equality, friendliness towards the LGBT+ community, examining citizens overall happiness, safety and access to wellness and leisure venues to enjoy their environment after office hours.  The study focuses on three broad categories:

• Work Intensity: Arrival Time, working hours/week, vacations offered, Paid Maternal and Paternal leave days.
• Society & Institutions: Social Spending, Healthcare Score, Access to Mental Health, Gender & LGBT+ Equality.
• City livability: Safety, Happiness, City Stress, Outdoor Spaces, Wellness & Fitness

Where scores are out of 100, the higher the score, the better, with the exception of the City Stress Score, where the lower the score, the lower the level of stress indicating that the city is less stressful. For the total score, a value of 100 does not mean a city is perfect in terms of work-life balance and has zero room for improvement. Rather, it means that the city has the healthiest work-life balance out of all the cities in the index. On the other end of the spectrum, a score of 1 indicates that the city performs the poorest in comparison to the other cities in the study. For more information click the following link .

But what happen when we analyze our self´s?

Are we ready to commit to be part of a change, think in how we interact with others, to be able to improve the way we work with others we need to work within our self. Why recently soft skills are becoming essential to big companies that are looking for a change. To resolve this, we need to talk about soft skills first.

Soft skills are intangible and difficult to quantify. Some examples of soft skills include analytical thinking, verbal and written communication and leadership. Research from the Society for Human Resource Management found that employers actually care more about softs skills than they do technical abilities like reading comprehension and mathematics.

One reason soft skills are so revered is that they help facilitate human connections. They are “KEY” to building relationships, gaining visibility, and creating more opportunities for advancement (Kathy Robinson founder of Boston career-coaching firm).

Hiring managers typically look for job candidates with both specific hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are job specific skills and knowledge you need to perform a job. But what are soft skills and how they differ from hard skills?

Hard skills are skills you can gain through education, training programs, certifications and on the job training, these are typically quantifiable skills that can be easily defined and evaluated.

Soft skills on the other hand are interpersonal skills. Soft skills include adaptability, attitude, communication, creative thinking, work ethic, team work, decision making, positivity, time management, motivation, flexibility, problem-solving, critical thinking and conflict resolution.

Why Employers care about soft skills?

It´s easy to understand why employers want job candidates with particular hard skills. After all, if you are hiring a carpenter, he or she needs skills in carpentry. However, soft skills are important to the success of almost all employers. After all, nearly every job requires employees to engage with others in some way. Therefore, being able to interact with others is important in any job.

Another reason hiring managers and employers look for applicants with soft skills is because soft skills are transferable skills that can be used regardless of the job at which the person is working. This makes job candidates very adaptable employees.

Tips for highlighting your soft skills

First, make a list of the soft skills you have that are relevant to the job you want. Look at a list of soft skills and circle the ones that you have, then compare your list of soft skills with the job listing.  You can also mention these soft skills in your cover letter. Pick one or two soft skills you have that appear to be the most important for the job you´d like. In your cover letter, provide evidence that shows you have those particular skills. Finally, you can highlight these soft skills in your interviews.

What are the Key Soft Skills?

A productive and healthy work environment depends on soft skills. After all, the workplace is an interpersonal space, where relationships must be built and fostered, perspectives must be exchanged ad occasionally conflicts must be resolved. The following are examples of soft skills that employers are looking for:

• Communication
• Self-Motivation
• Leadership
• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Problem solving
• Time management
• Negotiation and Conflict resolution

These examples can be drawn from professional, personal or academic experiences. Remember to show, don’t tell. When you attend an interview, remember that this is your first chance to show your interpersonal skills, be professional, make eye contact, shake hands, listen closely to the questions and answer them fully.

-Adrian Santiago, Scientist.