New to the job market? According to LinkedIn, these 5 ‘soft’ skills can give young employees an edge

as fear of recession And layoffs make headlinesFresh graduates may find themselves stumbling across an uncertain job market.

A Recent survey of 1,000 US graduates aged 18 to 54 The last 12 months have indicated that many people are concerned about their “career preparation”.

According to the survey, nearly half of recent graduates said they didn’t apply for entry-level jobs because they felt underqualified.

And it’s even more of a challenge for those new to the workforce.

“One of the challenges young workers face when they enter the workforce is a lack of experience,” said Pooja Chhabria, career expert and editorial lead for Asia-Pacific at LinkedIn.

While Gen Z workers — those between the ages of 18 and 24 — may be concerned about their lack of experience, some industries are hiring “aggressively”, According to LinkedIn.

For example, job postings on the platform are expected to increase year-over-year in October 2022 for sectors such as government administration – with Australia recording an increase of 52% and Singapore 88%.

retail Job postings grew by 114% in Australia and 49% in India, while openings in Logistics and Supply Chain Singapore grew by 41%.

Those jobs may be from different industries, but they have one thing in common – an emphasis on soft skills, which Chhabria stressed are valuable across many sectors and jobs.

Companies Are Shifting From “Traditional Experience-Based” Hiring Approaches a skill-first oneChhabria said.

This is because of the “rapid pace of change and disruption” that industries are going through, and skill-based hiring helps employers hire talent that matches the emerging needs of businesses, he said. .

“87% of employers believe skills are important as they screen candidates. A skills-based approach also creates a broader talent pool, and diversity of talent is essential to remain competitive in today’s marketplace. ”

“LinkedIn data shows that across Asia Pacific, a skills-based approach to recruitment will grow the overall Gen Z talent pool by 10.8x in Australia, 14.1x in India and 7x in Singapore,” she said.

While hard skills are important for securing a job, soft skills can help candidates stand out from the pack.

“Hard skills can help you get the attention of an employer, but soft skills can help you get the job,” Chhabria said.

“Hard skills are the technical skills required to perform your job. For example, if you are applying to become a sales professional, you need to have knowledge of sales processes and how to use a CRM platform,” she said. .

,[But] You also need soft skills like presentation skills to deliver a great sales pitch to your client or communication skills so that you can confidently communicate with your team and customer.”

Here are the top five soft skills young employees should focus on building in the new year, according to LinkedIn:

• Communication: Being able to concisely communicate your ideas, perspectives, and opinions so that people understand what you are sharing.
• Time Management: With the Rise of remote workingTime management has become even more important to build trust with your employer and demonstrate the value you’re adding to the team.
• Critical Thinking: The ability to understand and resolve a situation based on all available facts and information.
• Problem Solving: Coming up with solutions and looking for new ways to solve issues.
• Interpersonal Skills: In A post pandemic workplaceThe ability to build relationships and collaborate with teams globally is an important skill.