Some experts refer to soft skills on resumes as “personality skills.” They are increasingly important in all career fields, but perhaps nowhere are they more vital than in the healthcare arena. After all, what industry is more people oriented than taking care of others on a daily basis and enhancing their lives through medical and supportive services?

Soft skills can significantly impact your healthcare job performance and long-term career prospects. They are equally if not more important than your technical skills, education and professional experience.

Key Soft Skills

Soft skills are the personal attributes you use to influence and enhance the way you relate to patients, colleagues, clients and peers. They include:

• Empathy. You must be able to empathize and/or sympathize with even the most difficult situations faced by others.
• Verbal and Written Communication. Being able to communicate well with patients, providers and co-workers is vital to your professional success.
• Dealing with Pressure. Stress and pressure are part of your daily MO in healthcare. The best pros thrive on it.
• Work Ethic. Many healthcare jobs go well beyond the nine-to-five. A deep commitment to being honest, perseverant and dedicated goes hand-in-hand with your chosen field.
• Flexibility. This can be anything from a willingness to cover extra shifts to adaptability to changes in diagnoses or treatment plans. It’s all about readily changing direction, strategy and behavior, often with little time and limited resources.
• Time Management. In your field, lives could literally depend on this skill.
• Self-Confidence. Nobody wants to think that their provider or caregiver is anything less than an expert. You need to consistently project self-confidence, no matter how experienced you actually are.
• Acceptance of Constructive Criticism. No one knows everything – and change is a constant in healthcare. You must have the ability to accept and learn from criticism.

Add to this list assertiveness, attention to detail, collaboration, critical thinking, consensus building, self-motivation, multitasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and tact – and you have a solid summary of the soft skills required of today’s top healthcare pros.

How to Showcase Your Soft Skills

Traditionally, soft skills were saved for cover letters, but employers have come to realize their value in candidates, so be sure that your resume reflects them, along with your technical and functional abilities.

• Look at the job description. Make sure that every bullet point on your resume describes a skill the employer is seeking. Use facts and figures based on your past experience to illustrate your soft skills.
• Consider a hybrid resume. This format combines the best attributes of chronological and functional resumes, with designated areas for both your work history and your soft skills. Hybrid resumes can be especially effective at companies that use applicant tracking systems (ATS), which filter resumes for keywords. The more skills on your resume that match a company’s profile, the better.

At CPS Recruitment^®, we have access to top healthcare jobs that are never published or advertised, thanks to our extensive client database and network. Our experienced staff can provide the latest information on current job market trends and our candidate resource center is second to none. To learn more, read our related posts or contact us today.