Are Hard or Soft Skills More Valuable

Every resume, whether creative or simple, has the same few elements. All resumes are made of the name of the resume owner, contact information, education, experience, and skills. What stands out about your resume should be your personal experience and skills.

The layout is vital, but what will set you apart from other candidates is what you can bring to the table. Your experience is the bread and butter, but your skills could make or break your ability to be a well-fitted candidate. Most of the time, hiring managers and recruiters are looking for a candidate to be the missing piece in their puzzle.

That could be a candidate with HCP, agency experience, or a specific skill set. The skills you have listed on your resume are a valuable asset to your ability as a professional; the question always remains, what is more beneficial, hard or soft skills?

If you were looking for a finite answer, we hate to break it to you; they are both necessary for a successful resume. The difference is not what is more valuable but what hiring managers are looking for in skillsets.

The difference between hard and soft skills is the ability to quantify them. Soft skills are dexterities like the ability to speak another language, public speaking, or being a strong leader. Hard skills would consist of being an expert in Adobe’s Creative Suite or writing in long-form.

A company could be looking for a strong leader that is an expert in Adobe’s Creative Suite programs, but the main difference is you can quantify one over the other with ease. It is more difficult to quantify a professional’s ability to be a leader over the ability to use a program.

Companies will test professionals like Copywriters, UX Designers, and Medical Editors, and the test will require them to use their hard skills. Being analytical could be a soft skill that could help you pass the test, but the hiring manager will always look for hard skills.

The question remains, what do hiring managers prefer on resumes? If you have more quantifiable hard skills than soft skills, we then recommend you put them on your resume. Don’t put only hard skills on your resume – you should sprinkle in your soft skills.

We hope this helped clarify the importance and difference between your hard and soft skills. We wish you the best of luck on your job search!