Job skills: Hard, Soft and Mad – What is the difference?

Table of content:

1. What are hard skills?
2. Soft skills, what is the difference?
3. Mad skills, why are they important?

Special hobby? Put it on your CV

Despite a shortage of skilled workers, there is still competition for the best jobs. How do you make it through the application process? Soft skills, hard skills, or mad skills – what counts these days between these job skills?

The answer is quite simple: whether soft, hard, or mad, all 3 job skills are very popular with recruiters. Because they still check your application documents on basis of the following question: What skills do you bring to the table? Hard and soft skills are relevant for the success of the application, but special skills, so-called mad skills, can make a difference in a face-to-face race with a competitor. Therefore, make sure that you give equal space to all three areas in your CV or during the interview.

What are hard skills?

Hard skills are technical, learnable, and verifiable professional skills or professional competencies that you acquire during your studies, training, or internships. In written applications and at the beginning, they usually predominate – i.e. all the necessary “hard”, measurable competencies that enable applicants to do the job in the first place. Synonyms for hard skills are also key qualifications, work experience, or degrees.

These skills have a limited lifespan. It is important to continue learning them, especially in fast-changing fields, and to always be up to date.

Examples:

• School-leaving qualifications
• Training certificates
• Academic degrees
• Further training
• Foreign language skills
• IT and programming languages

There is no hard skills list for all jobs, but managers, in particular, need key skills such as:

• Corporate management
• Knowledge of mergers and acquisitions
• Experience in coaching
• Employee surveys
• Project management
• Change management
• Controlling
• Business English
• Risk management

Soft skills, what is the difference?

They are the so-called “soft factors”.

Here, the focus is on your personality – they show your ability to deal with other people. So it’s about methodical, social, and personal competencies that go beyond the technical. Nowadays, they are just as important and in demand during a recruitment process as hard skills.

According to a study by LinkedIn, 80% of HR professionals believe that soft skills play an increasingly important role in the success of their company. They are attributed with a better working atmosphere and more collegial behaviour.

Soft skills play an important role in employee retention and turnover in a company. In fact, employees rarely leave a company due to a lack of professional skills, but rather for personal reasons, such as a poor working atmosphere or a lack of support from management, among others.

Mad Skills – Why are they important?

Mad skills are atypical, rare, and original skills.

The concept comes from Silicon Valley, the cradle of American start-ups. These skills are usually acquired outside of work and study, like sporting or artistic activities. These are not simple hobbies, but skills that are pursued professionally.

Do you play the piano particularly well and even have performances? You have already received several awards and prizes in your favourite sport. Remember to mention these as well. At the end of a recruitment process, the recruiter usually has to decide between 2 to 3 profiles that are certainly very similar. The Mad Skills are then the factor that will make the difference.

Examples:

You are passionate about dancing and even performing in front of an audience. During a job interview, this shows that you are not afraid to present yourself. The recruiter can be sure that you will represent the company well in public. Have you played a sport at a very high level? This will show that you have endurance and resilience and that you can motivate a team.

It is important to be aware of whether your part-time activities are relevant in an interview. If you are unsure, feel free to contact us.

Whether they are hard, soft, or mad, these skills cannot be separated. It is the combination of all three that will make your profile and that of your candidate the right one for a given position. Each profession has its technical skills, its necessary human qualities, and mad skills can be an asset when applying for a job.

Some skills are acquired through education or work experience. Others are linked to your education and social skills. But as a business owner or candidate, you need to keep and develop your skills over the long term.

LHC International will support you in finding your dream job where you can develop and flourish. Are you an employer looking for qualified candidates? We will work with you to build a strong team. CONTACT US.