Companies are hiring at a faster rate than people are leaving their jobs. With job openings at a record high of 7.3 million, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, job seekers seemingly have their pick of jobs. However, job seekers who want to make an impact or employed workers who want to get ahead would be wise to sharpen their soft skills, according to one workplace authority.

“Obviously, high competence as well as a string of skills and accomplishments on a resume will open many doors for job seekers. It takes more than just experience to gain employment and move up in a career, however. Specifically, soft skills help talented individuals stand out and build a reputation as a solid, reliable employee,” said Andrew Challenger, Vice President of global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

Soft skills are the interpersonal skills required to communicate effectively with colleagues and leadership. While hard skills, like software knowledge, tax law expertise, or coding abilities, enable the efficient completion of work, soft skills allow a professional to stand out as someone with whom people enjoy working and can trust with important tasks.

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