soft skills
Home > CIO Definitions - Soft skills
SearchCIO.com Definitions (Powered by WhatIs.com)
EMAIL THIS
LOOK UP TECH TERMS Powered by: WhatIs.com
Search listings for thousands of IT terms:
Browse tech terms alphabetically:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #

soft skills



Word of the Day
Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


DEFINITION - Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable.

Soft skills are sometimes broken down into personal attributes, such as:

  • optimism
  • responsibility
  • a sense of humor
  • integrity
  • time-management
  • motivation.
and interpersonal abilities, such as:
  • empathy
  • leadership
  • communication
  • good manners
  • sociability
  • the ability to teach.

It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job.

LAST UPDATED: 21 May 2008

Read more about soft skills:
- Financialpost.com discusses why soft skills are necessary for leaders.
- Monster.ca explains how to evaluate soft skills.


Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.
Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com


Digg This!    StumbleUpon Toolbar StumbleUpon    Bookmark with Delicious Del.icio.us    Add to Google


RELATED CONTENT
SIM forum coaches CIOs on leadership
CIO leaders are born and made, according to the Society for Information Management and its Regional Leadership Forum program director, Bob Rouse.
Salary Report: CIO recruiters offer tips on getting the job you want
Headhunters specializing in CIO searches all say the same thing. If you're good, we'll find you. We give you the inside scoop to make sure they do.
SearchCIO.com Salary and Careers Special Report
CIOs are secure in their positions and are looking to telecommute more often. Find out why this is, and what else we uncovered, in the SearchCIO.com...

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary
hard skills  (SearchCIO.com)
Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities that may be required in a given context, such as a job or university application... (Continued)




About Us  |  Contact Us  |  For Advertisers  |  For Business Partners  |  Site Index  |  RSS
SEARCH 
TechTarget provides enterprise IT professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective IT purchase decisions and managing their organizations' IT projects - with its network of technology-specific Web sites, events and magazines.

TechTarget Corporate Web Site  |  Media Kits  |  Reprints  |  Site Map




All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2007 - 2008, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Policy
  TechTarget - The IT Media ROI Experts