Achievements, the value of hard and soft skills on a CV

As a CV Writer, with over 15 years’ experience preparing Executive CV’s, I constantly ask my clients what they have achieved in their careers;  what are they most proud of and why? Often I am then given a long list of soft skills - personal attributes that relate to how they interact with others. However, when I ask them what the value of their well-honed soft skills are for their organisation (Important Skills), there is a pause, a lack of understanding, not sure themselves what the value is!

The hard skills are easier to quantify and put a value on, either in terms of increased revenue, saving costs, expanding the business footprint etc.

As an example, I recently worked with a client who worked in a very niche market. He stated that his greatest achievement was introducing diversity into his department. A once predominately male environment now has a 50/50 gender split as well as increased ethnic diversity. When I then asked what that value was for the organisation, he struggled to find one without a good deal of prompting.

The value of diversity can include better talent attraction, encourage longevity / retention, develop a company’s identity and reputation in their market sector. Some research has shown that increased diversity also increases financial resources.

Hard skills can be taught, soft skills need to be nurtured and their values understood. They are no longer a nice to have, but essential in today’s workplace. 

A well written CV should have a mixture of soft and hard skills but they must always have a value.