Job-related expertise, otherwise known as hard skills or technical skills are essential in any profession and are what might help you get your foot in the door when looking for a job. But it’s the soft skills that will have those doors swinging wide open with opportunity. Soft skills, often referred to as transferable skills or professional skills, are intangible, nontechnical and are the personal character traits or qualities you need to succeed in any profession. Soft skills researchers in Canada and the United States have found that employers are increasingly interested in candidates’ soft skills. Many employers have identified soft skills as being equally important, if not more important, than technical skills.
“It’s beyond technical competence; it makes the difference between someone who can just do the job and someone you want there doing the job” says Jennifer O’Leary, Faculty, Genetics Technology at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. O’Leary has been teaching for the past 13 years. Currently, she teaches students from all MLT disciplines in their interprofessional collaboration curriculum.
“When I talk to my students about soft skills, I often say to them, ‘You’re all going to graduate with the same education but what’s going to make the difference in the laboratory setting is how you are a lab tech; it’s not just what you know but how you go about doing your job, interact with others, contribute and step up,’” O’Leary explains.
Some would say soft skills cannot be taught, however, O’Leary points out that soft skills are part of medical laboratory program curriculum. “Entry to practice students should meet the criteria outlined in the competency profiles,” she says. In the CSMLS MLT competency profiles, there is a, “professionalism and collaboration” category which are some of the competencies O’Leary teaches. “We ensure that we have activities, exercises and foundational reading around those topics,” she explains. As for Michener, they have core abilities that cover soft skills and an assessment to see how students are working in their clinical environment which is then compared against those competencies. “I think if you broke it down to the most critical soft skills, I believe they are communication, teamwork and professionalism,” says O’Leary.
Communication
“I think communication is the foundation,” says O’Leary. “When I define communication, I think of a new grad who is proactive, direct, open, honest, thoughtful and it’s not just about what they say, it’s how they say it.” Communication can be delivered both verbally and in written form. This means articulating what you want to say and expressing yourself well. Communication also means actively listening to others and processing any feedback you receive and reflecting on the feedback given to you. But why is it important? Quite often, you might think, ‘I’m working on this bench and I’m by myself,’ but you’re not by yourself. “You are a member of the health care team and in order to give the best quality care, you have to have all of the information,” says O’Leary, “so there are many times you will need to talk to other health care professionals.”
Teamwork
Employees who communicate well with others can typically work well in a team. How do you function in a team and how does the team function with you in it? When you’re working in a team, stay in tune to how you give and receive feedback, how you manage conflict and stress, and how it affects you and the team overall. You should be able to give someone “bad news” in a way that they will hear it and be open to accepting it. “As a new grad, you’re going to have a lot of opportunities to learn, apply and hone your skills, so you need to be open to hearing feedback – both positive and constructive,” says O’Leary.
Professionalism
Professionalism is defined as the conduct or qualities that characterize or mark a professional person. It requires good judgement and polite behaviour and is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well. The lack of professionalism is often more noticeable than its presence. Professionalism can sometimes be that underlying or “hard-to-define” soft skill “You could have great technical skills but if you don’t show up on time, you’re rude to others, or dress inappropriately, you’re not exhibiting professionalism,” says O’Leary. It can sometimes be difficult to articulate that “these” are the specific things you need to do to be professional, but it’s along the lines of being a good role model, taking responsibility, being accountable, having integrity and presenting an overall positive image.
Practise is a great way to hone your skills, and most likely the best way to grow. It’s important to look for any opportunity that will allow you to gain experience using soft skills. Look to the human resources department in your organization to see what development opportunities are available. Seek out resources from your professional association or look for teams or committees outside of your lab where you can interact with other professionals, learn from them and practice your skills.