4.1 The world of work Hard and soft skills To qualify for and be able to do a job you will need a number of skills, which can be broadly divided into hard skills and soft skills. The main differences between hard skills and soft skills are how they are obtained and used in the workplace. Hard skills could be defined as your technical knowledge and are normally gained through education or training they are teachable and measurable abilities like writing, using a computer program, a degree, carving wood or building a house. Soft skills are your personality traits, which you develop during your personal and work life. They are abilities that allow you to fit into the culture of your organisation, to deal with colleagues and customers and to get the desired outcome from your work. They are not easily measurable and can be difficult to teach and include time management, etiquette, the ability to work in a team and listening. Main hard and soft skills Hard skills Technical skills (engineering, chemistry, marketing, languages spoken, etc.) Computer skills (database management, website creation, app development, programming languages, etc.) to carve: intagliare dependability: affidabilità resilience: resilienza self-awareness: autocoscienza widespread: diffuso 228 Soft skills Analytical skills Marketing skills Management skills Project management skills People management skills Customer development skills Effective communication skills Listening skills Empathy Self-motivation Time management skills Responsibility skills Integrity Dependability Teamwork skills Leadership skills Decision skills Critical thinking Stress and pressure resilience skills Self-awareness Emotional intelligence Learning ability Attitude to change What is needed While in the past employers used to focus on hard skills, soft skills are now considered of greater importance. The events of 2020 have accelerated this trend, changing how and where a lot of people work, affecting the skills that employers are looking for. Soft skills like time management and self-management, autonomy, problem-solving, or ability to adapt are becoming more and more in demand while jobs are carried out remotely: companies need a workforce they can trust to deliver results independently. Having great soft skills not only helps to get the job but it is also extremely important for career progression, as managing teams, working with other functions or divisions, or relating to big, global customers becomes increasingly widespread .