Soft Skills List – 28 Skills to Working Smart

I originally published this soft skills list in June 2011.  I am honored to discover that more than 500,000 of you have since read my soft skills list and found it helpful.

There are 28 soft skills essential to your career success.  I wished I knew about many of these earlier in my career.   I want to share them so I can empower you to work smart and achieve more.  I look forward to your comments. ...  read more

Remembering Paul Walker

Paul Walker

Paul Walker was a down-to-earth, fun-loving guy who also happened to be a famous actor.   I was shocked to find out he was killed yesterday in a car accident at the age of 40.  Since I have met Paul Walker, I wanted to dedicate this post to remembering him and reminding us that life is short.  We need to seize the present and live life to the fullest while we can. ...  read more

Don’t be a Perfectionist

“What’s your biggest weakness?”  This is a question often asked in an interview.  One of the most common answers given is “I am a perfectionist.”  You may think yourself clever when you provide that answer, as it’s often thought of as a good, subtle way to talk about another strength of yours in the guise of a weakness.  Comments that follow may include “I work too hard, and may obsess about details…” ...  read more

Finding a Job After College – 4 Tips

Question: I’m a 23-year-old somewhat recent graduate (2009) from U.C. Berkeley, majored in Cognitive Science. I have spent the last two years working in various jobs, but I wouldn’t say I have started a career yet. The longest I have had a job was for eight months, immediately after I graduated. This position was a food service position at a fairly famous Oakland restaurant called ‘Bakesale Betty’. Since leaving ‘BSB’, I have backpacked through Central and South America for three months, worked in a high tech manufacturing facility for two months, obtained an EMT certification, and worked as an EMT for two months.

I explain my lack of career focus partially in not knowing entirely what I want to do, and partially in a reluctance to committing, or even thinking too hard about a career. In essence, I felt personally underdeveloped, and that a full-time career would stifle opportunities for that expansion. Over the last couple years, I have seen and experienced many things I had been curious about, and have matured. I feel a strong urge, now, to focus and leverage my abilities toward building something meaningful and lasting, and developing a career. I want to contribute to something important and be acknowledged for it, as an adult. ...  read more

Career Change – 4 Tips on How to Prepare

Question: I am looking for a career change in job role from clinical data manager to being a Clinical Project manager. Although a strong skill for clinical project managers is to have worked as clinical data manager in the past and that lead data managers actually perform as a project manager also, I am worried that I’ll be offered a job below my present grade level or/and will not be given any salary raise. I am performing at an exceeds expectation level now and have the soft skills that are needed to perform as a project manager. How to prepare my resume and myself? Please advise. Thanks so much for creating this blog and dedicating your time to develop others. ...  read more

How to Deal with a Bad Boss – 5 Practical Tips

how to deal with a bad boss

Bosses are not created equal, therefore it is essential to your success to know how to deal with a bad boss, when you encounter one.   One of the main reasons why you would want to leave a lucrative job reluctantly is having a bad boss.   Though the movie ‘Horrible Bosses’ may be fictional, the cases illustrated or conveyed through the movie can happen. In fact, you’ll probably find many people in your network suffering from one type or another appalling behavior of their bad managers or bosses. ...  read more