Important Life Skills That Employers Value

What are life skills, and why are they important? Life skills are the abilities and behaviors that help you deal effectively with the events and challenges of everyday life. They are the skills that allow you to handle everything from interactions with others to identifying and processing your emotions.

Any skill that is useful in your life can be considered a life skill. Life skills vary by culture and by a person’s age. A mature adult is expected to have stronger life skills than a younger person. However, there are certain life skills that almost every employer looks for when hiring new employees. Companies look for job candidates who can handle common challenges that arise at work, and life skills help employees do just that.

People with strong life skills are considered to have maturity and professionalism. Those with strong life skills are less likely to be reactive, and they are aware of their surroundings and themselves. Life skills are critical to management and leadership positions.

Here are some of the most important life skills employers seek in candidates for hiring and promotion.

Communication skills are critical to life and work. Communication refers to one’s ability to convey information to others, either verbally, in writing, or through body language. These are important abilities in the workplace, no matter what your job. You need to be able to communicate with your employer, your colleagues, and your customers and clients.

• Body Language
• Listening
• Literacy
• Presentation Skills
• Public Speaking
• Verbal Communication

In life, you need to be able to get along with others. Cooperation is especially important at work. You need to be able to work well and get along with others in meetings, on team projects, and in other collaborative settings. 

• Conflict Management
• Emotional Intelligence
• Empathy
• Etiquette
• Interpersonal
• Leadership
• Negotiating
• Teamwork
• Decision Making 
• There are countless times in your life that you will have to make important decisions. This is true in the workplace as well. Employers want job candidates who can analyze situations, weigh options, and then make decisions on important matters. They do not want candidates that are indecisive and won’t make difficult choices.
• Creative Thinking
• Critical Thinking
• Flexibility
• Focus
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Timeliness

In work, you will receive some negative feedback from your employer. It is important that a job candidate can thoughtfully and professionally receive criticism, and grow from it. Being able to handle criticism well takes a number of other life skills, including self-awareness, thoughtfulness, and professionalism.

• Apologizing
• Asking for Help
• Coping
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Professionalism
• Resilience
• Self-awareness
• Thoughtfulness
• Willingness to Learn

Information technology (IT) is a critical area of life skills. People also need to have basic familiarity with information and communication technology (ICT), including mobile devices and their various software platforms. IT skills are also critical to almost every job. It’s important to be able to use common computer programs like Microsoft Word and Excel (or Google Docs and Sheets), regardless of your job. Any additional IT experience typically makes you an even stronger candidate.

• Email Management
• Productivity Software
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Online Communication Software
• Smartphones
• Social Media Management
• Cloud Software
• Spreadsheets

• Networking
• Recognizing Diversity
• Respect
• Numeracy
• Adaptability
• Analytical
• Delegating
• Leadership
• Innovation
• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Bearing
• Stress Management
• Training
• Interviewing
• Flexibility
• Collaboration
• Active Listening
• Investigating
• Storytelling
• Patience
• Observation
• Resourcefulness
• Reconciliation
• Project Management
• Motivation
• Supervising
• Talent Management
• Integrity

This is an example of a resume that highlights life skills. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or review more examples.