Hard Skill vs Soft Skill: What Matters More?

Is having hard skills enough to get hired, or do you need soft skills to stand out?

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s like a ritual for the employers to look for a combination of both hard and soft skills in a candidate. It’s not hard skill vs soft skill, it’s like hard skill and soft skill. What if we tell you that you have a good number of professional skills and you don’t even realize those are your strengths? Yes, you heard it right! 

We all have different strengths and abilities; we just need to acknowledge their worth and put them in the right direction. 

What are hard skills?

Hard skills are the distinct abilities, also termed as technical skills, mostly required to carry out job-related responsibilities. These are the computable practices we carry out to upgrade ourselves and get a chance to be a part of the top companies. These require proper time,  training and experience to master the art of technical expertise. 

Examples of hard skills in different areas.

Engineering hard skills include:

Machine learning, cloud computing, programming languages (Java, C++, Javascript, HTML, Python), and server maintenance.

Finance hard skills include:

Forecasting, expense reporting, ledger management, and bookkeeping.

Information Technology hard skills include:

Information Management, Network Security, Service Legal Agreements (SLAs)

Strategic hard skills include:

Data Analysis, Business Analytics, Data Science, Risk Analysis, Data Visualization.

Marketing hard skills include:

Creative brief development, writing & editing, marketing campaign management, graphic designing, and search engine optimization (SEO)

Product development skills include:

Market research, go-to-market (GTM) strategy, UX design, and user research.

General hard skills include:

Project Management, Proficiency in more than one language, usage of tools like Salesforce and Google Analytics. 

What are soft skills?

Soft skills are nothing but interpersonal skills. Yes, this is counted as a skill. Shocking and sounds so easy, right? Well, it requires confidence and patience to interact with others in your workspace. This is not something you will go to a training center for, but these are some of the most eminent skills you need to perceive for your survival in the corporate world. Soft skills are something we pick up naturally, maybe from a job through everyday interactions. Moreover, if you are determined to become a successful individual, soft skills are as much required as hard skills.

Examples of soft skills in different areas.

Communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, adaptability, leadership, flexibility, strategic thinking, self-awareness, time management, work ethic, responsibility, problem-solving skills, attention to detail. 

How to use hard skills and soft skills in career prospects?

It’s not about hard skill vs soft skill and which one is more important. It’s important to have an amalgamation of both soft skills and hard skills to interact with others and do the job smoothly. Definitely hard skills are essential for you to get started, but at the same time, soft skills will help you network and build relationships and grow in your job role. It’s the perfect balance that will ensure you stay ahead of the curve.

Also Read: Top MBA Entrance Exams in India: A Complete Guide for Aspiring Students

Final Thoughts

It’s no secret that the job market trends in 2025 are harsh and highly competitive. Having said that, we cannot deny the fact that 9 out of 10 companies find soft skills as beneficial as hard skills. Build your skill set strong and always find opportunities to master the game of balanced lifelong learning.