Soft Skills and Employment

In the "Womanpreneur" column of the Fort Morgan (CO) Times (10/27), Lorrie Boyer recalls a networking workshop she recently attended, which although offering "some good overall tips and general information...completely skipped over what I consider to be the most important part of networking and that is 'soft skills.'" Boyer offers a list of examples and how they each can impact business relationships. "The way that you talk to people -- tone, voice fluctuation, voice volume, language, vocabulary and articulation -- are soft skills needed to be an effective communicator," Boyer writes. "Soft skills include the way you smile, if you are sincere in what you are talking about and how you talk about a topic." She adds, "By the way, a good solid handshake (for women especially) represents a multitude of things including dignity, respectfulness, confidence and sincerity, and again is a memorable mark for people when it comes to networking."

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