Increasingly, employers are looking for a balance of both technical skills and soft skills. If you’re looking for a light industrial job, you might wonder what this means for you. Here is what you need to know.
What Are Technical Skills?
Also known as hard skills, these are all the things required to do the actual work. Depending on the specific position, light industrial technical skills may include:
- Forklift operation
- Picking and packing
- Welding
- Fabrication
- Machine operation
- Reading blueprints
These skills may be learned on the job through certification courses or even through hands-on personal experience. Some employers are willing to train new hires, while others expect candidates to have some technical skills already.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are personal traits and behaviors that can make you more effective in a work setting. They are transferrable across all work settings, which makes them especially valuable if you are changing careers. Soft skills that are highly valued in light industrial settings include:
- Organization
- Time management
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Communication
While these traits are somewhat innate, they can be honed and refined throughout your life. When deciding which ones to highlight, think of when you used them in the past, even if it wasn’t at work. For example, you might have played team sports in high school or organized a food drive in your community.
How Can I Highlight My Skills to Potential Employers?
Create a Skills section on your resume. You can list both technical and soft skills in the same section. During job interviews, frame your responses in ways that highlight both types of skills. For example, if you are asked the infamous “What would you do if X happened at work” question, relate it to a past experience. “When I was a volunteer leader (soft skill) at Y organization, something similar happened. I assessed the problem (soft skill) and then solved it using Z (hard skill).”
Looking For a Light Industrial Job in the Midwest?
Workbox Staffing offers light industrial jobs in more than 30 locations across the Midwest, Midatlantic, and Southeast. If you’re ready to jumpstart your light industrial career, take a look at our open positions or simply send us your resume today!
