Choose a few soft skills that fit the role, then prove them with specific examples. Communication, teamwork, adaptability and reliability are useful starting points, but no candidate needs to claim all 20—or can count on a skills list alone to win an offer. The strongest answers show what you did, why you did it and what happened.
What soft skills should you emphasize?
Soft skills are observable ways of working with people, information and responsibilities. Which ones matter most depends on the vacancy: read the job description, consider the work context, and choose skills you can support with credible examples. A customer-facing job may call for clear communication and empathy; a role coordinating deadlines may make organization and prioritization especially relevant.
There is no established universal ranking for these skills. Treat this list as a menu, not a scorecard. Indeed’s workplace and interview guidance names these capabilities or closely related ones; the labels below synthesize that guidance for interview preparation.
20 soft skills to consider—and how to show them
- Communication: Explain information clearly and respectfully. Describe how you made a complicated update understandable to the people who needed it.
- Active listening: Understand a question or concern before responding. Give an example of clarifying someone’s needs and adapting your response.
- Teamwork: Contribute reliably toward a shared goal. Explain your part in the work, not just what the team accomplished.
- Collaboration: Exchange ideas and coordinate work with others. Show how you incorporated colleagues’ input or aligned on a plan.
- Adaptability: Adjust constructively when priorities, processes or needs change. Identify what changed and how you responded.
- Problem-solving: Identify an obstacle and take useful steps toward a solution. Describe how you investigated the issue and what you did next.
- Critical thinking: Consider evidence and alternatives before deciding. Explain what information you weighed and why.
- Decision-making: Choose a course of action and explain your reasoning. A good example includes the options you considered and the outcome.
- Leadership: Help a group move toward an outcome, with or without a management title. Show how you gave direction, supported others or kept work moving.
- Initiative: Notice a need and take appropriate action. Be specific about what you spotted and what you did without waiting to be asked.
- Empathy: Understand another person’s perspective and respond with care. Describe how you recognized a concern and handled it thoughtfully.
- Interpersonal skill: Build professional, productive working relationships. Use an example of earning trust or working effectively with someone whose approach differed from yours.
- Conflict resolution: Address a disagreement constructively. Explain how you listened, communicated and helped move toward a workable next step.
- Creativity: Generate useful ideas or alternative approaches. Focus on the idea you proposed and how it addressed the situation.
- Organization: Arrange information and work so commitments are manageable. Give an example of a system or process you used to keep track of responsibilities.
- Time management: Plan work and meet deadlines. Describe how you managed a deadline while handling the work involved.
- Prioritization: Decide what to handle first when demands compete. Explain the criteria you used and how you communicated your choices when needed.
- Dependability: Follow through on responsibilities. Show how others could rely on you to complete agreed work or raise an issue early.
- Integrity: Act honestly and responsibly. Describe a decision or conversation in which you handled information or responsibility with care.
- Willingness to learn: Seek feedback and build capability. Give an example of feedback you acted on or a skill you deliberately developed.
Indeed also names related capabilities such as attention to detail, self-motivation, self-regulation and work ethic. Use the wording that best matches the job and the evidence you can actually describe.
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How to demonstrate a soft skill with a STAR answer
A label such as “I’m a strong communicator” is an assertion; a specific example lets an interviewer assess how you work. Structure a concise answer with STAR:
- Situation: Give enough context to make the challenge clear.
- Task: State what you were responsible for.
- Action: Explain what you personally did and why.
- Result: Describe what happened. Include a number only when it is accurate and helps explain the outcome.
Keep your own contribution distinct from the team’s. For example, a project story might show teamwork, communication, problem-solving and adaptability, but the answer should name the actions that demonstrate those qualities rather than attach a string of labels to the story. Indeed’s STAR interview response guidance recommends explaining the positive outcome and using numbers when they show how the effort benefited the organization.
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How to choose which skills to discuss
- Start with the job description. Note the capabilities it names directly and the responsibilities that imply others.
- Consider the work context. Look for signals such as customer interaction, collaboration across teams, changing priorities or tight deadlines.
- Match those needs to your evidence. Choose a few skills for which you have clear, truthful examples. One well-told story can demonstrate more than one relevant capability.
- Practice answering the question asked. Keep the example focused; do not force a prepared story onto a prompt it does not answer.
Interview formats and priorities vary by role. LinkedIn Talent Solutions says that 92% of talent professionals believe soft skills are as important as or more important than hard skills. Its search result describes a survey of nearly 1,300 hiring managers but does not establish the survey year or field dates, so the percentage should be read with that limitation. In its behavioral-interview guide, LinkedIn Talent Solutions also states: “In a rapidly changing work environment, adaptability is a key soft skill for thriving.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Practice prompts for your examples
Rehearse a short STAR story for prompts such as:
- Tell me about a time you worked with a team to reach a goal.
- Describe a time you had to adapt to a change at work or school.
- Tell me about a difficult problem you helped solve.
- How have you handled a disagreement with a colleague?
- Describe a time you had to prioritize competing responsibilities.
These prompts are practice questions, not a guarantee of what an interviewer will ask. Use examples from work, study or other relevant responsibilities, and be ready to explain your specific actions.
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