Thanks for the question.
I found a suitable and easy to understand explanation on Wikipedia:
"Soft skills, also known as power skills, common skills or core skills, are skills applicable to all professions.These include critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, professional writing, teamwork, digital literacy, leadership, professional attitude, work ethic, career management and intercultural fluency. This is in contrast to hard skills, which are specific to individual professions."
In short, this part of your comment I think sums it up best:
"If it means skill for "soft"ware developers can benefit from, hell yes."
One of the most salient features of our Tech Hiring culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted.
I was thinking about the arbitrary name ("soft skills") that some consultants in human resources in English speaking countries decided to use.
Let see an other arbitrary name.
Le savoir-être est un ensemble de qualités personnelles, d'habiletés sociales correspondant à la capacité de produire des actions et des réactions adaptées à l'environnement humain et écologique. Il est nécessaire à l'autonomie, au partage avec les autres et à une vie vie affective riche. _
That means something like knowing how to exist in the world.
Holy shit that seems not so soft anymore.
What do the italians say?
La competenza sociale è la competenza psicologica, relazionale e comunicativa, legata all'adeguata comprensione ed utilizzo, da un punto di vista cognitivo, affettivo e funzionale, delle regole di interazione sociale.
Ah yes I can see why being competent socially can help you when you interact with strangers on GitHub.
And I'm not very surprised that Italians see this as important.
What about English?
Well there are alternative names in your definition
"Soft skills, also known as power skills, common skills or core skills, are skills applicable to all professions."
Power skill does seem more powerful to me!
This is in contrast to hard skills, which are specific to individual professions.
So you could choose a different word here and say that knowing the internals of C++ is a specific skill (instead of hard) that is useful to much less people.
Isn't it interesting that if you choose different words you are less surprised that empathy, listening, communication etc... are actually very important?
"Isn't it interesting that if you choose different words you are less surprised that empathy, listening, communication etc... are actually very important?"
I agree that using different wording can have different effects. Your first comment is a good example imo.
And I also agree that regardless of the naming (soft skill or power skill), the importance of the topic should be eminently present.
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"What does it mean "soft" skill?"
Thanks for the question.
I found a suitable and easy to understand explanation on Wikipedia:
"Soft skills, also known as power skills, common skills or core skills, are skills applicable to all professions.These include critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, professional writing, teamwork, digital literacy, leadership, professional attitude, work ethic, career management and intercultural fluency. This is in contrast to hard skills, which are specific to individual professions."
In short, this part of your comment I think sums it up best:
"If it means skill for "soft"ware developers can benefit from, hell yes."
The list is right.
I was thinking about the arbitrary name ("soft skills") that some consultants in human resources in English speaking countries decided to use.
Let see an other arbitrary name.
That means something like knowing how to exist in the world.
Holy shit that seems not so soft anymore.
What do the italians say?
Ah yes I can see why being competent socially can help you when you interact with strangers on GitHub.
And I'm not very surprised that Italians see this as important.
What about English?
Well there are alternative names in your definition
Power skill does seem more powerful to me!
So you could choose a different word here and say that knowing the internals of C++ is a specific skill (instead of hard) that is useful to much less people.
Isn't it interesting that if you choose different words you are less surprised that empathy, listening, communication etc... are actually very important?
"Isn't it interesting that if you choose different words you are less surprised that empathy, listening, communication etc... are actually very important?"
I agree that using different wording can have different effects. Your first comment is a good example imo.
And I also agree that regardless of the naming (soft skill or power skill), the importance of the topic should be eminently present.