Hard skills land you the interview. Soft skills land you the job. We need both hard skills and soft skills.
Hard Skills
If you are a typical job seeker expect to be unemployed for four months. If you are out of work and have a Web technology background there is one skill that will land you a full-time assignment in half the time! What is this high-demand, high-tech skill?
- Microsoft's .NET technology
This single finding was reported in a quarterly report issued by CareerBuilder entitled The Staffing Supply & Demand Outlook. The study included more than 5,000 hiring managers and 9,000 workers.
This finding is consistent with the latest Beantown Web research that reveals a high demand for the following fast-growing skills:
- C#
- Web Services
- ASP.NET
- SEO
- Ajax
Soft Skills
Virtually every job description lists "excellent communication skills" as a core requirement. However, higher level soft skills are in high demand according to one survey of Boston employers:
- Employers who say it is difficult to find "strategic thinkers" | 80%
- Employers who say it is difficult to find candidates who can "lead and motivate" others | 75%
A press release of the 2009 Greater Boston Area Talent Markets Survey is available for review. A more detailed FREE 44-page report 
60 Days
Few activities will alter the trajectory of your career faster than upgrading specific hard skills and soft skills. If you are a Web professional consider developing a 60-plan (a strategic plan) to incorporate ASP.NET into your skill set. If you are a professional in any discipline spend 60 minutes today identifying "strategic thinking" and "leading & motivating" examples you can point to in projects you have worked on. Employers are actively looking for these hard and soft skills.
Hard skills + soft skills = 60 days to your next opportunity.
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