1 . Years ago, when I was working as a sales manager, there were people on my team who were always the top-performing employees. We all knew how to get the job done, but there were a few who had interpersonal (人际的) skill s and persuasive abilities to land the sales.

To get hired, you obviously need to have the necessary skills to complete the required tasks. For example, you’re not going to be interviewed for a position in IT if you don’t know how to work a computer. These kinds of skills are called hard skills. However, many employers are looking for applicants who possess certain soft skills that relate to one’s personality, such as leadership qualities, time management abilities, and communication skills.

The biggest difference between hard and soft skills is how each type of skill is got. While hard skills are abilities learned through education or training, soft skills are more subjective personality qualities that you’re either born with or you develop through life experiences. Hard skills are the technical knowledge you gain through training that get you in the door, and soft skills are the personality qualities that make you a good employee and keep you there.

It’s easy to quantify hard skills because they’re specific and often define the basic requirements of a job. Soft skills are more difficult to measure. But they’re transferable (可转移的) across all industries.

So in addition to hiring people who know what they’re doing, employers look for applicants with a specific set of soft skills that can’t be taught as easily as hard skills. These innate (先天的) personality qualities can be developed, but it takes time, and employers would rather hi re someone who’s already there.

2 . Jobs for Teens

Teenagers earn more than just money at a part-time job, they also earn experience, financial independence, responsibility, and savings for college. Here are some popular jobs for teens to earn extra money while getting valuable experience for the future.

Babysitting is a true way for any teenager who enjoys kids to make money. Neighbors, family friends, and relatives with small children often need help and want someone they know and trust. In order to offer more valuable services, teens can take classes on dealing with possible dangerous situations.

If your teen enjoys coffee, music, laptops, and people, then working as a waiter at a coffee shop can be a great part-time job choice. Coffee shops often offer a peaceful atmosphere (氛围) perfect for people watching. Besides, he can earn tips (小费)! If your teen wants to serve people, working at a coffee shop part-time could be the job for him.

Many elderly neighbors, friends on vacation, and people who work long hours need help washing and walking their pets. If your teen enjoys working with animals and is responsible for his work, then this is the job for him. His part-time business will begin to pick up once he sets himself up as a reliable animal lover.

If your teen loves communicating with people, restaurant employment might be right for her. She can choose from such positions as cashier, server, food runner, dish washer, and prep cook. Food industry positions can help your teen develop people skills, self-respect, and responsibility, while enjoying a bit of socializing.

4 . Program Operations Internship (实习)

Responsibilities:

 Research and outreach to potential nonprofit partners

 Providing basic customer service to the nonprofit network

 Supporting special projects for program operations plans

 Assisting in database maintenance

What you will gain:

 Customer engagement skills with impactful nonprofits

 Experience analyzing reporting data in a professional setting

 Teamwork and problem-solving opportunities

 Work alongside fun-loving, smart, and warm-hearted colleagues

What we need from you:

 Ability to give 20-30 hours weekly during business hours (8 am-6 pm)

 Ability to commute (通勤) to our Old Town Alexandria office

 Personable, smart, hardworking, and hungry to learn how a leading nonprofit works

Submit resume and cover letter to Irene@good 360.org.

5 . What are “soft skills”? You may ask. “Soft skills” is the term used for those skills that are not technical or job-related.     1     These skills characterize your relationships with other people, or how you approach life and work. In the workplace, soft skills are considered to be a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person’s knowledge and occupational skills.

    2     Imagine you are working in a company producing something, let’s say light bulbs. You come up with a revolutionary new technology. Your light bulbs are suddenly much better than others and your profits go up. But, after a while, your competitors get hold of the technology: you license its use, perhaps, or they develop alternatives. Suddenly, light bulbs are all the same again and your profits are suffering. You still need the new technology.     3    

Hard skills are like your technology: anyone can acquire them through formal education, training programs, and concentrated effort, and they are necessary. Without them you will not be able to operate in the workplace. Soft skills are your unique selling point.     4     Plus, soft skills are regarded as those relating to emotional intelligence, the ability to recognize and manage your own and others’ emotions. However, in reality, they go beyond that, and into the wider areas of how you organize yourself and how you approach life. It has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills may be more important than occupational skills over the long term.

Like hard skills, soft skills require a lot of practice to make you really skilled at using them.     5     You measure your success in developing soft skills in how well you manage relationships with those around you. These include family, friends, and co-workers, as well as customers and those who provide you with goods or services.

9 . Hope Matters

Reyes Guana, 42, grew up in a poor Mexican family. He has seven brothers and sisters. His parents always had two jobs to make ends meet.

As a boy, Guana had a good relationship with the school cleaner. He called her "Nike" because she wore Nike shoes. The boy liked how Nike made everything clean. He told her he wanted to be a cleaner, too. "Well, it's good if you want to be a cleaner," Nike told little Guana. "But make sure you go to college."

Guana also looked up to the principal of his school. The school leader told the boy that his job was to help students and teachers. "Wow, when I grow up, I want to do what you're doing," Guana told him. "Well, if you stick to your dream, you will," the principal replied.

And Guana really got there. But it was quite a long journey for him. Twenty-three years ago, he followed in Nike's footsteps and was cleaning schools. He worked at three schools to pay for his college education. He held that job for four years and then worked his way up to being a school safety monitor. After that, he worked as a teacher for a few years.

Now, as a principal, Guana never forgets where he came from. He helps students from poor families and shows respect for every school staff member. He always invites everyone to school parties, including those who clean the floors and those who drive the school buses.

10 . Graduate Schemes

Commercial Banking Graduate Scheme

We help U.K. -based clients to invest locally and trade globally, and advise them on ways they can manage risk. To apply for our scheme, you need a 2:1 degree or above in any discipline from any university.

Location: Our graduate schemes are based in various cities around the U. K., including London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

◆Attending client meetings to understand their needs and offering solutions to support them.

◆Managing the Group's exposure to risk and assessing investment opportunities.

Risk Management Graduate Scheme

If you are eager to learn how a national organization protects itself and its customers from different threats, you'll be a great fit for our Risk Management teams. What you need is just a 2: 2 degree or above.

Location: The first placement will be in Bristol, followed by three placements in London.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

◆Developing your understanding of credit risks, risk analysis and financial modeling.

◆Using artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify our risk management processes.

Finance Graduate Scheme

Finance teams are the trusted advisors to our business. And, once they understand how a business works, they can develop strategies that help transform it, within a fastchanging industry.

Accounting and finance graduates are qualified for this scheme.

Location: London.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

◆Building relationships with colleagues and customers to better understand their needs.

◆Reviewing our practices and contributing ideas on the ways we can improve them.

Manufacturing Graduate Scheme

We're the U. K is second latest fresh food manufacturer. We're unique in the way we source and make most of our fresh food ourselves. To join us, it's crucial that you have a driving license. Besides, you must have a passion for food quality and safety. Those who have a minimum 2: 2 degree and are fluent in Chinese will be preferred.

Location: Longon.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

◆Working with a variety of teams at several of our manufacturing sites.

◆Going on placement in stores to learn more about our retail operations.