The soft skills employers actually want in entry-level candidates

By: Keith Spencer, Career Expert with AI resume builder Resume Now

Many students and recent graduates worry that they don’t have enough technical experience to impress employers. Job postings for entry-level roles seem to demand an unrealistic set of qualifications and a lengthy track record of professional experience, making it easy to feel like you can’t measure up. The good news is that for early career candidates, employers often care more about your soft skills than your technical expertise or direct experience. 

Soft skills, or transferable skills, are the personal qualities and habits that show how you work with others, manage your time, solve problems, and adapt to new situations. These skills can also be the deciding factor between candidates with similar educational backgrounds. If you can effectively demonstrate to employers that you are reliable, collaborative, and willing to learn, you already have a strong foundation for success.

In this article, we will highlight the soft skills that employers consistently value, explain why they matter so much, and show you how to demonstrate them on your resume and in job interviews.

Why Soft Skills Matter at the Start of Your Career

Employers know they can teach you the technical aspects of a role. What they can’t easily teach is how to communicate clearly, manage the stress of a demanding role, or work cohesively as part of a diverse team. That’s why soft skills consistently rank at the top of employer wish lists for entry-level hiring.

For example, a 2025 Resume Now report on Top Soft Skills to List on a Resume

highlights communication, adaptability, and problem-solving as key qualities that recruiters and hiring managers look for in potential candidates. Plus, these in-demand skills aren’t limited to specific industries. Whether you are applying for a marketing assistant role, a research position, or an entry-level job in healthcare, employers want to see how you will handle challenges and positively contribute to the team.

The Top Soft Skills Employers Value

Communication is one of the most important qualities employers look for in entry-level candidates. Being able to express your thoughts clearly, whether in writing or in conversation, is an essential aspect of being an effective team member. Employers want candidates who can write a professional email, present a coherent idea to a group, or explain a problem and propose a solution to a manager without confusion.

Adaptability is another crucial skill. Workplaces change quickly, and employers value candidates who can adjust when projects shift, deadlines move, or priorities change. Showing that you are open to learning new skills and flexible in your approach demonstrates resilience and growth potential.

Time management and organization are also high on the list. Juggling multiple responsibilities is part of nearly every job. If you can show that you are reliable with your deadlines and organized in your approach, you immediately stand out as someone who can be trusted to get their work done without constant supervision or reminders.

Problem-solving is also an extremely valuable attribute. Employers want people who don’t freeze when something goes wrong and can, instead, rationally identify and isolate issues. While the ultimate decision-making power might not be yours, even entry-level employees need to be resourceful and willing to think through possible solutions.

Finally, teamwork and collaboration are essential. Most jobs require working with others, and being able to listen, contribute ideas, resolve conflicts, and respect different perspectives demonstrates maturity and professionalism. An article from FlexJobs’ work from home jobs site further emphasizes that transferable skills like these are among the most sought-after by employers.

Showing Soft Skills on Your Resume

A lot of early career job seekers struggle with effectively communicating their soft skills. It’s not enough to simply list these skills on your resume; employers want to see evidence of them through your experiences. That means going beyond basic descriptions of your tasks and painting a clearer picture of how you leveraged your skills and what you achieved as a result. 

For example, instead of simply saying you worked on a group project, describe how you collaborated with teammates to meet a tight deadline or solve a complex problem. If you were part of a student organization, highlight how your involvement helped plan an event, grow membership, or achieve a shared objective. If you participated in volunteer work, explain how your contribution supported the organization’s mission or made a tangible difference in the community. These kinds of examples demonstrate your communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills rather than just telling employers you have them.

If you need more guidance, Resume Now’s guide on transferable skills can help you frame your experiences in a way that resonates with hiring managers.

Demonstrating Soft Skills in Interviews

This “show, don’t just tell” approach becomes even more important during job interviews. You can claim to have all the skills an employer is looking for, but if you don’t back them up with real examples, your words won’t carry much weight. Employers often ask behavioral questions, like “Tell me about a time you handled conflict” or “Give me an example of a situation where you had to adapt quickly.” Even if they don’t phrase their questions in a way that naturally invites a story, it’s still smart to offer one anyway.

And just like when demonstrating skills on your resume, try to highlight positive results whenever possible. For example, if asked about teamwork, you might describe how you worked with a student group to create a presentation for a local nonprofit. You coordinated the research, kept everyone on track, and organized the final delivery. As a result, the nonprofit used your work to secure additional funding. This type of answer showcases communication, organization, leadership, and impact, all without you needing to label those skills directly.

Building Soft Skills Outside the Classroom

If you feel you haven’t developed enough soft skills yet, there are a number of ways to learn and strengthen them. Consider joining a student club, taking on a leadership role in a class project, volunteering, pursuing an internship, or even starting a personal project. Part-time and summer jobs, even if they are unrelated to your future career goals, also provide great opportunities to hone a variety of skills. Each of these experiences can build valuable traits while giving you concrete examples for your resume and future interviews.

Your Path Forward

Technical skills will help you perform specific tasks, but soft skills determine how well you adapt, collaborate, and grow in the workplace. Employers consistently emphasize that they are looking for candidates who can communicate clearly, manage their time, solve problems, and work effectively with others.

By focusing on these qualities and demonstrating them in both your resume and your interviews, you can stand out even without years of experience. Remember, you likely already have many of these skills from your education, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities. The key is learning how to frame them in a relevant way that shows employers you are ready to succeed.