Hard skills, soft skills and mad skills: the ultimate power trio for your career
Ah, skills… the Holy Grail of the professional world! We’ve been bombarded with them since school — endless lists of technical must-haves, social abilities, and other buzzwords that morph into commandments. Yesterday, you had to be “agile,” today it’s all about being a “responsible AI expert,” and tomorrow? Who knows — maybe “emotionally intelligent drone whisperer”?
If you don’t want to be kicked off the rollercoaster of this hyper-competitive, unstable job market, there’s a timeless trio you need to master: hard, soft, and mad skills. Ready to dive in? Let’s break it down so you can supercharge your chances of landing the job of your dreams.
1. Hard skills: The solid technical foundations
Hard skills are your technical competencies — the things you can measure and quantify. They’re what make your CV shine like a neon sign in the dark alley of the job market. If you can code in Python, plan an event without chaos erupting, or write a report without butchering grammar, congrats — you’ve got some serious hard skills to flaunt.
These talents are learned through education, training, certifications, and hands-on experience. The best part? You can pick them up at any age. A decent course, a few hours of practice, and you’re battle-ready.
The catch? Not all skills are created equal — or at least not perceived that way. A diploma from a top-tier school carries more weight than a random online cert. So if your credentials are a bit lean, you’ll need to prove your worth through other strengths. Still, these are your bedrock. Build them. Grow them. Nurture them like your career depends on it — because, well, it does.
2. Soft skills: Where the magic (sort of) happens
Soft skills are your human abilities — the ones that make you sparkle in job interviews and once you’re hired: active listening, stress management, empathy, communication… This is the secret sauce that turns a regular employee into the team’s MVP.
Basically, it’s all the stuff that doesn’t come with a certificate but still gets you places. Thanks to soft skills, you can outshine a competitor with an Ivy League degree — and that’s pretty sweet.
But don’t get carried away. Being a communication wizard in meetings won’t magically help you manage a complex project or deliver results. These warm, fuzzy skills help you build great relationships, but they won’t make up for lacking hard skills. Keep your technical chops sharp — they’re the ones that get the job done. And while you’re at it, don’t forget your secret weapon: mad skills.
3. Mad skills: The hidden gems that might just launch your career
Mad skills are the unconventional, often-overlooked talents that — when used wisely — can seriously boost your career. Maybe you hiked across Patagonia, mastered underwater yoga, or run a blog about retro aesthetics? Doesn’t matter what it is — what matters is turning it into professional gold.
These are the talents you pick up outside of work: sports, music, volunteering, gaming. Yep, gaming. An online gamer might highlight their ability to solve problems under pressure or manage virtual teams. A marathon runner? Resilience and long-term goal chasing. The goal isn’t to share a quirky anecdote — it’s to turn it into a compelling value proposition.
Mad skills show who you really are. They set you apart and might just be what makes you the candidate no one else can compete with.
The art of standing out
By now, you’ve probably guessed: hard skills alone won’t cut it. The winning combo is blending them with your soft and mad skills. Without teamwork, adaptability, or creativity, even the most technically gifted might miss key opportunities.
Present your strengths strategically
Throwing all your talents on a CV without context is like that rooster from the La Fontaine fable who finds a pearl in a farmyard. Sure, it shines — but he’d much rather have a grain of corn. The moral? Just because something is valuable doesn’t mean it’s relevant to the person looking at it.
You might have amazing skills, but if they don’t match the company’s needs, your CV could end up in the trash. Worse, you might become the François Pignon of recruitment — a legendary character from the French cult comedy Le Dîner de Cons, known for being so hopelessly out of touch he gets invited to dinner just so people can laugh at him. (Yes, it was even adapted in the U.S. as Dinner for Schmucks with Steve Carell, who pushed the awkwardness to glorious new heights.) Funny? Sure. Hired? Not exactly.
So yes — shine. But shine strategically. Flaunt your hidden talents, own them with confidence, and show recruiters that you’re the rare gem they’ve been searching for — not just to dazzle, but to deliver real value. Trust me, with the right strategy, that job offer is well within reach.
