Being a "softy" really packs a punch

Even if you are unsure of your future career path, there are a set of skills you can work on to increase the chances of a good start to that career. These are known as soft skills and they relate to interpersonal communication. The name "soft skills" is quite deceiving as these skills carry a lot of weight. Within the competitive internship/ job market that many will face in the upcoming months, these soft skills could be the
 distinguishing factor that secures the position. It matters to an employer if a job candidate communicates well and avoids common fillers such as "like," "you know," and "so yea." Employers also care if you are able to build rapport with people of different age groups because it may be a sign if you'll be able to build rapport with clients as well.

These skills are not to be taken lightly because their strength stems from the ability to transfer them not only from one situation to another but also between different industries. My favorite feedback I've received from a prospective employer was this: "You were a great candidate, but there were also a lot of other great candidates. You should consider...". The reason this feedback was my favorite is it clearly demonstrates why soft skills are so important: there are many candidates out there that qualify for the job so soft skills may serve as the distinguishing feature in a pool of qualified applicants.

Some Great soft skills to master include:
1) Delivering an effective presentation
2) Initiating and maintaining good conversation
3) Communicating in a straightforward manner
4) Reading body language effectively
5) Perfecting your handshake

I think a great way to start thinking about these soft skills is reading about them. The following books offer advice about different elements of interpersonal communication that are key in mastering soft skills:

What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro
The Etiquette Edge by Beverly Langford

Everyday I read articles about the difficulties recent graduates  encounter trying to find their first job.  It seems with every passing month the economic situation sees little improvement as the labor market is flooded with experienced workers and newcomers have an increasingly difficult time.  My advice is to improve all areas that could make a difference in career success.