According to an analysis of 50,000 resumes by Zety, soft skills made up 80% of the top 20 skills listed on résumés. That soft skills number is in contrast to just 45% of top 20 résumé skills in 2018. How does your CV compare? Today, the job market is tough: nearly half a million white collar workers have lost their jobs in September, according to S&P Global. Through the first nine months of 2024, professional and business service sector jobs accounted for more than 3.7 million of the nearly 14.9 million layoffs and discharges in the US. This dramatic shift towards soft skills on a CV highlights the growing importance of traits like problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability in today's job seeker who wants to stand out in a tight market.

Key findings from the report include:

In addition, resumes have become structurally different, with longer word counts and sections like certifications and accomplishments gaining prominence. LinkedIn VP Aneesh Raman tells the Microsoft Network, "People skills are going to come more to the center of individual career growth, and people-to-people collaboration is going to come into the center more for company growth. For leaders, you've got to start with communicating clearly, compassionately, and empathetically with your teams."

Hybrid or remote work demands a new set of interpersonal and self-management skills. In a distributed workforce, soft skills like communication, time management, and self-motivation become critical to ensure productivity and collaboration across distances. In other words, the things that go beyond the ability of AI are the skills that employers need.

The top 10 skills (both soft and hard skills) on the report include:

The integration of AI into various workflows has also altered the job landscape. Tasks traditionally requiring hard skills -- such as coding or data entry -- are increasingly automated. As a result, employers now prioritize qualities that machines cannot replicate, such as creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. Hard skills like project management or data analysis remain valuable, but their dominance is waning. In 2018, hard skills accounted for more than half of the top 20 skills listed on resumes. By 2023, that number had plummeted to just 20%.

When using ChatGPT, or other AI, look for opportunities to emphasize key soft skills. Here's how:

The shift toward soft skills reflects broader changes in the global workforce. As AI continues to evolve, these soft skills will likely remain at the forefront of the career conversation. Just don't rely on adjectives and characteristics alone - stories with data, results and outcomes are what make your soft skills come to life, in the interview.

In this new era, a resume is no longer just a list of qualifications; it's a reflection of who you are as a professional and a teammate. By focusing on the soft skills that matter most, you are advancing the career conversation.