This document discusses how to leverage soft skills into career opportunities. It defines soft skills as things like problem solving, flexibility, humor, and diplomacy that are difficult to measure but important. The author shares how after 8 years of teaching, he was able to freelance successfully due solely to his soft skills of connecting with others and embracing his personality. He provides examples from his job applications that focused on his ability to work with people. The key lessons are to listen to how others describe your strengths, examine your interests outside of work, understand your personality type, and have confidence in the soft skills that make you unique.

1. How to Leverage your Soft Skills
into Solid Opportunities
B.J. Keeton
Content Creator at Elegant Themes
@professorbeej / bj@elegantthemes.com

2. Lemme tell
you a
story.
 I quit my job of teaching college English after 8
years to start freelancing.
 I never went without work. (Which is crazy.)
 Offered a gig nearly every time I met someone.
 My wife said, “You really do lead a charmed
existence.”
 And I do in many ways.
 And it's all because of my soft skills.

3. I am a cartoon character.
 ”You’re like the Willy Wonka of our campus.”
Actual footage of me on the way
to class 

4. What are Soft Skills?
They’re not hard skills.
You can’t measure them.
But you have them.
They sound like clichés in a lot of ways.
• Problem solving & critical thinking
• Flexibility
• Sense of Humor
• "technology trend awareness"
• Diplomacy
• (omg workplace politics)

5. Soft Skills vs Hard Skills
Hard Skill: Public Speaking
 You can get better at this by taking classes.
 Strategies and methods and styles
 There's a formula
 TED Talks
Soft Skill: Connecting with the Audience
 Reading the room
 Adjusting your speech/presentation on the
fly based on that reading
 (spoiler: I'll probably do this with y'all.)

6. I only have one thing going for me.
So I own it.

7. Quotes from my actual cover
letter to Elegant Themes
 “I understand how to interact with people online
(they're real people behind that screen! Who knew?),
and best of all...I enjoy doing it. Here’s the thing: I love
people. I talk to people. I get to know people. I treat
people like they are people.”
 “And if you’ve already got content? No problemo! I can
snazz it up in no time flat.”
 “I am not a jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none. I master
the trades I begin. I am an excellent writer, I am an
excellent developer/designer, and I am wonderful with
people."
“Hi there! I'm BJ. I found your
posting through FlexJobs, and I
wanted to let you know how
awesome I am and how great I
would be at Elegant Themes."

8. But here's the thing:

9. I was not the best
person for this job.

10. But I was the best
personality for the job.

11. Shake what God
gave ya
 Teaching
 confidence
 (students are harsh and kind of mean)
 absolutely not organized
 Unbelievably empathetic
 Admin
 deadlines
 Politics
 had a rep for “real talk” and candor
 Blogging & Podcasting
 consistency
 tech awareness
 butt in chair

12. Finding your soft skills
LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE
 The Willy Wonka of our campus? I would
never have said something like that about
myself.
 Ever approached after meetings?
LOOK AT YOUR HOBBIES
 What do you find yourself drawn to?
 What is easy and fun for you?
 For me:
 blogging, podcasting, social mediaTake a Test
 Meyers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, etc.

13. *ahem*
ENFP
(formerly INTJ)
MB is not scientific, buuuut...
Don’t Lose That ’Little Spark of Madness’
16personalities.com
"The Campaigner"

14. Own It.
Embrace the soft skills that make you, you.
Those are the ones that make you desirable. And
hirable.

15. Takeaways:
• You are a lot more than your training and
education
• Don't be afraid to tell people why you're
awesome
• More than that, don't be afraid to tell
yourself why you're awesome

16. Be My Friend!
bj@elegantthemes.com
@professorbeej on Twitter