You could be an expert when it comes to computers, science, or mathematical theories. However, career success in Nigeria requires more than just knowledge and experience in your chosen field.
Employers look for certain skills in job candidates regardless of the open position. So, having these qualities could make you more valuable to recruiters.
In this article, we’ll go over the meaning of soft skills, why they’re important, and the top five skills that Nigerian employers look for in job seekers. So, read till the end to learn more.
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What’s a Soft Skill and Why is It Important?
Soft skills are generally defined as a set of behaviours, personality traits, as well as social attitudes that enable people to communicate smoothly, collaborate effectively in the workplace, and handle conflicts successfully.
Individuals with excellent soft skills have high situational awareness, along with emotional intelligence, which allows them to navigate challenging working situations while producing positive outcomes. This is particularly essential for leadership positions as good leadership is about managing a team and supervising their activities toward the preferred result.
Another advantage of soft skills in a Nigerian office is that they aid in the adaptation to changing circumstances. Whether you’re in a leadership role or not, the ability to communicate skillfully during uncertain times or work with others when remedies aren’t readily apparent is critical.
Top 5 soft skills Nigerian Employers are Looking For
Communication Skills
You require various components to effectively communicate in the workplace. They include your capacity to talk clearly and concisely, which is referred to as verbal communication, alongside positive body language and facial expressions, which are examples of nonverbal communication.
You also require the capacity to compose reports, text messages, and other kinds of documents, which is referred to as written communication, as well as visual communication, which refers to your capacity to convey information through images as well as other visual aids.
Active listening is another important communication soft skill as it allows you to listen to and clearly hear what others are saying. To fully comprehend how to communicate effectively with someone, you must first learn how to listen. Any communication attempts will be one-sided and likely ineffective unless you have strong listening skills.
Leadership Skills
Companies seek employees who can direct and supervise others. They seek employees who can develop relationships at all levels of the organization. Leaders must evaluate, motivate, promote, and discipline employees, as well as create teams, settle disputes, and cultivate the preferred culture of the organization.
Figuring out how to influence individuals and meet their necessities is a critical component of leadership. Too many businesses overlook the importance of putting a person with the greatest technical abilities in supervisory roles forgetting that skill growth is frequently an important aspect of leadership training.

Teamwork
Most employees work in a department/division/team, and even individuals who aren’t on a formal team must collaborate with others.
You might prefer working alone, but it is critical to show that you value and understand the importance of joining hands and collaborating with others to achieve the company’s objectives. This demonstrates that you have the soft skills required to engage in fruitful collaboration.
Problem-Solving Skills
Many applicants attempt to minimize challenges because they are unaware that businesses hire workers to solve issues. Glitches, bumps along the way, and setbacks are all components of your work and provide opportunities for learning.
The capacity to apply your knowledge to solve pressing problems and devise workable solutions demonstrates that you can manage and succeed at your job. Making mistakes and learning from them is a vital part of improving a soft skills curriculum vitae.
Growth Mindset
You might face obstacles, disappointments, and other scenarios that could frustrate you in any job, regardless of the role. A growth mindset is a vital soft skill for perseverance. It is a term coined by psychologist Carol Dweck to describe a frame of mind that views your strengths, talents, and intellectual ability as skills that can be developed and improved.
Someone who possesses a growth mindset may view their inability to achieve a quarterly goal as a chance to pinpoint their strengths and shortcomings in order to handle the next quarter’s objective.
Conversely, an individual with a fixed mindset may say to themselves that they aren’t good at making analyses and allow that negative perspective to affect their next quarter’s progress as well, because they have no faith in their capacity to improve.
In Conclusion
Soft skills are vital for all individuals who want to attain success in a Nigerian workplace. You need more than academic qualifications and hard skills to succeed; you require soft skills as well, such as, communication, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving capacities, and a growth mindset. Acquiring these skills will help you to function as a good leader and adapt to the ever-changing business world.