You’re prepared for your next shipyard job, right? You have the skills necessary that employers are looking for in fabrication, manufacturing, or something more specialized. But is there something your overlooking? Have you considered your soft skills? What are soft skills anyway? A soft skill is something that can’t be measured in the same way as specialized skills through training or experience. They are things like organizational skills and the ability to communicate clearly. But are they important in the shipyard industry? They are, and here’s why.
Attention To Detail
Every tiny detail when building a ship counts for something. You must demonstrate an attention to detail. The good news is, attention to detail can be learned over time. Make sure you discuss with the hiring manager how small details affected your performance in previous positions in a positive way.
Interpersonal Skills
Within a shipyard environment, you will also be interacting with people from all different levels. It’s important that you can work with a team as well as work independently but in conjunction with other groups, teams, or individuals. How you communicate, your body language, and collaborate are important to your success. This can all be demonstrated throughout the interview process at every stage.
Leadership Skills
You may not think you need leadership skills if you’re not in a leadership position, but there is a lot more to being a leader than just management skills. Leadership is about motivating others, making decisions, and improving your overall performance. And, as a bonus, if you demonstrate leadership skills you may be noticed for a promotion. When discussing leadership skills, be sure to talk about areas where you took charge and the positive outcomes.
Communication
We already talked about interpersonal skills, but communication is too important to be left out or lumped in. Communication may be the single most important soft skill anyone develops for any job, including within a shipyard. You need to communicate with many people, and you may need to do so in person, over the phone, via email, or with a text.
Are you looking for your next shipyard job? Call the recruiters at Hutco to see what we’re working on today.
