How much do you know about hard skills?

You may not be too familiar with the name, but hard skills have been essential to job performance for centuries. The term refers to those technical competencies and specific knowledge that a person acquires through formal education, specialized training, and work experience.

These skills are key to being able to perform specific tasks within a job. And not only that. Unlike soft skills, which are more subjective and related to personality and communication, hard skills are tangible and measurable. Exams, certifications, and performance tests, for example, are some of the formulas that can be used to objectively determine the level or skill that a professional possesses in these hard skills.

It is increasingly common to establish balance as the basis for the success of a good professional profile. It is not just a matter of knowing how to implement active listening, being empathetic, or mastering the latest digital marketing strategies or the most advanced programming languages. Technical skills must go hand in hand with adaptability and efficiency to make the human team a growing value in the workplace.

Understanding the importance of this combination makes it essential to understand the difference between hard skills and soft skills, since it is in the balance between the two that a large part of professional success lies. As we said, hard skills are the technical skills needed to perform specific tasks, so the range of hard skills is extraordinarily broad and depends on each sector. The knowledge required by a telecommunications engineer has little to do with that required by an early childhood education teacher; however, both must have hard skills.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are directly related to social skills. These are personal or emotional competencies that allow a person to interact effectively with others. This chapter includes everything from communication to teamwork, empathy, conflict resolution, and time management, among others.

While the latter are more difficult to quantify, hard skills can be certified through tests or assessments. In fact, soft skills are part of one's personal nature and, although they can be enhanced, it is the hard skills that are traditionally learned systematically.

In any case, both are essential in the work environment, and it is the combination of the two that makes the real difference. For example, an engineer may have excellent technical knowledge, but if they cannot communicate their ideas effectively or work well in a team, their impact will be limited. In other words, while hard skills determine what a person can do technically, soft skills determine how they do it and how they interact with others in the process.

While it is true that the list varies depending on the sector and the specific needs of each position, some of the hard skills most in demand when it comes to finding a job are:

• Cybersecurity: hard skills in IT security are essential to protect data and systems, especially considering the increase in cybercrime. Knowledge in cryptography, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, security risk management... Companies are increasingly looking for experts capable of identifying, preventing, and responding to all types of cyberattacks.
• Data Science: the ability to interpret and analyze large data sets has become another of the hard skills most sought after by companies, aware of its importance in making informed decisions. From the mastery of data analysis tools -such as SQL, Excel, or Python-, through knowledge in data visualization, as well as experience in machine learning and data mining techniques, they can be a great boost for the professional profile.
• Languages: languages are one of the hard skills par excellence, but they are even more important when it comes to companies with an international presence. In a globalized world, speaking several languages opens doors to opportunities by facilitating communication with clients, strategic partners...
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: with the increasing use of AI in various areas, hard skills linked to machine learning algorithms and AI development are among the most sought after. Professionals with expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP) techniques are increasingly in demand. In addition, the ability to develop, train, and deploy AI models to solve complex problems in all types of sectors gives an idea of the possibilities offered by this discipline and any skills associated with it.

Acquiring and improving these hard skills through courses, certifications, and practical experience is fundamental, as the relationship between hard skills and employment is undeniable. Training provides a solid theoretical foundation, while work experience allows you to apply and enhance these skills in a real-world context and, in this sense, dual Vocational Training (VT) programs are of great interest as they combine theory with practice, offering students the opportunity to acquire hard skills directly in the work environment.