You have everything you think you need for your dream job, but could something else be holding you back? You possess hard skills for the job, but you may lack soft skills. Hard skills are things that are measurable and technical. A master’s degree in business is a hard skill. The ability to speak Spanish is a hard skill. Many specific qualifications for a job are hard skills, such as years of work experience or proficiency (精通) with particular computer programs.

On the other hand, soft skills are harder to define. And they can’t be defined. And they can’t be measured. Soft skills covers a wide range of characteristics that you can work on for a lifetime but some of the most common and most necessary for success include being a good listener and speaker, a wise leader, a problem solver, a strong communicator or a team player. It’s also helpful if you can accept feedback, settle conflicts with others, deal with difficult people or be flexible. These soft skills are what many employers desire.

Soft skills benefit you in many ways. Being a good listener, for example, is very helpful if you’re a doctor. Being flexible, a team player and a problem solver help you succeed when dealing with deadlines.

Soft skills are something extra that help a particular person to succeed. Being able to show you possess them could make a difference in landing a job you’ll love, or being more successful in the job you already have. They make the difference between someone who is just OK at their job and someone who is outstanding, the person you always want on your team. In general, soft skills make you more likable and more competent.

Soft skills are what can set people apart from each other on resumés or in job interviews, but soft skills don’t come naturally.

Remembering names is an important social skill.Here are some ways to master it.

Recite and repeat in conversation.

When you hear a person's name,repeat it.Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips.【小题1】

Ask the other person to recite and repeat.

You can let other people help you remember their names.After you've been introduced to someone,【小题2】Most people will be pleased by the effort you're making to learn their names.

【小题3】

Admitting that you can't remember someone's name can actually make people relaxed.Most of them will feel sympathy if you say."I'm working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?"

Use associations.

【小题4】For example, you could make a mental note:"Vicki Cheng—tall, black hair." To reinforce your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.

Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.

When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names.Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. 【小题5】 Last names can come later.

They follow you in the street. They ask you for money and they don’t leave you alone when you try to say no. They are the aggressive street-working, fund-raising charity workers, otherwise known as “chuggers”.

The term “chugger” is a combination of two words, “charity” and “mugger”. Chuggers often work in the street. They set up a stall with information about the charity they represent, and they try to get you to donate money to the charity. Typically, they prey on your feelings of guilt, greeting you with questions such as, “Do you care about the planet?” or, “When was the last time you did something for someone else?”

But a survey of their strategies has found that some charity volunteers are far from charitable. “Many chuggers simply refuse to back off when asked to do so,’’ said Brian Jones, a spokesperson for a charity watchdog (监察人). “One of the problems is that some chuggers say they are working as volunteers,” he added. “However, they aren’t really. Most of the 50 chuggers we spoke to showed little interest in anything other than raising the maximum amount of cash in the minimum amount of time. They get paid from this so it makes sense. Also, a fifth of fundraisers had no visible ID and almost a quarter failed to give clear information about the cause they were representing. By employing chuggers who break the law, tell lies or refuse to leave members of the public alone, charities undermine the trust we all instinctively have in them.”

But Shirley Bosworth, chief executive of the Institution of Fundraising, said face-to-face fundraising remains “an appropriate and effective method”. “It enables charities to engage with a particular demographic of donor, and it means that charity and donor can enter into a dialogue about what the charity does and how the donor’s money will be used,” she explained.