Research mechanic skills for your resume and career

I am not particularly fond of the term "soft skills" since it's often gendered and I think in a lot of ways is not easily distinguishable from so-called "hard" or technical skills. However, I think that what people mean when they talk about soft skills is deeply important: communication, time management, organization, teamwork, approaches to problem-solving, etc. This affects not just how effectively you can use your "hard" skills, but also about communicating your work and ideas to your peers and supervisors. What good is technical knowledge if you don't know how to approach a problem critically, from diverse vantages, and while being open to feedback and others' ideas when you hit a dead end? In this way, and especially in today's world, I think patience and communication are key. With a liberal arts education our Denison University students are used to having to approach a topic from different lenses and perspectives, and work and learn from diverse peers, Professors, and community members. In this way, they have experience with clearly communicating their ideas but also with different ways of thinking about and approaching both practical and theoretical problems. No one will know every technology, system, and skill they will encounter in their first job, so what's most important is knowing how to learn--this means knowing yourself but also knowing how to ask for help, communicate challenges, and be willing to adapt!