You probably know what soft skills are. This expression refers to behavioral skills which are more and more appreciated in employees. But are you really up-to-date? Do you also know what mad skills are?
Crazy skills
We could also refer to mad skills as crazy skills. Actually, this refers to rare, atypical or particularly original skills. The concept comes from the Silicon Valley in reference to the small grain of madness/creativity or quirky spirit that may differentiate a candidate.
Mad skills sometimes correspond to soft skills such as creativity, empathy, good listening skills, but will often find their origin in a unique life experience. This is when you can talk about your bike trip across America or your passion for music which led you to great singing experiences before many loving fans! An employer may think that it means that you are resourceful and capable of finding solutions in different situations or that you are a good speaker for example, qualities which can be very interesting in a company. Don’t worry, if you are not an adventurer and prefer knitting to all of these mad experiences, companies do not only search for original CVs. All of your qualities and professional experiences are still a fine combo to get in to the company of your dreams!
Originality, an advantage for the company
What is the benefit for a company to choose atypical profiles? “Companies need employees who are not conventional. To think out of the box it is necessary to have special resources”, explained Jean-Yves Matz, consultant for the APEC and HR instructor, interviewed by Les Echos Start. This little special thing may be a significant asset in various work situations. As an employer, do not hesitate to take a look at the original experiences candidates may have to identify these mad skills. And as a candidate, do not hesitate to insist on your unique life experiences, to write them down when preparing your CV and to talk about them during job interviews!
