Career Growth Tips

🧠 Feedback and Other Underrated Soft Skills

By Laura Peterson – Presented at Austin TUG, September 15, 2022

What Are Soft Skills?

We often focus heavily on technical skills like data modeling, visualization, and coding — but soft skills are the hidden power tools of your career. Here are some essentials:

Communication
Engagement
Teamwork
Leadership
Problem Solving

Underrated Soft Skills That Deserve More Credit

💡 Curiosity

Never stop learning. Great questions can unlock great answers. But make sure they’re:

Relevant
Directed to the right audience
Open-ended when possible

🧠 Proactive Thinking

This is about zooming out. Can you anticipate long-term impact instead of chasing short-term wins?

“Put a leash on your execution monster.”

🔁 Feedback

This is the ultimate career accelerant — if you know how to use it:

Actively ask for feedback — don’t wait for it to be offered
Be open to receiving it — even when it’s tough
Don’t get defensive
Take action based on what you hear

“Soft skills get little respect, but will make or break your career.”
– Peggy Klaus, Fortune 500 Coach & Author

Final Thoughts

In an increasingly technical world, soft skills aren’t just nice to have — they’re the difference-makers that help you connect, lead, and grow. Curiosity, proactivity, and feedback are three of the most overlooked, but they can transform your trajectory.

Thanks for reading — and remember to stay curious, stay open, and keep growing!

Laura Learns Data