You’re probably very tired of hearing the terms ‘credit crunch’ and ‘recession’ by now, but unfortunately these are the times we live in. The question has to be, what can you do to maximise the chances of staying employed?

One way of staying ahead of the pack is to ensure that you have a competitive advantage over fellow employees. Often the only difference will be soft skills training. If technical skills are similar, how else does an employer decide who to keep and who to ‘let go’?

Some surveys have suggested that 85 per cent of someone’s success can be attributed to their soft skills rather than technical skills, education and training. Here are some tips.

Dress professionally. In fact, dress for the job you would like to have. Dressing smartly not only projects a better image, but can help you feel more professional in your approach to work.

Appreciate people. If someone has done something well, tell them. Smile at people; they will smile back.

Answer phone calls and emails as promptly as possible, even if you can’t deal with the query in full. People like to know what’s going on.

Ensure you treat your emails as you would a business letter. Be succinct and to the point. Check spelling and grammar. Think carefully before forwarding email or sending replies to all.