is critical thinking a hard skill 
no critical thinking is an important soft skill you can study and practice critical thinking but it cannot be learned in the same way you can teach yourself to use accounting software the bottom lineevery job from firefighting to being a marketing executive calls for a specific skill set often made up of a combination of hard and soft skills whether you are considering a new job or applying for your first job knowing which hard skills are needed and obtaining those skills means you will have a better chance of being hired or promoted in your field of choice some hard skills such as being proficient in using a computer analyzing data or understanding at least the basics of using social media will often be useful in many different jobs and careers many trades call for particular hard skills that are required for employment in construction architecture plumbing and electric and engineering to get hired and be successful in the workplace you ll need a combination of hard and soft skills both of which you can continually build on and develop 