1. Adaptability

Some who've studied younger generations in the workforce say there's a demonstrable "soft skills gap" among young people today. It's not hard to see why.

Many young workers today don't believe their job will exist in its present form in just a few years' time. Consequently, they've placed an unspoken priority on the harder skills, believing these are what will make them nimble enough to navigate a changing economy.

Hard skills will always be essential, but acquiring them, plus the other soft skills on this list, requires adaptability. The age of instant gratification means many of us view our jobs as temporary situations until the next big thing comes along. But focusing on adaptability lets us see the opportunities in front of us and helps us remain open to change and new experiences.

2. Teamwork

That focus on adaptability sometimes comes at the expense of soft skills like accountability, effective communication and even, sometimes, respect for authority. With all of this in mind, it's important to remember why teamwork is a skill worth learning. Millennials wish for engaging jobs, but they don't always learn before entering the workforce why teamwork and empathy are so crucial.

When older members of the workforce express frustration with millennials and generation Z, it's often because younger people are not used to working with a group or taking ownership over their piece of a project. But teamwork isn't a process — it's a skill. And it's one which isn't possible without a healthy dose of respect, self-awareness, patience and mindfulness of deadlines.

3. Curiosity

You need to cultivate an unapologetic intellectual curiosity if you want to thrive in college, in your chosen career and beyond.

Curiosity is what gives you not just the tools but the enthusiasm to engage in lifelong learning. Young people today want careers that test them and help them grow. However, those kinds of jobs require you to meet them halfway with a can-do attitude and a willingness to explore and learn all you can.

Consider the role curiosity plays in sales and other positions where you have to project a confident and knowledgeable aura to your clients or potential customers. Use your natural curiosity to absorb knowledge about your business and your place in it. While this is a soft skill, it opens the door to the "harder" and more practical skills and knowledge you need to rise above your peers.

4. Patience

There will be times where your supervisor asks you to troubleshoot a problem you're not that familiar with or answer a wonky, technical question. Getting your work done that day might mean doing extra research or more fully understanding a concept.

There will be other times when your co-workers leave you waiting for a piece of a larger project or you have to send a follow-up email before everybody's on the same page. Every professional needs to learn how to deal with situations like these with grace.

5. Communication

We mentioned earlier how important communication is in the professional world. It informs everything else on this list. But it's worth exploring on its own, too.

When asked in a poll, around 83 percent of professionals stated they believe communication skills are essential. Interestingly, research also says professionals typically don't receive management-specific training, in communication or other soft skills, until they've held some type of leadership role for a decade.

So what makes a good communicator? And why do we take so long before making sure our future leaders have the skills to communicate effectively?

One non-negotiable thing is the ability to listen to gain understanding rather than merely listening to reply. There's another point worth remembering too, which is that not everybody picks up on new concepts at the same speed. High-quality communication means imparting information efficiently, but also in such a way that folks don't need to circle back right away with follow-up questions.

6. Positivity

Positivity is a straightforward enough concept, even if it's a little more difficult to practice. In a professional setting, it can mean letting your distractions and annoyances blend into the background.

It may also mean you go out of your way to help co-workers discover the upside of difficult situations or that you're always ready with a smile when you find yourself among others who aren't having the swell day you are.

A smile is infectious. And positivity in one corner of the workplace quickly spreads to the others. It's more than possible for hard work and fun to co-exist in the workplace, and maintaining an unmistakable positivity is one of the keys.

7. Creativity

When we think of the word "creativity," maybe painting or crafting come to mind. But creative thinking is far broader than artistic works — it's the basis for much of the thinking we do at college and afterward. Developing our creativity means being unafraid to solve problems in novel ways and trying new techniques to accomplish familiar tasks.

Of course, not every creative endeavor, including problem-solving, succeeds. Creativity is a kind of fearlessness: a willingness to put yourself out there in the name of doing something never done, or doing it in a way that saves money, time or effort.

8. Ambition

The world economy still runs on ambition. But there's no high school or college curriculum labeled such. Pushing yourself could be one of the hardest-won skills on this list. You have to want to do the best work you're capable of. You have to want to outperform others while plotting your ascent up the corporate ladder.

We're not talking about cutting throats to get to the top. We're talking about the unquenchable desire to improve yourself and your station.

When asked, 61 percent of HR professionals said they believe gen Zers in the workforce will need extra support in the workplace to develop their soft skills. Wouldn't you like to prove them wrong? You can start doing so in college. You'll still need to work for your advancements, but ambition begins with knowing what you don't know, being honest about your weaknesses and choosing to do better.