Soft Skills for
Employability
An Introduction to the importance of Employability and the role of
Soft Skills as being central to enhancing Employability of
Graduates.
By Tameem Saied,
Technical Director of BRAIN ALCHEMY, Chennai
Visit us: www.brain-alchemy.com
Definition
Soft Skills- refer to the cluster of
personality traits, social graces, facility
with language, personal habits,
friendliness, and optimism that mark
people to varying degrees
Definition
Hard Skills- the technical requirements of
a job (assembly, labor, etc)
Global Businesses
Beginning to adopt soft skills as a major
component of required skills for a job
Blue collar jobs in Developed Economies
are moving overseas due to lower costs
Developed Countries and Urban Areas
moving more towards service industry
Customer Service and
Orientation
Focusing more on people than processes “Today’s service economy and ascendance of work
teams in large organizations puts a new premium on people skills and relationship-building” Lori Kocon- human resources expert
Soft skills = People skills=Street Smarts
Street Smarts = SMARTER PROFITS for Corporations, and a happy Stock Market Valuation for them.
Common Soft Skills
Strong Work Ethic
Positive attitude
Good communication skills
Time management abilities
Goal Orientation, not losing sight of the goal.
Problem-Solving skills, Ability to Self-Learn/Research tasks
Acting as a team player
Self-Confidence, Self Motivation
Ability to accept and learn from criticism
Flexibility/Adaptability
Working well under pressure
Self Responsibility, not blaming others
Awareness of Customer Satisfaction
Strong work ethic-Are you motivated and
dedicated to getting the job done, now
matter what? Will you be conscientious
and do your best work?
Positive attitude-Are you optimistic and
upbeat? Will you generate good energy
and good will
Good communication skills- Are you both verbally articulate and a good listener? Can you make your case and express needs in a way that builds bridges with colleagues, customers and vendors
Time management abilities- Do you know how to prioritize tasks and work on a number of different projects at once? Will you use your time on the job wisely?
Problem-solving skills-are you resourceful and able to creatively solve problems that will inevitably arise? Will you take ownership of problems or leave them for someone else? Will
you Innovate?
Acting as a team player- Will you work well in groups and teams? Will you be cooperative and take a leadership role when appropriate?
Self-confidence-Do you truly believe you can do the job? Will you project a sense of calm and inspire confidence in others?
Ability to accept and learn from criticism- Will you be able to handle criticism? Are you “Coachable” and open to learning and growing as a person and a professional?
Flexibility/Adaptability- Are you able to adapt to new situations and challenges? Will you embrace change and be open to new idea?
Working well under pressure- Can you handle the stress that accompanies deadlines and crises? Will you be able to do your best work and come through in a pinch?
Conclusions
Almost all modern businesses and high
technology/services corporations are
considering soft skills as an important job
criteria
An increase in service industry emphasizes the
need for soft skills
Soft skills are used both in personal and
professional life to create a harmonious and
successful Individual.
Special Thanks to:
Jessica Burns
Mike Baker
John Klinger