Lesson 5: The Importance of Soft Skills and Professionalism

In the work world, skills are important to an employer - sometimes even more important than your degree. Skills are things that you are able to do. Some skills are job-specific and can be used in only one line of work, like being able to interpret an x-ray. Skills that can be used in several occupations are known as “transferrable skills.” Examples of transferrable skills are providing good customer service, word processing, or being able to write a report. You may have developed these skills in school, on the job, from volunteering or through life experiences.

We often hear employers talk about “soft” skills and “hard” skills. Soft skills are sometimes called “employability” skills. These are the skills you need to enter, stay in, and progress in the world of work. Examples of soft skills are:

• communication
• problem solving
• positive attitude
• adaptability
• working with others

“Hard” skills, or technical skills, are the major or career specific skills that you learn in your college classes. Examples are running computer software programs, fixing machinery, operating equipment. Hard skills are usually easier to demonstrate than soft skills. However, some employers believe that soft skills are more important in the long run than hard skills.

Regardless of your major, every graduate will need to demonstrate their soft and hard skills to a potential employer when looking for a job. In today’s competitive job market, you will need to be to articulate the value of your skills and degree to a potential employer in order to land the job. The resume is the first step in the job-hunting process to establish that connection. In order to be successful in today’s competitive job market, your resume and cover letter must be action-driven and clearly demonstrate the value that you will bring to a company.

Assignment 5

Directions: Please watch the video, The Importance of Soft Skills and Professionalism.
What soft skills do you possess? Which ones do you need to work on?

When you have finished Assignment 5 you can proceed to Lesson 6.