Focus on soft skills

Moving on to an undergraduate degree course from school means developing your skills at some advanced level. Students have to work at a more complex and sophisticated level with a need for broader and independent studies. Many of the things that they teach in college may be somewhat outdated and nowadays it has become necessary to a lot of things on your own to be successful, whether it’s for placement or for higher studies. Here are some points that students of any undergraduate degree programme should acquire with their formal studies to make them employable by any organisation.

People skills

Students looking for their first job shouldn’t underestimate how far good people skills can take them. Good interpersonal skills can fetch even a candidate with a less-marketable degree an appealing job. Good interpersonal skills like the ability to converse, to make eye contact while speaking, to speak in complete sentence, to understand one’s responsibility, to listen to others opinion/comments and so on, will make people attractive for employment. Students should know how to look into the eye and to introduce themselves to others. They should be made aware about the importance of deadlines. Also, they should be taught about appropriate dress codes and personal hygiene.

Problem solving skills

A problem can be any task or assignment or project that you need to complete. Usually, it involves several different steps or stages. Having good and strong problem solving skills can make a huge difference to one’s career. Problem-solving is very much part of the life both for studies and in life. Students should take on some of the responsibility for their own learning and should take personal action to solve problems, resolve conflicts, discuss alternatives, and focus on thinking as a vital element of the curriculum. It provides students with opportunities to use their newly acquired knowledge in meaningful, real-life activities and assists them in working at higher levels of thinking.

Written communication skills

Writing skills are an important part of communication. Written communication involves expressing yourself clearly, using language with precision, constructing a logical argument, note taking, editing and summarising, and writing reports. Good writing skills allow one to communicate the message with clarity and ease to a large audience than through face-to-face or telephonic conversations. Incorrect grammar, spelling and language usage can make a very bad impression. Using an informal style like relying on abbreviations, not using punctuation and failing to use capital letters are not the work of a professional.

Leadership skills

No one is a born leader but everyone can develop leadership skills. Student leadership enhancement involves giving students opportunities to practice leadership skills in a supporting environment. A leader is not defined by title, status or hierarchy. The organisations generally look for a direct linkage between what they’re contributing and the direct result of the company. Leadership can be systematically developed so that the students will become proficient in project planning, problem solving, team building, decision making, goal setting, time management, project management, resource allocation, effective communication and networking, conflict resolution, and building self confidence.

If one is applying for a job, he/she has to deal with people. Start improving your soft skills, and learn how to present yourself well. Follow interesting activities like meetings, seminars, conferences, debates, talks and so on, and take a look at what people are doing. It will keep you inspired. Talk with them, interact with them. Most of them will be happy to help if you get stuck.