The Hard Reality of Soft Skills
When hearing the word soft, most think of tangible things like clouds or rabbits and neglect to think about the concept of “soft” skills. Activities like public speaking and active problem solving allow easy interaction among individuals, but these interactions and skills are rapidly becoming social rarities.
Gone are the days where a job could be acquired simply by walking up to the owner of an establishment with the clothes on your back and a firm handshake, as those times have been quickly replaced by the age of fast digital connection. Technology has both become a blessing and a curse for the current student generation, and as it develops, future generations will have an even more difficult time grasping these seemingly simple concepts.
Decision Making, communication, adaptability, teamwork, organization, stress management, openness to criticism, conflict management, and a myriad of other work-ready qualities are often not the priority of many students when they are developing their skills and character. Contrary to common beliefs, soft skills not only convey retained knowledge and intellect but also substantially convey behavioral potential for a future workplace.
As confirmed by Workable.com, “Past behaviors indicate how candidates behave in business settings and can be used as an assessment of soft skills as well.” In interviews, questions regarding soft skills are commonly the make-or-break when an employer is deciding to hire. For example, if an interviewee cannot recall the last time they participated in a group project and overcame potential disagreements or what a successful working group even looks like, they become an unappealing hire almost immediately.
However, given recent shifts to more remote-centered working, are soft skills now an obsolete thing of the past? Are they truly necessary to succeeding in the future? In short, yes. They absolutely are.
In the current age of endless possibility within the digital realm, it is more important now than ever that students practice active retention of soft skills. To ace future challenges in their workplace, it is imperative that students not lose touch with the world outside of the screen. School and work technologies can easily devour time and attention, so it is extremely important to remember that you are more than your online self – human interaction does not solely take place over instant messaging.
