The Ultimate “Soft Skills” Career Development Plan
If a survey of employers conducted by Hart Research Associates released Jan 20 2010 on behalf of the Association of American Colleges and Universities is anything to go by, if you want to commercially focus your personal development program, perhaps you should consider their results.
Early on in the report they state “Employers want their employees to use a broader set of skills and have higher levels of learning and knowledge than in the past to meet the increasingly complex demands they will face in the workplace.”
Employers were asked (amongst other things) what specific learning outcomes (competencies) they wanted to be developed in potential employees by educational institutions and which gives us some insights into what we need to do to become more employable.
The top five (of seventeen) items were:
The ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing 89%
Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills 81%
The ability to apply knowledge and skills to real-world settings through internships or other
hands-on experiences 79%
The ability to analyze and solve complex problems 75%
The ability to connect choices and actions to ethical decisions 75%
Now this gives all of us wanting to select which courses to attend, or which self development books to read or even which electives to study some great basic direction for our personal development priorities. This survey is an excellent look at what you should get ready to provide (outside your technical skills) and I recommend that you read the report in it entirety.
The full report can be read/downloaded at: www.aacu.org/leap/documents/2009_EmployerSurvey.pdf
Completing your resume is a great way to assess your current functional skills and competencies and if you would like to do so there is a free blank resume with examples and samples at resume form.
4 comments
Bill Scott says:
March 21, 2010 at 8:57 am (UTC 0)
Even from this abbreviated information on the findings can I suggest if you are thinking seriously of planning for your soft skill studies that “communication skills” be placed as number one on your list. Find a business letter writing course and a public speaking course, join a debating society or perhaps join toastmasters or some similar organization. From personal experience I delayed my progress into management by two or three years because of my unwillingness to speak in public. Don’t make this mistake, do what ever you have to do to become a competent public speaker… as quickly a you can, it can open many positive opportunities to sell who you are positively to a wide range of individuals.
Jennifer Powell says:
May 23, 2010 at 5:25 pm (UTC 0)
I remember when I was still in high school, I always fearful of public speaking engagements!
Polycarbonate says:
October 24, 2010 at 7:59 pm (UTC 0)
I think everyone would have an anxiety attack during public speaking as to do it requires a good deal of self-confidence.
Kaneta says:
December 21, 2010 at 6:20 pm (UTC 0)
I think that everyone has a fear of public speaking in one way or another.