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