Personal Development with Transferable Skills

To be successful in any occupation, it's necessary to possess some Soft Skills. Students are usually new to the world of work, so it’s important to build up Soft Skills and work on developing these skills over time to gain wider transferable life skills and a competitive edge.
 

Most jobs require hard skills or some specific technical knowledge that can be learnt in the classroom. For example, photographers must understand how different camera settings and lighting affect the pictures they take, teachers must be able to use certain techniques to teach numeracy & literacy, and computer programmers need to know how to use programming languages.

To succeed in any role, we also need to enhance what are referred to as Soft Skills.
 

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are the personal character traits or qualities we all have. They make up who we are, generally encompassing our attitudes, habits and how we interact with other people. They are much less tangible than hard or technical skills, and unlike them, you do not learn soft skills by enrolling in a training program. You can, however, acquire them through educational, work and life experiences but it will take a concerted effort on your part.

Examples of Soft Skills

• Verbal Communication: People with good verbal communication skills can convey information to others by speaking.
   
• Interpersonal Skills: Having good interpersonal skills means that one has not only the ability to communicate with others but is willing to listen to people without judging them, share ideas and pitch in when co-workers need help.
   
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Problem-solving is the ability to identify a problem and then come up with possible solutions. Critical thinking skills allow you to evaluate each possible solution, using logic and reasoning, to determine which one is most likely to be successful.

• Active Listening: Good listeners make an effort to understand what others are saying, interrupting only when appropriate to ask questions that will help clarify the information being shared.
   
• Organisational: Those who have strong organisational skills know how to take a systematic approach to every task.
   
• Time and Project Management: Those who are good at managing their time know how to successfully execute not only their tasks but wider organisational tasks to meet deadlines and complete projects. They are good at prioritising their work and the work of colleagues.
   
• Team Player: Those who are team players are cooperative and can be leaders or participants, as necessitated by the situation at hand. They are willing to share responsibility with other team members, whether that means taking credit for successes or responsibility for failures.
   
• Professionalism: This characteristic is hard to define, but it’s very apparent when someone is lacking it. It’s probably the one trait that every employer desires, regardless of what you do or where you work. Professionalism encompasses many things including showing up on time, being polite, being generally pleasant and helpful, dressing appropriately and taking responsibility for your actions.
   
• Flexibility and Adaptability: People who are flexible and adaptable react well to changes in their jobs and work environments. They have a positive can-do attitude about anything that gets thrown their way.
   

Why Does a student Need Soft Skills?
 

Soft skills help them to do their job. They allow them to use their newly-acquired technical skills and knowledge effectively and efficiently. They improve the way they interact with their bosses, co-workers and customers. They permit them to get their work done on time and influence others to do the same. They can play a pivotal role in how they feel about their job and how others perceive them.
 

Every single occupation demands specific character traits and this applies particularly to students. An important thing to note is that soft skills are transferable between occupations. While they may have to go back to school to learn new technical skills if they change careers, they can always take their soft skills with them since they are valued in a variety of fields.

In addition to occupational requirements, employers also expect certain character traits. Just look at any job ad and you will see a list of qualifications that includes not only the technical skills required to do the job but qualities like “excellent communication skills,” “strong organisational skills,” “team player,” and “strong listening ability” listed there as well. Even with the technical skills required for a job, if a learner can’t demonstrate they have the specified traits, they probably won’t get the job. 

With Blossom, your learners will have unlimited access to a growing collection of Soft Skills courses delivered through a friendly easy to use learning platform which will ensure your learners can demonstrate the desired soft skills, behaviours and personal development needed to success in the world of employment.