GETTING AHEAD IN A TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN WORKPLACE

Soft skills will make a young professional a hot commodity in any field.

In today’s highly competitive job market, what skills do young professionals need to get their dream jobs? And what will ensure that when they do get them, they will get ahead and receive the recognition and rewards they desire?

What will differentiate someone from the rest of the pack, help him or her earn promotions and pay raises, or simply help him or her do a better job so that with every performance evaluation, his or her career advancement is assured?

Human resource managers and we from academe are quick to offer answers such as earning graduate business degrees and various certifications, demonstrating knowledge of legislation, standards, and compliance requirements, and keeping abreast with the latest technology. And indeed, all of these will definitely help.

But equally important to develop are soft skills, defined by Collins English Dictionary as “desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge. They are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character traits, attitudes, career attributes, social intelligence and emotional intelligence quotients that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals with complementing hard skills.”