Soft Skills: The Competitive Edge (article)
What do employers look for in new employees? According to business leaders, while the three "R's" (reading, writing, and arithmetic) are still fundamental to every employee's ability to do the job, employers view "soft" skills as even more important to work readiness.
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Real Confidence by Improve your soft skills (24-hour course with 8 modules)
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Learn to recognize the importance of soft skills and how you can improve skills in yourself and your organisation.
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Employers have long identified team work as one of the key competencies that they want from employees and team building exercises are nothing new. Why then are employers still citing this as one of the skills most job applicants lack? Being able to understand and articulate your experience of working in teams is crucial in terms of job seeking and job progression.
Soft Skills in the Workplace (36-minute video)
Technical skills may get your clients or students hired, but their soft skills will determine whether they meet employers’ expectations and succeed in the workplace. Soft skills are the personality traits and interpersonal skills that allow us to adapt to changing circumstances, manage time and resources, and work well with others.
Success at Work (Series of ten 8-12 minute videos)
Ten fresh videos to demonstrate essential employability skills that Millennials can use to achieve success in their organization and wherever their future endeavors may take them. Lessons are engineered for viewers to see a clear picture of success and to maximize effectiveness in communication, prioritization and organization.
Make a Great Impression (8-minute video)
Arriving on time for interview, looking sharp and well-laundered are just a few of the many steps towards getting the job. Be familiar not only with the job, but the company and the industry it is in. Do your research. Have a clear, direct and correctly punctuated résumé; itemize your skills, education and experience without drowning people in information. The interns learn to develop their ability to talk up their strengths with simple yet powerful examples. The more they practice job interview answers the better they become. They learn to beware of being vague, adding too much information or asking the wrong questions.
Communicate Effectively (10-minute video)
Dion thinks it’s fine to interrupt a discussion with Serena by taking a call. Tatiana rolls her eyes, sighs and is not attentive. Carol complains that the interns speak in text talk. The interns have something in common: inadequate communication skills. They are told the importance of positive body language – good eye contact and smiling, and listening and showing respect. Alex patiently coaches Dion to deal with an anxious customer on the phone, while Tatiana is told how to productively raise questions in meetings.
Be Confident and Assertive (8-minute video)
Confidence is a necessary part of the workplace. Casey is marked immediately as a person lacking confidence. She needs to become aware of how she talks and comes across. As Sam points out, changing her intonation and using fewer vague indecisive words like “I think” and “maybe” will convey a more positive impression. Casey gets some helpful coaching from Sanjay who has no issues with being assertive. Carol and Michael inform Dion that assertiveness is not a matter of wearing power glasses. Good advice is given about changing negative thinking. Steve coaches Tatiana in turning situations to their best advantage and the importance of requesting help.
Set and Achieve Goals (10-minute video)
It’s time to get serious about goals – but not Dion! Everyone at Cutting Edge knows the importance of goals: Carol is always setting them, Steve wants to be best in sales, Tatiana would like to be an international attorney. Dion wants to be president of the United States – but he has no steps in place to achieve this, and he must be realistic. Goals must be specific, and Dion must make his goals measureable and achievable by putting viable steps in place, they must be relevant and achieved within a set timeframe (SMART goals). Persistence is needed to get through the challenges and obstacles.
Prioritize and Organize (10-minute video)
The Cutting Edge team can be messy and unorganized, something that the VP, Serena, dislikes intensely. Carol is not happy with Casey’s Post-it notes. Serena stresses the importance of taking notes and looking competent and efficient, especially when one is new to the job. The best way to get organized is to determine priorities. Sherry explains how to break things down in order of what needs doing first, second and later. When it comes to planning, Marcus shows how without a plan for the emergency drill, nothing goes right, and Serena ends up injured at the bottom of the stairs. One person’s lack of organization creates a ripple effect on the team. The interns learn about the importance of being on time and keeping promises, and how to best manage pressure and multi-task effectively.
Contribute to the Team (9-minute video)
It’s ‘Blue Moon’ day at Cutting Edge. Marcus tells his team it’s about pulling ideas out of the blue and working on them collaboratively. Dion has trouble staying awake but learns that his body language shows he is not interested. He discovers the importance of contributing to meetings, not just giving smart remarks. When Michael and Sam argue about mess, Sam is quick to point out Michael needs to complain less and actually share the workload to resolve it. The interns are encouraged to be resourceful, solve problems and show initiative. When Serena reports a breach of office security, Dion volunteers to do something about it. His disguise to test security doesn’t fool Carlos, but he is praised for his willingness to help solve the problem. Marcus is proud when Dion suggests ‘Do your best every time’ at the team training session on service.
Appreciate Feedback (10-minute video)
Dion hears some tough feedback from Carol who explains why she would not hire him. It’s important for everyone to welcome feedback – both positive and critical feedback, but Sam gets defensive when Michael offers feedback on his latest policy document. Dion is taken aside by Marcus to discuss his behavior and Marcus encourages to perform better. Dion deals with the setback well, an opportunity to learn from mistakes. Tammy seeks advice on how to give Sanjay feedback. Marcus leads a session on how to give and receive constructive feedback. Dion and Carlos give each other feedback and Casey gets feedback from Tammy. Everyone learns to appreciate feedback.
Build Employability Skills (8-minute video)Cutting Edge wants people who are enthusiastic and keen to build their skills and focus on learning. Carol and Serena are not impressed with Dion’s performance to date. Steve advises intern Tatiana to be a sponge and soak up new ideas and courses in order to remain valuable to her employer. Carlos wants Steve to be his coach and Dion asks Michael if he can work alongside him. Dealing with difficult people is a major skill for anyone, as Carlos discovers when Steve teaches him to be Zen in conflict situations. Serena coaches Dion and Tatiana to present themselves positively and ‘talk up’ their skills. And Carlos encourages Dion to apologize to Carol, which he does.
Demonstrate your Strengths (10-minute video)
Dion considers he is a hot new prospect for the company but Michael tells him he’s arrogant, snarky and a know-it-all. Sam, Serena and Steve help the interns to recognize their strengths and to surprise people with their research and knowledge and show how it can be of benefit to the company. Sometimes people have skills that can be built into strengths. Tatiana concedes she is argumentative; Steve explains that seeing the other side of things is a strength when it comes to understanding a client’s perspective. It is also an asset in negotiation and customer skills. The interns both acknowledge they have learned more about themselves and their attitudes to work – and self-awareness is critical for improvement. Michael is touched by Dion’s genuine passion for his work and ends up telling Dion none of the staff liked him when he first arrived.
Impress at Job Interviews (12-minute video)
Arriving on time for interview, looking sharp and well-laundered are just a few of the many steps towards getting the job. Be familiar not only with the job, but the company and the industry it is in. Do your research. Have a clear, direct and correctly punctuated résumé; itemize your skills, education and experience without drowning people in information. The interns learn to develop their ability to talk up their strengths with simple yet powerful examples. The more they practice job interview answers the better they become. They learn to beware of being vague, adding too much information or asking the wrong questions.