Soft Skills
The class I am teaching incorporates career building activities such as: references, resume, mock interviews and speeches.
I just reviewed the importance of hygiene, presentation of you as a person, neatness of paperwork and behavior.
This topic generated more valuable dialog than discussing the references.
These skills will always be a part of daily life.
Hi Jim:
To echo what you are describing, I think most instructors would agree that regardless of the critique from students who don't care as much, it is still important to follow-up and teach these kinds of skills to our students, if only to bring it to their attention that others will be looking at these skills whether they agree or not.
Regards, Barry
Hi Benetta:
Excellent! So what we are describing here is that these soft skills have just as much importance as "hard skills" when it comes to being successful in life and in the work place.
Regards, Barry
Hi Jay:
That's very true. Soft skills encompass many ideas, but one of the most important of these is the intructor's demeanor.
It's vitally important for the instructor to appear approachable.
Regards, Barry
I agree this is an area where we can be the role model for the students to follow. I focus on soft skill when discussing communication skills. Role playing and scenarios helps the students to see the picture of the impact of soft skills on being successful in the work place. Enforcing the school dress code and rules and regulations also help the student develope their soft skills.
Appearance and promptness are lacking by many of our trade school students. About 1/3 of our students believe because of the money being spent they can come and go as they please and their appearance is their choice and none of our business 0r future employers right to say anything about their appearance.
The majority of students are on time and of neat appearance. Those who make no effort with soft skills believ we are feeding them a line when we hit the subject of promptness an appearance. The prompt students get irritated with late ciners disrupting class and asking others what they missed. I have taken low critique ratings for not catering to habitual late, come and go during class and habitually absent students.
The satisfaction of being able to help the trying students develop skills more than compensates for those that do not likle me.
Soft skills are critically important. Being on time, working your scheduled hours, having a good attitude and being a team player, being willing to work extra time to get the job done...all of these will impress an employer as much as or more than a transcript full of "A"s.
Hi Stacey:
Some teachers will add a section or portion each week, or even at the end of each class. At least students get a sampling of creative techniques that help them in their job search and ultimate successfulness.
Regards, Barry
I so wish we had a class like this that teaches soft skills. I had this class as my first required college course.
Hi Heather:
As teachers I guess we have to trake all kinds. I feel like to the degree possible, we should try to incorporate soft skill examples even if the class topics don't relate to these.
We can do that through role modeling, describing past situations, emphasizing employer expectations, and similar stories. But the real strength will come when the student realizes the importance of this on their own and begins to encorporate these important traits in their daily routines.
Regards, Barry
It it amazing to me the number of students who do not realize or think that "soft skills" are a necessary part of the work place. I've seen so many students with bad hygeine, attitude and appereance and expect to "skate" through class. Once you explain that these skills are apart of your class expectation they begin to realize if they can't show how to use "soft skills" in a class setting, how do they expect to make it to an extership program with the school backing you for a possible job opportunity.
Hi Barbara:
I agree. We can teach a special class, or devote certain portions of the program to these skills. But, we can also be role models and teach by doing and demonstrating the very traits we want to convey everyday class meets. A little bit every day can end up with well prepared students/graduates/workers.
Regards, Barry
Soft skills can be honed, and will set you apart in the interview/hiring process. In my opinion, the importance of this skill, which should constantly be improved with self reflection, is what sets you apart as an instructor.
Hi Rhonda:
Sure. I've heard that 70% of persons that are let go from their jobs are not for the technical performance their job requires, but for the soft skills aspects (attendance, punctuality, courtesy and respect, dress and hygiene, basic customer service, etc). It's important to introduce these topics and reinforce them throughout the course or program because many younger students have been raised with these work ethics. We can help some, but I believe the student has to realize the importance in order permanent change to occur.
Regards, Barry
I agree the soft skills are necessary for the student to have not only to get the job but to keep the job as well. My school offers that training to the student. This gives the students a Competitive Advantage in their chosen career path.
Hi Rachel:
Wonderful! So many students can benefit from the very specific life skills you mention. Many times there has not been training or even exposure to some of these skill sets that are associated with successful employment.
Regards, Barry
Additional soft skills I teach are, time management, destressing, eating healthy, exercising, goal setting and the "baby" steps to take to get there. Students seem to appreciate the extra information that has never been taught to them.
Hi Debbie:
Soft skills can also be the porofessional attributes such as hygiene, attendance, punctuality, courtesy, etc. These skills are importnat for the successful worker as much as the trade they're learning.
Regards, Barry
The students seem to get it in theory. Some of them have a more difficult time in practice
Hi Susan:
Well all I can say is "hard lesson learned are remembered the most". So a personal hygiene problem, although difficult to discuss with a peer, needs attention, just as any other kind of performance type deficiency.
Regards, Barry
