Do Your Students Have What It Takes? Susie H. VanHuss, Ph.D. Executive Director of USC Foundations Distinguished Professor Emerita of Management University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina (803) |

Key Questions What do employers expect? Can students meet those expectations?

Employer Expectations  Technical skills (critical at entry level)  “Soft” skills (critical at every level)  Conceptual skills (critical for advancement)  Experience (past performance is a good—but not great—indicator of future performance) We need to examine what is expected in each category carefully!

Technical (“Hard”) Skills  Knowledge  Expertise  Ability to do the job Most people believe technical skills can be specified, taught, and employers can determine whether applicants have the necessary technical skills before hiring.

Meeting Hard Skills Expectations Knowledge Is one thing—applying skills to solve problems is different!  Realistically, can students meet employer expectations? Yes—generally  Realistically, can instructors teach what employers’ expect? Yes—generally  Can employers accurately determine if applicants meet expectations? Yes—generally

Soft Skills—A Whole New Ballgame  One keyword search on “soft skills” produced 526,870 citations  One keyword search on company training on soft skills produced 213,121 citations  Surveys include list after list of “Top 10” to “Top 25” qualities and/or skills employers expect or want

Soft Skills “Most Wanted” List  Communication skills  Honesty/integrity  Interpersonal skills  Motivation/initiative  Strong work ethic  Teamwork skills Source: Job Outlook 2004 National Association of Colleges and Employers

Expanded List of Soft Skills Communication—oral, written, listening Creativity Leadership/followship Problem solving/ analytical skills Conflict management/ Negotiation Know how to learn and to continue learning Visualization/ futuristic thinking Honesty/integrityTeamwork/collaboration Adaptability/flexibilityInterpersonal/ people skills Work ethic Working under pressureCritical thinkingOrganizational skills Multicultural skillsInfluencing skillsTime management/ productivity Trust/respectResponsibilityPersonal effectiveness/ self management Most people believe “soft” skills are difficult to specify, to teach, and to assess in the hiring process; but they are critical business skills.

Observations on Soft Skills Most people talk about “soft skills” as though this is a new concept. How do soft skills differ from SCANS Skills (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, June, 1991)? Remember: A Nation at Risk! Have we progressed or regressed in this area?

Points to Ponder Honesty/Integrit y are near top of all soft skills lists! Nine out of ten students (90%) say they will lie to get a better job! Nearly 50% of all résumés contain lies! Source: David Callahan, The Cheating Culture, Parade Magazine, March 28, 2004 What about honesty of corporations and executives?

Points to Ponder—Be Objective! Communication skills/ work ethic/motivation are at the top of most soft skills lists! Assess your students’ communication skills??? What about work ethic??? What about motivation and initiative???

Meeting Soft Skills Expectations Can we help students bridge the HUGE gap between reality and expectations? Absolutely! We have to!  Realistically, can students meet employer expectations? Many can not  Realistically, can instructors teach what employers’ expect? To a limited extent  Can employers accurately determine if applicants meet expectations? Doubtful

Conceptual Skills  Ability to see the big picture  Apply what you know to real world  Understand how your job fits into the total business strategy  Understand that businesses operate in a global context

Path to Promotion  Conceptual skills are critical for moving up the career ladder  Company training typically includes rotation to a variety of departments to understand what they all do and how they fit together  Conceptual skills replace technical skills as one moves up

Experience  Relevant job experience  Internships/co-op in field or related area  Part-time/temporary job in field  Unrelated job experience  Volunteer project work Students’ nightmare—how do they get relevant job experience when they are applying for their first job?

Make the Most of What You Have  Emphasize the importance of internships and co-op programs  Focus on packaging experience effectively  Describe the skills gained in any type of job and relate what was learned that is transferable to any job Students need to learn how to communicate the value of the experience they have. Specifics are critical!

Observations for Instructors Help students get what it takes:  Integrate soft skills in everything you teach  Share “gems of wisdom” or “tips for success” frequently with students  Actively engage students in discussions of importance of soft skills  Focus on applying technical skills to business situations

Tips to Share with Students Secret of success—stay calm, cool, and collected on top; paddle like heck underneath! See handout for Tips to Share with Students