SOFT SKILLS FOR PLACEMENT

These days there is growing importance attached to soft skills in academic fields and at the organizational level too. A lot of stress is being laid on soft skills in many organizations as acquiring mere technical or hard skills and abilities is not adequate. The passed out students from professional courses find it very difficult to get socially adjusted to new working environments despite possessing strong academic background. It is mainly due to the lack of expertise in soft skills.

The soft skills can be defined as the ability to get along well within a new organization, especially, with the employees of divergent cultural, educational, social, and temperamental backgrounds. It also highlights about the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in both written and oral language.

Soft skills which is also known as Emotional Intelligence is the cluster of many skills and abilities and of which the major ones are – interpersonal skills, communication skills, time management skills, team spirit, social grace, motivation, positive attitude, organizing skills, leadership skills, corporate etiquette or business etiquette, conflict management skills, negotiating skills, problem solving, decision-making, staying focused etc.,

The ability to interact with the fellow employees in an institution can be termed as interpersonal skills. The communication skills can be divided into two broad categories such as verbal or oral language and non verbal language. The non verbal language is divided into sign language and body language and the sign language is further divided into visual signs and audio signs. The body language is also known as kinesics. 93 per cent of our communication depends on our body language i.e. communicating by way of eye contact, facial expressions, tone modulation, body gestures etc., Body language becomes effective only when there is consistency in the body postures with that of oral language. The verbal language is again divided into oral and written language. One must possess good command over both oral and written skills because every organization demands its executives to deliver presentations and also to write reports effectively.


The process of doing multiples tasks within a stipulated time frame and the judicious and optimum utilization of time can be termed as time management. Improper time management leads to stress due to the hectic activities generated when the tasks are postponed at the end for execution. Pareto Principle (the principle named after Pareto) highlights that 80 per cent of the unfocussed time gives 20 per cent of the results and the 20 per cent of the efforts gives 80 per cent of the results. Although the figures of 80: 20 can not be taken as the exact but can be taken as an approximate numbers. As a result, it is also known as 80: 20 principles. People must know how to manage their time effectively as the proverb goes “Time and tide waits for none “. One must know that time is irreplaceable and it is a finite resource and one must realize that if he wastes a day, he must think that one day of his precious life is wasted. Better time management leads to stress-free life, better productivity and better performance.

A few people are competent to work as an individual and find it difficult to work in a team thus leading to lack of team spirit. For achieving organizational objectives and goals, it is imperative to build teams and foster team spirit. It is also proved beyond doubt that, if worked in teams, the institutions can deliver better results. Getting aside false egos and keeping the goals of the team paramount can prove beneficial for the companies.

The ability to work gracefully and the ability to work willingly with smile in the work place is a positive sign thus building good human relations and strong network. This is beneficial for the individual and for the institution too.

Success people have the ability to rise even after they have been knocked down, due to strong motivation. The motivation can be divided briefly as self-motivation or internal motivation, external motivation and incentive motivation. The ability to rise spontaneously despite repeated failures of his own can be termed as self-motivation or internal motivation. The way people get motivated by way of the inspirational speeches of great leaders, or by way of slogans, songs, and pictures can be termed as external motivation. When people get encouraged by way of monetary or non monetary incentives, it is known as incentive motivation.

Abraham Lincoln was born to a poor farmer in 1809. He failed in business at the age of 21 years, was defeated in elections at 22, failed in business at 24, lost his wife at 26, had a nervous breakdown at 27, lost senatorial elections at 45, lost elections as Vice-President at 47 and again at 49 but was ultimately the 16th President of USA at 52. He was a great example of self motivation and he proved beyond doubt that the success is the product of successive failures.

The ability to look at things in a positive and bright side even in a critical and complex situation is known as positive attitude. Optimism moves the people ahead while the pessimism kills zeal and enthusiasm. The method of conversion from negative aspects into positive ones by looking at the positive elements of a given situation is known as cognitive restructuring. The positive attitude overcomes the regimented biases built in already in the minds of the people.

Organizing ability is again an important trait as it involves quick mental grasping of the situation and by planning the things and by executing it smoothly. Again it is a great trait both at the personal level and also at the professional level. Proper planning and organizing are two sides of the same coin.

The executives at the higher level have to demonstrate their extraordinary leadership skills both during normal and abnormal conditions by pulling the divergent people into one platform and by motivating them to pursue organizational goals and objectives.

The manners to be adopted within the organization by way of proper dressing, by decent and polite communication, through their telephonic talks, by their handshakes and body language is known as corporate etiquette or business etiquette. The table manners such as holding spoons and forks at the time of lunch breaks will also fall under this segment.

Conflict management is the process of handling conflicts among the employees or between two different groups with different interests. It requires a lot of maturity and skill on the part of the manager who tackles it. All efforts must be made to ensure peace in the work place and if any conflicts arise must be nipped in the bud.

Negotiation is an art and requires proper judgment and anticipation of the other party. It is a process of bringing different groups with different interests into a table so as to ensure smooth agreement amongst all by considering all aspects. All efforts must be made to ensure that everyone wins and gains unlike the saying “One man’s food is another man’s poison “. There are three types of negotiation processes: one is win-win negotiation, second is win-lose negotiation and the third is lose-win negotiation.

When people are faced with problems they usually get an instant idea and adopt. On the other hand, multiple options have to be generated so that the best of the options can be chosen to implement for effective and efficient results. Brainstorming as a concept is used to generate quantity of ideas to solve a specific problem or an issue.

Our destiny depends on our decision making. Right decision-making results in achieving right goals smoothly. The decision making depends on many things such as goals, life styles, desires, values, principles etc., Decision-making is a process of identifying and choosing the right alternatives.

Staying focused results in effective results as one does not get deviated from the main objective. In these days of specializations, it is worthwhile to concentrate on a particular area of interest and work on it thoroughly so as to ensure quick success. Rather one has to be a master of a particular trade or field.

To conclude, there is a significant growing importance attached to soft skills and all the sectors started realizing and began workshops periodically to get their employees fine-tuned. The students who pass out from their academic institutions and on the look out for placements need to equip with these skills and abilities. The great philosopher, Plato aptly said ‘Learning is a continues process from cradle to grave’. There is no end for education, as education is like a perennial river flowing without any let-up. Completion of a degree can be treated as a comma only not as a full stop. As one grows in an organization, it is desirable to add up qualifications, courses, experience in their kitty so as to ensure their success individually and also to ensure the success of their organizations.

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