3 Reasons Why Professional Soft Skills Are Needed Now More Than Ever

1: GEN-Z IS THE FIRST GENERATION TO GROW UP ONLINE

Facebook came out when I was in college.  X (then Twitter) came out when I was already a broadcast journalist.  Instagram came out much later, and the list goes on.  I didn’t grow up with any part of my life online.  Gen-Z and beyond can’t say the same.  They are growing up in ways that truthfully, I can’t imagine.  As a female, I think it would be excruciating to grow up with social media as it is today: influencers, filters, etc.  

Outside of social media, artificial intelligence is more of a thing now, the digital world has completely exploded, and we have access to much more at our fingertips.  I got my first cell phone the Christmas after I turned 16, and when I opened it, I asked my parents what it was for.  They said, “to keep in the car in case of an emergency.”  Pretty sure I rolled my eyes.  Phones are computers today, and kids have them from a young age. My first job at 15 or 16 years old was in a grocery store as a cashier. Now, kids have so many opportunities online. All this impacts in-person social skills. So whereas I was developing professional soft skills from a young age, these days, some people are developing them on the job. I wholeheartedly believe that colleges and universities should have a 1 or 2 credit course, mandatory for all students, that focuses on soft skills. Times have changed and I think this would be a nice addition to a school's program.

2: COVID SHUTDOWNS MEANT LESS IN-PERSON TIME PROFESSIONALLY

And speaking of in-person social skills, think back to 2020 when much of the world was virtual due to covid-19.  Those kids in high school and college missed out on precious time to develop and grow in-person professional soft skills. I think it is hard for explorers to expect this younger generation to have the same soft skills that we had at their age.  The world is different, and a global pandemic shut down many of their opportunities for in-person learning. Now, 4 and a half years later, much of our workforce is still juggling some kind of hybrid remote/in-person work environment. 

3: I THINK HYBRID IS HERE TO STAY, FOR THE MOST PART

And the thing is, I don’t see this fully going away.  The Mayor of Philadelphia recently ordered all city employees to go back to in-office work, as an example.  But I know that a lot of people have gotten very comfortable with the freedom that the hybrid lifestyle offers.  Some in-office days provide team collaboration, and some at-home days provide some flexibility. Some employers are giving potential new hires certain incentives including flexible remote work to be competitive, as it is a tough job market. So, for people who either haven’t gotten to the place in their work life that they have enough in-person experience, or they missed it the last few years, professional soft skills really need to be developed.   

So, what can people work on?  How they tell their story in professional settings through their resume and communication skills, how to have a great elevator pitch and use it in networking and interview settings, how to be confident and comfortable communicating in those settings, and how to build professional relationships. This is exactly why I created my first online course in Skill Studio.  In it, I interview 3 top CEO’s who give all their insight and guidance for people looking to nail an interview, learn to network properly, tell a story through their resume and beyond.   To use the tools, you must have them.  This course gives you just that!