Tag Archives: soft skills
Internships: Communicating and Learning the Odd Soft Skills
Noah Simpson is a project manager based out of Indianapolis. He graduated this previous May from the University of Indianapolis with a Bachelors in Human Resources. During his time at the Uindy, he was the founder of water polo and entrepreneurship clubs. Noah also served as a business liaison for the University and completed three internships with corporations across Indiana.
Any college student who has gone through orientation should know that getting an internship is important. However, it is not always made clear to students why an internship is important. My first year at the University of Indianapolis, I was blessed to have a faculty mentor hold me accountable on developing myself not just as a student, but as a communicator. My education and mentors provided me with a base skill set to succeed. However, I have found that the huge difference in my abilities as a communicator today …
Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills: What Matters the Most?
Throughout our young adult life, weâve experienced many victories â from years in formal schooling to tribulations that come along with navigating between different jobs, friends and personal strategies of success.
These countless learning experiences began at a young age with critical decision making and problem solving in the classroom. We grasped these understandings over time and their effects rippled throughout our adolescence and beyond, shaping our perceptions and personality. When the time comes to enter into the real world and search for a job after graduation (and it will come sooner than you think), you will be called upon by future employers to explain what skills and assets you possess naturally or those youâve picked up along the way.
As students, many of us tend to focus on the hard skills we possess that correlate with our natural capacity for intelligence, our chosen degree or academic accolades. We willingly …
Internship experiences emphasize soft skills
The busiest time for interns often comes as they near the end of their internships. With projects to finish, resumes to update and thank you notes to write, most begin to look toward the school year or full-time job search that looms ahead.
Your updated resume may be full of great quantitative gains from your internship, but it is important to remember the soft skills you learned on the job so you can discuss them in your next interview.
Many new graduates and interns struggle with soft skills, according to this Forbes article. Chances are you developed many of these during your internship, but articulating soft skills can be difficult. You may know that you are an effective communicator and team player, but emphasize this during an interview by recalling a project that required group collaboration. Communication skills are vital in any industry, and using an example from your internship …