SOFT SKILLS

                       Firm handshake , warm smile, infectious enthusiasm , time management, robust optimism, impeccable English, effective communication- all these unquestionably reflect the demands at workplaces for a successful professional. They can be included under one umbrella term- "SOFT SKILL"- the enhancement of which leads to one's professional progress. Many of us have outstanding hard skills or technical skills but if we lack soft skills, it is difficult to stride the path to success at the workplace. Hence, it is important to know what these soft skills are and how vital they are for our professional progress.

                       Known by varied names such as life skills, survival skills and people skills, soft skills covers multifarious abilities such as communication and interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence , team skills, negotiation skills, time management, business etiquettes, social grace, etc.

                         The rules for succeeding in business are constantly changing. Not too long ago, technical competence and knowledge were the key drivers of career growth and success. Soft skills were relegated to playing second fiddle, or ignored altogether. Now, however ,the scales have tipped and soft skills have emerged as a tool with enough power to make or break one's career. So to improve one's career prospects and to enhance his / her personality as a whole, one needs soft skills.

                           Employees at all level work in an environment in which technical knowledge alone is not enough to create value for customers. On the other hand , companies in India feel the need to promote people faster than ever before to meet their growth needs. At the same time , they are also finding that the candidates do not possess the necessary skills to make the transition from a technical or functional specialist to a team leader, supervisor or a manager. Companies in the IT , BPO, KPO, BIO TECH and PHARMACEUTICALS industries have found that their people need soft skills to work effectively in cross functional or project teams, local teams or global teams.

                               Today, lack of competence in soft skills is marked as one of the reasons for poor rate of employability of technical graduates. Though it is true that soft skills need to be inculcated at a very young age at home itself by parents or elders , the role of school and colleges can't be ignored. While families and schools can teach us certain personal habits, discipline, moral values , etc., universities can develop our workplace skills. Hence, it is time for the universities to realise the need to inculcate soft skills in their students through activities such as team presentation, group discussion, case discussions, public speaking, mock interviews,etc. It is time for us to realise that hard skills and soft skills should complement each other in order to achieve excellence in one's profession.