All those nights chatting up with strangers and meeting new people, or those long hours baby-sitting your neighbor’s children may have actually been helping you build those non-academic skills needed for a future career.
This is because employers, are looking for those well-rounded individuals who can handle academic challenges as well as balance work with a healthy social life.
“Employers will most likely go for a student that is well-rounded with people skills and experience, than a student with a 4.0 GPA that has no experience working with people at all,” said Alaine Wess, a career counselor at the Cal State Long Beach Career Development Center.
“I’m a huge people person,” said comparative world literature major Megan Lore. “My outgoing and social nature is a valuable skill in the work environment because people tend to feel more comfortable working with me, and in return, the work place is an active and friendly environment. And more work gets finished.”
Time-management, patience, persuasion, tact and motivation are some of the several hidden non-academic skills that are valuable when applying for a beneficial career.
“Baby-sitting, although it doesn’t seem like it, does teach valuable skills for a future career,” said Shannon Twilegar, a leisure and recreation major who wants to become a special events planner after graduation. “Caring for infants and small children demands responsibility; likewise, I’ve learned the importance and skills of always being prepared for an array of different tasks.”
A recent study conducted by the National Association of College and Employers revealed that leadership is the most important non-academic skill that employers are looking for.
“There is such a need for leadership skills because it seems as if there is never enough good people to lead teams, organizations and companies,” Wess said. “You could say there is almost a crisis of leadership today. Especially in a time when world leaders are unreliable, leadership, in general, is becoming vulnerable.”
Wess said opportunities to build leadership skills can be easily found throughout the campus. Joining clubs and organizations, running for office or volunteering in events can help build leadership qualities.
