How many times have you seen job postings that require excellent communication, organisational skills, teamwork, and time management (the list goes on)? This shows how soft skills are increasingly valued by recruiters across all professions in today’s job market. While hard skills can get you the job, it is the soft skills that help you advance in your role. Unlike hard skills which are obtainable through systematic training, soft skills are cultivated through social interactions and experiences. Luckily, your student life offers numerous opportunities to build and hone these vital abilities. In this blog, we will explore the soft skills in demand for 2024 and how you can develop them during your student life.
Communication
Every company is looking for good communicators. Having good communication skills means that you can express your ideas clearly and compellingly in speaking, writing, and presentations; it also means that you understand the needs of others and respond thoughtfully through active listening. Employers prize these abilities because strong communication forms the foundation of effective relationships, enabling you to connect with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.
During your student life, no matter what you're studying, you constantly interact with people: lecturers, tutors, classmates, flatmates, and the general public. You'll learn to write formal emails to your tutors, engage in group discussions during seminars, present your projects to the class, voice your opinions, and navigate disagreements. These interactions provide countless opportunities to practice and enhance your communication skills.
One of the great advantages of studying at UK universities is the diverse international student population. Engaging with students from different cultures helps you develop cross-cultural communication skills, a highly valued asset in today's globalised world. Embrace these opportunities in your student life, as effective communication skills will serve you well in your future career and personal life.
Time management
Employers need someone who can complete tasks promptly and deliver high-quality results. To achieve this, you need to know how to use your time wisely. Time management requires you to set priorities, organise tasks, and allot time across different activities. This skill helps you focus on high-priority tasks, meet deadlines, avoid unnecessary distractions, and prevent burnout.
University life offers a unique opportunity to develop strong time management skills. With freedom and control over your schedule, you’ll learn to navigate a busy student life that includes attending classes, juggling assignments, preparing for exams, and participating in extracurricular activities—all while maintaining your personal life.
A good place to start is to create a schedule for yourself. Use a planner or digital calendar to map out your classes, study sessions, assignments, and social activities. Check out our previous blog on the best note-taking apps. You might find one that suits your needs and helps you effectively plan and organise your student life.
Teamwork
The idea of teamwork is straightforward; it’s the ability to work within a team and collaborate with others to achieve common goals. In the workplace, teamwork will never lose its importance because combined efforts often yield greater results than individual efforts. However, effective teamwork requires more than just working together. It involves coordinating tasks, negotiating and resolving conflicts, sometimes taking leadership roles, and compromising personal interests for the common good. When working in a team, it’s no longer about who you are as an individual; it’s about who you are as a team.
Throughout your student life, you’ll have abundant opportunities to develop your teamwork skills. Most courses involve group projects. Some, like marketing, likely require more group work than others. Joining societies or clubs, especially as a committee member, will involve working with others to organise and coordinate events. These experiences will help you cultivate team spirit and enhance your ability to collaborate with others.
Adaptability
Some people call adaptability the top skill of the moment, which is especially just after the whole world was shaken up by Covid. With the business landscape changing rapidly, employers need someone who can embrace the change and adapt to different situations. The adaptability of employees to some extent reflects the resilience of the company or business.
As a university student, you are probably already building adaptability without realising it. Attending university may be your first experience living away from your family. This is even more true for international students. You navigate your student life in a foreign country, immerse yourself in a new culture, and communicate in a language other than your mother tongue. These experiences inherently develop your ability to adapt. To further grow your adaptability skills, step out of your comfort zone by trying new activities, joining different clubs, or taking on diverse projects, especially in your first year when you don’t have too many academic responsibilities. Each new experience in your student life broadens your perspective and enhances your ability to adapt.
Problem-solving
Life is fraught with challenges and difficulties, and there's no job in the world without problems to deal with. Therefore, problem-solving is an essential skill to develop, not only in the workplace but also in life. Problem-solving involves more than just resolving issues; it requires accurately identifying the source of a problem and devising effective and preventative solutions. Throughout this process, you need to remain calm, think analytically, and approach problems creatively.
Your student life isn't always fun and exciting; it also challenges you with various difficult situations. You might struggle to keep up with your studies or manage your personal finances. Without the safety net of family and friends, handling problems can be stressful, but these experiences ultimately strengthen your problem-solving skills. Remember, you don’t always have to tackle problems alone. Many resources are available to help you, and seeking them out is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it shows that you know how to solve problems strategically and collaboratively.
Attention to detail
Attention to detail sets you apart from those who just get the work done; it means you get the work done and do it well. It is the ability to be thorough and accurate in your work. Unlike problem-solving, attention to detail is preventative; with attention to detail, you are more likely to prevent mistakes from occurring in your work, or you can prevent a small error from developing into a bigger problem.
Attention to detail is a skill that can be built and improved through student life. Here are a few tips: when working on assignments, find a quiet place where you can focus without distraction; tackle one task at a time even if you consider yourself a multitasker, because multitasking can fragment your focus; always take the time to review completed tasks for quality control, catching any errors before they become bigger issues. By integrating these practices into your student life, you can enhance your attention to detail, setting a solid foundation for success in both your academic and professional endeavours.
Leadership
The idea of leadership often intimidates people. Perhaps it’s the qualities required to be a leader that seem too demanding, the responsibilities too overwhelming, or simply the image of a leader too imposing. The truth is, that leadership is a highly valued soft skill by employers; they prefer to hire someone with leadership potential from the outset.
So, how can you cultivate leadership skills during your student life? First of all, leadership requires the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others. It’s important to know that, no matter who you are, you always have the potential to inspire and motivate those around you. Universities offer plenty of leadership roles for students—consider becoming a student representative or running for a society president. You can even start your own society or club, as a university offers the perfect low-stakes environment to develop leadership skills. Don’t see yourself in these roles? Then simply speak up in a group meeting when no one takes the conversation floor, listen attentively to your group members, voice your differing opinions, and acknowledge everyone’s contributions. These are all small actions that help develop your leadership skills in your student life.
Going to university not only provides you with an education, but also equips you with essential soft skills for future employment. This blog has highlighted seven essential soft skills that you can develop during your student life. Perhaps after reading this article, you’ll realise it’s not so difficult to gain soft skills without professional experience, or that you already possess some of them. If you want to learn more about how your student life can positively impact you, stay tuned to UAPP!
