In courses that make up a student’s major, it is understood that the curriculum was developed with their potential career path in mind.  This may not be as true for the general education courses, but their curriculum is still of importance.  While major courses work on honing hard skills in preparation for the job market, general education courses can work on honing the soft skills.

Hard skills are the “technical skills and experiences that are used for a job or career”(Birt, 2023, para. 4), while soft skills are the habits, traits, and mannerisms that influence how a person works.  Examples of soft skills include interpersonal communication, delegation, initiative, critical thinking, reasoning, and adaptability, amongst other things.  By providing learning activities throughout the coursework, that practice these soft skills, students can become better prepared as they move toward their intended career.

While faculty are responsible for providing the opportunity to practice these skills, it is up to the students to take ownership of their learning by continue to build upon those skills.  Preparing students for their future careers in just as much the responsibility of the student as it is the college or university they attend.

Ways Faculty and Students Can Hone Soft Skills  

Below are some ways to help to move students toward their career goals.

• Aligning Coursework: Thinking of the overall course in “big picture” terms, consider how it can align with students’ long-term career goals. Is what is to be gained from this course relevant to a student’s desired profession or field? Mapping your coursework to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experiences that can be transferable to future students’ career goals associated can ensures that students are investing their time and effort wisely.
• Mapping Career Goals: Once learning objectives have been identified, encourage students to create a roadmap for the coursework to help develop an unobstructed vision toward their goals. Have them align the course objectives to the skills and experiences they will need to be successful in their future careers.  This will allow the learning process to become more personalized and help students to track their progress.

  

• Learning Through Real-World Applications: Learning is not about the theory; it is also about application. Throughout the course, offer opportunities for students to learning through real-world scenarios. This could involve working on practical projects, completing internships, or discussing case studies. These practical applications could enhance various and desirable skills relevant of their career.
• Learning Activities Using Soft Skills: The skills that any course can help students hone for a future career are soft skills.  In a report published by World Economics Forum “eight of the top 10 employable skills of 2023 are soft skills” (Busson, 2023, para. 2). These types of skills can be added to any learning activity, through discussion boards (communication and critical thinking), group work (collaboration and leadership), and project-based (problem solving and initiative) (Busson, 2023).
• Displaying Student Work: Consider creating an ePortfolio in D2L for students to display the skills and knowledge that they have gained through their coursework. This will be an asset once they enter the job market, as it demonstrates their preparedness and relevance to potential employers. 
• Evaluating Progress Toward Goals: Remind students to regularly assess their progress against their roadmap and the learning objectives. Is what they are learning contributing to their identified goals, as they initially planned? Encourage students to be open to adjusting their plan if they find that certain skills and experiences are not contributing as expected to their goals.

When faculty offer opportunities for growth toward an intended career, they can make the most of their students’ education. This means that careful attention is paid to what is taught and how it will help students towards their future in the workplace. This means designing learning activities that hone the soft skills that are desirable for future employers.  It is like having a smart strategy to make sure that the learning journey leads to success in a dream career.

If you want to explore how to align objectives and activities to support soft skills and workplace experiences, please contact the SCSU Online and Distance Learning team.  We can be reached via email or through Bookings.

Additional Reading:

For more information on course mapping, please check out our previous blog article.

References: 

Academic Partnerships. (n.d.). Begin with the end in mind: Map first! Faculty Commons. https://facultyecommons.com/webinars/begin-with-the-end-in-mind-map-first/

Birt, J. (2023, September 7).  Hard skills vs. soft skills: What’s the difference? Indeed. Retrieved December 7, 2023 from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/hard-skills-vs-soft-skills

Busson, S. (2023, November 16). Align your teaching with the career needs of tomorrow. Harvard Business Publishing. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/align-your-teaching-with-the-career-needs-of-tomorrow/?icid=top_nav 

C. R. (2021, October 7). A guide on how to begin with the end in mind. Basics by Becca. https://basicsbybecca.com/blog/begin-with-the-end-in-mind

Gallagher, S. (2021, June 28). Begin with the end in mind. Proctor Gallagher. https://www.proctorgallagherinstitute.com/47606/begin-with-the-end-in-mind 

Jopwell. (2019). Group of people sitting inside room
 [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-sitting-inside-room-2422294/

Lewis, J. (2017). Flat lay photography of gold iPhone on opened notebook beside pen [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/flat-lay-photography-of-gold-iphone-on-opened-notebook-beside-pen-583847/ 

McCabe Union Elementary School District. (n.d.). Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind. https://www.muesd.net/Resources/The-Leader-In-Me/Habit-2-Begin-with-the-End-in-Mind/index.html  

McNamara, C. (2023, September 19). How to start strategic planning: Plan for a plan. (J. Talaguit, Ed.). Management Library. https://management.org/blogs/strategic-planning/2010/04/04/how-to-start-strategic-planning-the-plan-for-a-plan-part-1-of-3/

 

 

Monisha Mohannaidu, currently serving as a Graduate Assistant at SCSU, brings three years of valuable experience from her work with advertising agencies around the world. Apart from her professional background, she is an enthusiastic individual who has actively participated in several art workshops and has proficiency in graphic design.