Skills Building Guide
Empower Yourself for the Corporate World
Skills Building Guide
Empower Yourself for the Corporate World For professional success, soft skills are as important as your GPA. Studies have shown that almost half of candidates are not shortlisted for a position due to their lack of soft skills — Furthermore, with automation and digitalization altering the future of work, one must focus to develop attributes that cannot be reproduce through AI. Soft Skills will increase your market value and allow you to thrive in a competitive work setting. The mindset you must adopt is that soft skills empower your future progression!
Why are soft skills considered so important in the workplace and hard skills alone not enough? Soft skills form the basis of strong, co-operative workplace relationships. They enable employees to communicate well, both internally and externally, with different stakeholders, clients and business partners. Nowadays, we can all access information on communication, leadership, performance, management and so on. Consider though, how one can acquire empathy, or show willingness to listen to others, resolve difficult disputes or tackle awkward situations, while considering all points of view. Soft skills are more difficult to acquire as they are developed though experiential learning — through a continual process of engaging and reflecting.
What do Recruiters look for in a candidate? In the first part of the selection process, recruiters assess the candidate’s academic background and level of achievement. A second screening will take into consideration any previous experience in relevant fields. In the third part, HR and line managers look for ATTITUDE. Recruiters will evaluate a candidate’s self-motivation, teamwork capabilities and ability to contribute to organizational success. They want employees to be committed, to be self-starters and to be able to take initiative. These skills are not easily taught, but they are all skills that are important in terms of employee and organizational productivity and success.
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Skills Building Guide
It is all about skills! “Unfortunately, some people believe that soft skills aren’t that important. However, almost every employer I’ve ever talked to about this disagrees. In a world where job roles are changing rapidly, soft skills will be one of the few constants…” – Chris Jones, Chief Executive at City & Guilds via backingsoftskills.co.uk. Theoretical knowledge will enable you to comprehend the demands of the tasks, but soft skills will help you see that task through to completion. A strong set of soft skills will give you a competitive advantage and arm you for success. Our advice to you is: Time is money- Realise that time is not a renewable resource. So, manage your time efficiently now! Though life always seems hectic, you should realize that you have more time on your hands as a student than you will later in life. Use your time now to develop a strong personality, to push yourself into new experiences that will teach you about your strengths and weaknesses and to learn something new about yourself with each new experience—do and reflect on your doing. Start early - Ensure that you grab every opportunity – join teams, travel, gain work experience, do an internship, volunteer to make a difference. Empower youself by engaging in life. Focus your energy on productive activities - Tons of distractions interrupt our everyday life from the lure of social media to the constant overload of information. Prioritize, limit your virtual time and get real-life experiences that activate you and reward your time and effort with challenge, accomplishment and joy! Set goals - short and long term. Set a plan of your life.- When you set a plan for your life into motion, you will see that short-term goals give you skills in planning, working and taking chances. Success or failure in these goals help you adapt and adjust to set long-term goals that are accomplished through endurance and persistence. Remember—before you can run, you must first learn to walk (and pick yourself up when you stumble). Consider your time on campus as a track where you exercise for the real Olympics! Skills pay dividends for your entire life. Acquire and develop those skills during your studies.
Definitions & Methods of Developing a Dynamic Skill Set The business setting is a demanding, complex and increasingly unpredictable environment. Challenges such as digitalization, globalization, Artificial Intelligence and energy issues are just a few drivers that will transform the employment market. You owe it to yourself to embrace change and prepare for these demands. Corporate recruiters seek candidates who add value and have the ability to make a difference in the workplace. Employees need to communicate effectively, get along well with their coworkers, embrace change, take initiative, have a strong work ethic, and portray professionalism. A dynamic skill set is required more than ever now because you live in a dynamic and ever changing business setting. Below are critical skills and practical ways to attain these skills while you are still studying.
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Working Well with Others A crucial element of success is collaboration in the workplace. You should be able to develop and maintain effective working relationships, interact effectively with people from different backgrounds, listen to others and value diverse viewpoints. You must support team decisions once they are made. One who works well with others is able to adjust his/her own workload to help meet team commitments, to recognize and demonstrate empathy for others’ feelings, needs, and concerns and to address and resolve any work disagreements. Methods of developing these skills:
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Develop good friendships
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Join a club and/or events where international students are involved
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Listen and discuss diverse ideas
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Support decisions made by your team
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Help others even when you are busy –Become a volunteer
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Understand the feelings and concerns of others –offer your help
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Resolve disagreements you have with others
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Listen to people and show empathy.
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Ask a friend or relative if you can shadow him/her in the workplace
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Join an International Internship Program so that you are challenged to work effectively with people from different backgrounds
Skills Building Guide
Learning and Self-Development Identify and address your own knowledge gaps and training needs. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, pursue development and seek meaningful feedback. Learn from successes and failures and seek out a mentor. Methods of developing these skills:
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Visit the Career Center and discuss methods of self-development
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Stay informed: Identify magazines, blogs, associations relevant to your field of study
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Apply new things that you have learned
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Seek feedback (both negative and positive) about your performance
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Accept negative feedback from others
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Learn new things. Technology acumen will empower your qualifications
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Learn a new language (Russian, German, Chinese)
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Get inspired; Watch TED Talks, study success stories, learn how others developed and succeeded
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Watch webinars, seek workshops and suitable training
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Analyzing and Solving Problems Employers want people who are analytical and solution-oriented. When trying to solve a problem, first you critically evaluate information and its sources. Then identify gaps in information, synthesize and integrate information into what is already known about a topic and recognize patterns in information to identify the bigger picture. The final step is to follow the best practices and appropriately analyze quantitative and qualitative data. It is important to consider multiple approaches when solving problems.
Utilize your observational skills. Rather than accepting issues at face value, exercise lateral thinking and analytical abilities Identify a problem and practice brainstorming activities such as mind mapping to come up with multiple innovative solutions
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Approach everyday issues with a “what if” mentality, regularly testing new approaches Work through logic puzzles and games like Sudoku Follow industry publications covering the latest challenges and developments Identify problems in your own environment and embark on a campaign of solving them. Recruiters would love to see that you leaded an initiative of a car poll in your university campus so that you contributed to energy resources saving
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Skills Building Guide
Achieving Objectives In order to achieve objectives, you need to set demanding individual goals. To accomplish them, draft a timeline and action plan to meet individual goals and objectives, take initiative, seek additional responsibilities, evaluate work outcomes and ensure that quality standards are met. A characteristic example: • Set one major goal for each academic year • Goal: Improve communication skills • Action plan: 8 steps Improve communication skills
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Join a debate Club Read more books
Participate in seminars Make new friends
Take the initiative to be the spokesperson in a project Join an Erasmus experience
Watch public speaking training videos Monitor your progress and achievement levels. Request feedback from “experts” regarding your development
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Adapting to Change? Adjust work style and interpersonal behavior to fit different situations and environments. Accept and integrate new ideas and comply with change initiatives. Work effectively when faced with ambiguity. Methods of developing these skills:
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Review multiple perspectives when handling change
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Always consider the bigger picture
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Learn to multitask by putting yourself in a position you have not been in before
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Take a roommate - that will teach you adaptability
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Seek new experiences outside your comfort zone
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Join an NGO – in such settings, decisions are usually collective and thus it teaches us adaptation. Big groups such as the Scouts will also provide early adaptation experiences.
Skills Building Guide
Computer and Technical Literacy Increasingly nowadays almost all jobs require basic competency in computer software. Technology optimizes the value of the people in their diverse employment roles. Technical Skills or “Systems Proficiencies” will fast-track you on your career path. From an early age, seek knowledge and play around with systems, embrace new technological tools and cultivate a robust understanding of the capabilities, applications and potential of emerging technologies.
Networking Abilities One of the major trends of the previous decade was the boom of technology in the 2010s. Businesses relied heavily on sourcing data to study how consumers think. Multiple tech startups provided social and business networking products and these new tools increased connectivity. As a result a much bigger percentage of jobs are now secured through networking. While online platforms like LinkedIn make it easier to find and maintain professional connections, excellent inperson networking ability is still among the key skills for success. Mastering your “elevator pitch” and attending industry-networking events is one useful way to meet like-minded professionals and grow your connections. Networking should be carried out with tact and diplomacy. Remember that you are building a relationship rather than simply selling your skills.
Join Departmental events seek where you can make acquaintances with professionals that visit the campus
Collaborate with your professors. Offer to help in industry projects
Take a part time or full time job. Meet with colleagues, be cooperative and be willing to help Join professional associations and go to meetings. Join groups of interest such as Young Entrepreneurs Associations, IEEE, etc
Continue to network through your Alumni Association
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Commercial Awareness Commercial awareness is an understanding of how industries operate, what companies need to do to be profitable and how to serve their customers well. Knowing the industry’s core values, biggest competitors, key stakeholders and current business challenges can help you differentiate yourself from the crowd when you enter the job-seeking phase in your life. Commercial awareness, or business acumen, can make an enormous difference in your career, whether you are just starting out or you are an experienced professional. With it, you will make sensible, well-informed decisions. Without it, your decisions will be naïve and people will quickly lose confidence in you. It is not a static process, but actually quite dynamic and changing, and you should stay on top of the developments. How? Have friends in the industry and get together socially every so often. Watch accurate economic programs from diverse sources (Bloomberg, CNN, Boom Bust). Monitor Association publications, Chamber of Commerce Reports, Eurostat data, industry publication and blogs. Identify industry leaders and follow their path. Join big conferences and industry happenings. Synthesize information such as legislation, politics and social change using critical thinking how they might affect the industry. In other words, have an opinion.
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Learn the lingo
Learn the players & Connect with them
Read Annual Reports
Keep up to date with industry business press, professional bodies
Monitor Social Media – blogs, networking groups
Work either as an intern or on a project or as a part timer
Surf the net and watch YouTube videos 12
Skills Building Guide
Leadership Leaders set direction, formulate an inspiring vision, set goals, map out a course of action and inspire a team with a “win” attitude. Using management skills to guide their people to the right destination, leaders must have an accurate picture of the situation. Furthermore, leaders must be emotionally connected with their people and able to build relationships to motivate and engage others as well as create a culture of trust and respect. In professional settings, leaders must be able to manage change and be resilient to adversity.
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Study inspiring leaders’ biographies
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Try apprenticing with or shadowing leading personalities
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Get involved in Young Leaders Forums
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Have an active presence in leadership positions in extracurricular activities on campus or in volunteer associations
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Learn how to use tools such as Pest Analysis, USP Analysis, Core Competency Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Performance Management and KPIs
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Join groups such as Lions or Toastmasters so that you enhance your communication skills. Practice how to articulate your thoughts and ideas
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Find a passion and work at it. Leaders are passionate and accountable individuals, who are able to share a vision and conviction. Find your calling, even as a student you can plan a “project”. It could be a simple idea such as a campaign against bullying, or an awareness initiative about GMOs, the point is to find a cause that appeals to you, work at it. Inspire others so that you can create a team and work to materialize your vision
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Integrity Can it be taught? It is true that our experiences, our unique paths and backgrounds condition our perception of ethics. Integrity is a highly valued characteristic in the employment market. Loyalty to your job, discipline, responsibility, a strong work ethic and self-awareness indicate your level of integrity.
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Develop character. Spent more time developing yourself than you spend in improving your appearance
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Care about others and be authentic
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Keep your word
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Be accountable, deliver your course work on time, meet your appointments and responsibilities
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Dismiss easy solutions. It is the “path” that strengthens us as individuals. Hardships shape character and effort teaches us how to rise out of rough times
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Listen more fully. Respect guidelines, laws and set procedures. Adopt a can-do attitude and be wary of individuals who wish to cut corners and not follow set processes
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Do more than you expect others to do
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Expect a trial and error process that requires persistent effort. Success and integrity are not destinations rather they are conditions. Expect yourself to learn and strive daily, always making progress
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Enlist the help of others, as mentors
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Develop. Embark on a journey of continues growth
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Identify aspects of your behavior that require change
In a nutshell Your success depends on your ability to set yourself apart from the crowd, your stamina to work hard, your passion to demonstrate zeal and professionalism in any endeavor you embark. Character, skills and education are all assets that although desirable, are not entirely sufficient! A can-do attitude, hard work and determination to deliver impeccable work output will guarantee your worth. Use your years of study to cultivate a parallel growth path of employment awareness. Sharpen your skills, enrich your portfolio with experiences and stay “hungry” for knowledge!
“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” Albert Einstein
For the European University Cyprus Career Center contact: Office of Student Affairs Ms. Eleni Markantoni, Director of Student Affairs, e.markantoni@euc.ac.cy, 22713150 Ms. Andri Stylianou, Career Advisor, Office of Student Affairs, career@euc.ac.cy, 22559454