By: Tami Strang
1. Soft skills
In order to succeed in personal and professional endeavors, students must master “soft skills” such as problem solving, collaboration, verbal and written communication, teamwork, and leadership. In a previous interview with Cengage Learning, author and instructor Beverly Amer notes: “Soft skills are absolutely essential to career success these days. I tell my students, ‘Your technical skills may help you get the job, but it’s your soft skills that will help you keep the job.”
Are college students confident that they are, in fact, gaining these skills as they complete their college coursework. When we asked students “Have your courses helped you develop necessary soft skills (time management, communication, etc)?,” 93% of them replied that yes, they’re gaining these skills.
Indeed, this number is encouraging! But, if you’d like to consider some additional ways to bring coverage of soft skills into your own course, consider watching Angele Blackshear-Brown’s presentation “From College to Career: Teaching Skills to Transition Today’s Students Into Tomorrow’s Professionals.”
2. Self knowledge
Students also report that their college courses have provided a place for them to become more knowledgeable about themselves. In response to the question
“Have your courses helped you understand more about yourself, your abilities, interests, etc?,” 95% said “yes.”
The better a student knows his or her strengths, interests, and talents, the better decisions he or she can make regarding important life choices, such as a career path. Our previous post, “Tips for Students: Choosing Your Career,” presents a four-step process that students can use to start considering a direction that suits them.
If a student approaches you for additional guidance, you might also recommend that they visit your campus’s career center, where they can speak with a career counselor, take self assessments, review useful career-oriented resources, take part in workshops, and explore additional learning opportunities, such as internships or volunteer roles. If you’re teaching in an online program, many of those colleges offer career services online as well.
3. Values and ethical standards
Acting with integrity, and in alignment with one’s values, is an important part of personal and professional success. Students do agree that their college courses play a role in this aspect of their personal development. When asked “Have your courses helped you develop your own values and ethical standards?,” 89% replied that yes, they did.
Of course, learning about ethics isn’t limited to philosophy courses. No matter what course you teach, you can reinforce the importance of ethics and values—whether you’re instructing students on how to conduct research according to standards of academic integrity, noting the importance of accurate and ethical accounting practices, or teaching your nursing students to make wise on-the-spot decisions regarding the health and well being of their patients. In many ways, students do absorb these foundational ethical principles as you inform them about the principles and practices of your field.
DEVELOP OR DECAY 