Soft Skills! Why?

Everyone talks about the importance of ’soft skills.’ The buzz words in the job market at every level are ‘Soft Skills’. In many of the corporate ‘Multi National Companies’ including Infosys, Satyam, Wipro and others the training is a part of initiation into the office. Every new employee placed from campus interviews will have to undergo technical as well as Soft Skills programme.        There is a need to understand the definition and scope of the term ‘Soft Skills’. It may be difficult to give out a precise definition of the term ‘soft skills,’ but in general it is used to describe on-the-job abilities that go beyond an employee’s job description.        For example, a computer programmer’s ability to create and read programs would generally be described as a hard skill, whereas his or her ability to work effectively with co-workers, communicate with clients and manage projects would be lumped together under the soft skills banner.       Soft skills provide students with a strong conceptual and practical framework to build, develop and manage teams. They play an important role in the development of the students’ overall personality, thereby enhancing their career prospects. The term Soft Skills implies critical thinking, interpersonal communication and innovation. These are treated on par with technical skills and expertise.