P50 MBAS8 Soft Skills .qxd 8/4/08 12:36 Page 2
Editorial
CAREERS
Developing your soft skills
for that harder edge
Traditionally, an MBA’s most valuable skills included leadership, strategic thinking and finance,
and nobody disputes that those core elements will remain bastions of the business school
education system. However, a 2007 study shows that ‘soft’ skills rank highest with recruiters,
and yet this is a key area where MBAs are falling short.
By Ross Geraghty
Basic soft skill development techniques
1) Get specific feedback from colleagues and peers
(and clients if you can) on the qualities that are impor-
tant for the role – consider ways of capitalising on
your strengths as well as focusing on areas that need
development
2) Identify somebody who you think is particularly
successful at demonstrating the skills you want to
develop – talk to them/sit in meeting with them and
gain an insight into their approach
3) Think back to a recent time when you weren’t very
successful at influencing or convincing an individual.
Ask the individual how you came across and what you
might have done differently to be more successful.
n the QS TopMBA Recruiter Survey, 489 team player; communicate effectively; exude
I
of the world’s major international MBA confidence; hone your creative skills; accept and 4) Develop the habit of critically reviewing the impact
recruiters (including Goldman Sachs, Boe- learn from criticism; motivate yourself & lead you have had after any meeting. Consider ways to
ing and Motorola) ranked communication others; multitask and prioritise your to-do list; see increase your impact and put this into practice.
and people skills higher in importance than the big picture.”
the traditional skill sets. “We tend to focus less on
academic or technical skills,” says Phillip Cho of
“MBAs represent an interesting pool of potential business leaders with broad business skills,
Lehman Brothers Singapore, “and place emphasis
however they often come with an arrogant expectation of career progression. I would like to
more on communication, interpersonal skills and
leadership traits.”
see more emotional intelligence taught and realistic career counselling provided.”
MBAs worldwide hear a lot about soft skills as
Mitch O’Brien of Emissary Pharmaceuticals
recruiters ramp up the value of the more touchy-
feely aspects of business management. Yet accord- Easier said than done? Perhaps. Wendy 5) Take opportunities to regularly network (within your
ing to those recruiters, too many business school Lyons, an expert in the field, and Managing organization and externally) – don’t just approach
graduates hit the job market lacking essential skills Consultant at London’s Human Assets, says a mere people when you need their help.
that go beyond a mere qualification. list is not that simple. “For employers, getting the
Mitch O’Brien of Emissary Pharmaceuticals right people means identifying people with the 6) Spend more time with people who you find difficult
in Australia agrees, noting that, “MBAs represent an right skills and qualities to fulfil the role and to deal with. Don’t just think about your feelings
interesting pool of potential business leaders with contribute to the organization’s success and it’s about them but think about how they might view you.
broad business skills, however they often come really important to be aware that different roles Try out different approaches with them to see if you can
with an arrogant expectation of career progression. have different requirements. You might need to develop a more effective relationship with them.
I would like to see more emotional intelligence be an amazing communicator for one role but not
taught and realistic career counselling provided.” necessarily for another so it’s important to Honing soft skills can help MBAs to differentiate
recognize what is needed by the role in question.” themselves in the recruitment process. Developing
What are ‘soft’ skills? She continues, “Whichever quality you’re external interests and placing more emphasis them
Sean Hewitt, a careers advisor, notes the following looking to develop, it helps to seek out feedback, on your CV will bear fruit both on a professional and
nine soft skills on the UK-based website observe role-models, reflect on your behaviour and personal basis.
askmen.com: “Keep a winning attitude; be a to try out new approaches.”
50 TopMBA CAREER GUIDE www.topmba.com
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