Episode: 644

Episode Title: The Competitive Trifecta: Professional Skills

Are soft skills as soft as they sound? Actually, they’re darn near the most important thing kids need today. More on that, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 644 show:

Thanks for tuning into The Perna Syndicate today! This week, we’ve been talking about the trifecta of abilities that give young people a competitive advantage: robust academics, technical competency, and professional skills (also known as soft skills). I prefer the term ‘professional skills’ over ‘soft skills’ because it better communicates the true importance and value of these abilities. 

So, professional skills are simply the personal attributes and character to succeed in the workplace: work ethic, punctuality, communication, leadership, ability to accept feedback, integrity, critical thinking, problem-solving, stress management, and many more. They are universal across all levels, in all industries, at all times. 

And they’re no longer taken for granted. According to a Wall Street Journal survey of more than 900 executives, fully 89% stated they have a very difficult or somewhat difficult time sourcing talent with these skills and traits.

Professional skills will never go out of date. These crucial character traits and values were essential yesterday and will continue to matter as the workforce evolves—perhaps becoming more important than ever. 

When an individual has the academic and technical credentials, professional skills complete the package. Young people who focus on developing all three of these areas will create a dynamic competitive advantage in today’s uncertain job market. Recession or not, this is a trifecta that every company is looking for.  

Tomorrow: So the trifecta is great, but how can parents help their kids develop each of these abilities? That’s exactly what we’re talking about on The Perna Syndicate next time. Tune in and we’ll see you then!