SOFT SKILLS: A RESEARCH STUDY ON OUTDOING ACADEMICS AND CONQUER THE WORLD

Abstract

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela.

The statement ‘Education is important’ exemplifies an understatement, as it is the most powerful weapon to improve, expand, and develop the life of the human race. Education acts as a tool to bring in a complete transformation within the society. It believed in general that training begins at home. It is a life-long process that starts with birth and ends with death. Education enhances the quality of an individual by refining their knowledge, skills, abilities, personality, and attitude. Also, education creates higher opportunities for the unemployed. Individuals with higher education are likely to get a job as it adds value to life and society. Primary learning begins with the ability to deal with the necessary skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Teachers play a significant role in the education system. They head the responsibility of grooming and enlightening the students or learners in all facets. Today's generation is deficient in managing multiple problems can come up with appropriate solutions. There is a high demand to teach soft skills in this highly technologically advanced country. The teachers, apart from the regular curriculum, are subjected to train the students/ adults to adjust to the world, improve communication skills, methodological skills, and soft skills. For Survival in the modern era, the teachers should change the teaching focus to soft skills, because in this twenty-first century, those skills are essential to be successful. Indeed, soft skills are a phrase closely related to life skills, deals with interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and social skills. Soft skills are the mishmash of life skills, social skills, interpersonal skills, personal characteristics, attributes, and personality to commendably adapt according to the needs and desires of others. It is the ability to communicate and interact with others in an approachable, pleasant, and cordial manner. Various parameters of soft skills include negotiation, resolving conflicts, networking, communicating effectively with others, offer the best customer services, effective teamwork, problem-solving skills, managing pressure at work, and others. Several researchers have found out that there are 87 plus soft skills that are mandatory for the learners to acquire in today's world. These 87 skills are in general under seven necessary soft skills, namely communication skills, leadership skills, influencing skills, interpersonal skills, personal skills, creative skills, and professional skills. Thus, teachers need to emphasize soft skills so that the next generation easily cope up with the personality development issues and achieve success in their carrier. The present research study stresses the need for soft skills in the modern era concerning personality and professionalism. The paper also explains the importance and purpose of teaching and learning soft skills in the contemporary period. It also describes the critical need to acquire soft skills in the workplace. In short, the paper tries to state that soft skills are the learned behaviors through a rigorous training process. Also, the article highlights the importance of soft skills in the modern era for all learners to be it, students, or professionals. For this, the paper presents a few relevant statements substantiated in other research papers. That is, the corresponding data presented, along with the findings and results in support of the current research topic. In the end, a few suggestions concerning the research topic are introduced.