It is imperative for students to stay competitive by developing certain important skills. The following post discusses the top 5 soft skills that every employer expects in an MBA graduate this year.
You may be one of the highest scorers in your MBA College, but it certainly does not mean that you are ready to compete with the other MBA graduates in this competitive job market. Soft skills are important for MBA graduates to perform well in the business world. While business and technical skills are important for working in fields like e-business, finance, and marketing, soft skills are much in-demand in all the areas of work for MBAs.
Some of the top soft skills that every recruiter will want at the time of hiring an MBA graduate include communication skills, presentation skills, leadership skills, strategic thinking and ability to understand the audience.
Take a look at the important soft skills you should hone to land a job in 2018:
1) Excellent Communication Skills
As an MBA, effective communication skills are required to land that lucrative business deal, project or client. These skills are also required to understand your clients’ requirements and explain them effectively what you have to offer them. Communication skills play a crucial role in building the professional network through proper conversation with your clients. Mostly employed by top companies, MBA professionals are required to meet national and international clients, for which communication skills play an important role.
So, to develop your communication skills you can start with writing your thoughts or diary, reading different kind of literature and then take part in the different discussion clubs, forums, lectures, meetings.
2) Presentation Skills
Presentation skills are one of the most important soft skills required to find a successful career as an MBA. In any organization whether global or small business, marketing, and sales departments function to boost sale and boost communication.
The ability to present a case or provide a business solution effectively through business presentation is required in the corporate world. Managers, directors and other business professionals cannot perform well in any business meeting without possessing excellent presentation skills. This ability can be developed when you improve your writing skills. So, when you are able to reflect clear your thoughts on paper, then you surely can present them to the public.
The presentation is a process through which audience gets a clear idea of the subject through face to face communication. Thus, it is essential that presentation which is delivered should be customer oriented. Mastering certain Presentation Skills enables the presenter to put forth effective communication and disseminate knowledge what the audience should know.
Among several Presentation Skills, mastering the skill of using Visual aids to boost communication has proved to be beneficial for both the audience and the presenter. Using of visuals to give a clear picture of the subject with several graphics, pictures, bar charts enable the presenter to elaborate the topic. Additionally, slide shows, drawing of the new organizational chart, and sketching Project Processes are all very helpful.
One of the most important visual presentations includes whiteboard project outputs. This can be done with proper training. Planning through whiteboard involves the audience, provides an opportunity to show their perspective, and work interactively. Most of the presenters use visual charts to track group projects, strategies, and deliverables. Visual interaction is one of the fastest ways to boost communication and cross any hurdle.
3) Leadership Skills
To progress in today’s business world, it is vital to possess excellent leadership skills. Leadership is the ability to control and influence people in some manner to achieve some purpose. Leaders become within organizations environment. Their personal qualities are respected by followers who accept voluntary their leadership.
As a leader, a professional not only requires offering guidance to his team but also motivate them to achieve the organizational goal. Leadership skills show that a person is competent, responsible, visionary, confident and ready to take initiatives.
There are few leadership styles. The autocratic or authoritarian style maintains all decision making in the leader. He doesn’t accept suggestions from his colleagues. The leader is pretty motivated because he possesses all the credit and is, therefore, the star. The participative or democratic style encourages suggestions and propositions. It supports group decision making process. A decision is only agreed after everyone is heard. In the laissez-faire or free rein style, the group is left entirely to itself. The group has a freedom to make their own decisions. The leader does not care about the process; he is interested in the results only.
To develop this skill, a fresh MBA graduate can look for opportunities to lead a team in next project at work. Trying this skill at your internship level is a good idea to hone your leadership skills.
4) Strategic Thinking
The curriculum in an MBA program is designed to develop strategic thinking in MBA students. However, understanding the importance of this skill at the work place, it becomes vital for business graduates to hone this skill. Strategic thinking is important to handle the various business activities, problem-solving, and take the right decision after analyzing the situations.
5) Ability to Know Your Client’s Requirement
The ability to read and understand the requirements of your customers is an important skill required in any MBA specialization such as marketing, IT, or HR. This skill enables a person to know what are the right time and a right approach to initiate a conversation with a potential business client. It includes the ability to read verbal as well as gestures of your clients as a part of customer analysis.
If you have these important skills listed on your CV, a top recruiting company can easily distinguish you from the other job applicants. These skills are not industry-specific and are required in all areas of work.
So, whichever industry you choose to work in after pursuing an MBA degree, these skills are going to be demanded by every employer!
