 Hello friends, I am Mrs. Geetha Dhunjarwad, Assistant Professor of Communication Skills, Department of Humanities and Sciences, Vulture Institute of Technology, Sholap. At the end of this session, student will be able to learn effective soft skills for personal and professional success. Soft skills refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitude and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with. Companies value soft skills because research suggests and experience shows that they can be just as important indicator of job performance as hard skills. Candidates with strong soft skills are in high demand for many different types of jobs. Soft skills are the interpersonal attributes you need to succeed in the workplace. These are related to how you work with and relate to others. In other words, it is called as a people skills. So in this session, today we are going to discuss about some of the most common soft skills employers are looking for and will be assessing you on. The first one is strong work ethic, then positive attitude, effective communication. Next is ability to work under pressure and time management, then problem solving skills, acting as a team player and flexibility or adaptability. Henry Kravitz has said, if you don't have integrity, you have nothing. You can't buy it. You can have all the money in the world. But if you are not a moral and ethical person, you really have nothing. So in his thought, he has given the emphasis on ethics. We are going to discuss about whatever the soft skills in them. One of the most important soft skill is work ethic. So before thinking about work ethic, it is very necessary. We should know the meaning of ethic. So let's discuss what is meant by ethic. Take a pause, think about the question and try to write the answer. So ethic. Ethic comes from a thought meaning character or what a good person is or does to have a good character. The word ethic is defined as moral principle that governs or influence a person's behavior. In other words, the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. So work ethic. Work ethic is a belief that hard work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. It is a set of value center on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard. Employers look for job candidates with strong work ethic. Such people come to work on time, complete tasks in a timely manner, stay focused and stay organized. They are able to budget their time and complete their work thoroughly and can work independently. A strong work ethic is difficult to teach. So employers will be impressed if you can demonstrate it in your job application. The next most important soft skill is positive attitude and all of you know that attitude is the key to success. So project a positive image. The most famous author Francis Harrison Burnett has said in his The Secret Garden, if you look the right way you can see that the whole world is a garden. Even the great famous writer Walt Whitman has said, keep your face always towards the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you. So positive attitude at work. Luis He has said every thought we think is creating our future. So if you have a negative attitude, you can't get along with others. A professional image includes a well groomed and neat appearance, confident walk and posture, varied and pleasing voice, the use of direct eye contact, clean professional clothing and attire. Employers are always seeking people who will bring a positive attitude to the office. They want employees who will be friendly to others, eager to work and generally a pleasure to be around. Here are five ways to keep a positive attitude during a job search. So first one is don't feel sorry for yourself. Second one, embrace change. Third one, don't focus on the negative. Fourth one is don't worry about pleasing others. And the last one and fifth one is don't give up. Next soft skill is effective communication. Communication skills are important in almost every job. You will likely need to communicate with people on the job, whether they are clients, customers, colleagues or employers. You will also need to be able to speak clearly and politely with people in person by phone and in writing. Employers want employees who cannot only communicate their own ideas but who also listen emphatically to others. Listening is a particularly important skill in customer service jobs. Next soft skill is problem solving. Problem solving does not just require analytical, creative and critical skills but a particular mindset. Those who can approach a problem with a cool and level head will often reach a solution more efficiently than those who cannot. This is a soft skill which can often rely on strong teamwork too. The ability to know who can help you reach a solution and how they can do it can be a great advantage. Acting as a team player. It is said that talent wins games but teamwork and intelligence win championships. Work is the ability to work together towards a common vision. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. So acting as a team player means not only being cooperative but also displaying strong leadership skills when necessary. Employers with strong teamwork skills are sought out by employers for many reasons. They demonstrate leadership skills, collaboration and good communication. Employers expect employees to be team players as teamwork is required for almost every industry. Next one, ability to work under pressure. Everyone has to deal with pressure both in their personal and professional lines. In the workplace this pressure often manifests itself in the form of tight deadlines, demands from your boss, employee performance issues and other obstacles that get in the way of you doing your job. Recruiters prize candidates who show a decisive attitude, an unfiltering ability to think clearly and a capacity to compartmentalize and set stress aside. Here are some ideas to put into action to impress your supervisors and work colleagues with how greatly you handle the job pressure. The first one is remain calm always, stay focused on what needs to be accomplished and the third one is take your breaks. Time management, time management is closely related to the ability to work under pressure as well as within tight deadlines. Employees who manage their time well are able to efficiently prioritize tasks and organize their diaries while adopting an attitude which allows them to take on new tasks and deadlines. The last one is flexibility or adaptability. In the 21st century, companies need to challenge at the speed of light to remain competitive. So they want workers who can also shift gears or change direction as needed. Ability in the workplace is when an employee can be flexible and have the ability to adapt to changing work conditions. An adaptable employee can work independently or work well with a team. As an engineer you have to be adaptable to the constant changing of technology. Those soft skills are the skills that make you stand out against the pack. They are those intangible qualities that can improve work performance regardless of the job. They are skills that you can and will use in any job and any industry. Go through these references. Thank you and have a nice day.