{"id":2186,"date":"2023-03-29T10:29:04","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T14:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?p=2186"},"modified":"2025-06-12T10:10:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T14:10:08","slug":"why-soft-skills-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/why-soft-skills-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Books: Why Soft Skills Matter and How You Can Learn Them in College"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why go to college? It\u2019s a loaded question, and answers from students across the nation will be as diverse as the students themselves.<\/p>\n

The \u201cTLDR\u201d answer is that students enter college at all adult ages to grow socially, emotionally, and intellectually; to learn, have fun, forge new relationships, and (hopefully) come out on the other side with the skills needed to enter a fulfilling, well-paying career.<\/p>\n

While most of your focus in college might be on gaining the academic and technical skills you need to perform a job, you\u2019re also gaining other lesser-known (but just as valuable) traits called \u201csoft\u201d skills.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be misled by the name\u00a0\u2014 \u201csoft skills\u201d don\u2019t mean weak in this context. Instead, the term refers to skills that aren\u2019t as easily defined as things like accounting or welding. You don\u2019t learn these skills from a textbook or a professor\u2019s lecture notes, and they often present differently from person to person. Below, we\u2019ll explore what soft skills are, why they should matter to you, and how you develop these skills in college.<\/p>\n

What are soft skills?<\/h2>\n

While hard skills are the technical and knowledge-based skills you need to perform a given role, soft skills are the personal attributes that allow you to work, interact, and communicate with others effectively.<\/p>\n

For example, a nurse needs to know how to start an IV or administer medication\u00a0\u2014 those are hard skills nurses must know to do their job. A soft skill in nursing could be knowing how to speak with a patient\u2019s family when their loved one is sick and in the hospital\u00a0\u2014 the ability to express the appropriate empathy and compassion in the moment and have difficult conversations in a healthcare setting.<\/p>\n

A hard skill in some business settings might be knowing how to analyze a data set to make an informed decision for your company. The soft skill in this scenario is knowing how to approach your supervisor and organize your information to get your decision approved in a timely fashion\u00a0\u2014 having all your \u201cducks in a row\u201d to be able to clearly and effectively communicate your decision-making process.<\/p>\n

Why do soft skills matter?<\/h2>\n

Referring to them as “soft” implies they are less important on the job, but these soft skills encompass the kind of characteristics employers are often looking for. This is because soft skills are more difficult to teach than technical knowledge, as they often require more adaptability from the student. Most people can learn technical skills while on the job, but people develop soft skills over time and through diverse experiences that likely extend beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n

What is college but a series of experiences that challenge you to grow and evolve into the adult you’re meant to be?<\/p>\n

Throughout college, you have experiences that help you learn to be a better listener, communicate with peers and supervisors, organize your responsibilities, and manage your time more efficiently to meet deadlines. Whether you live on campus or commute, navigating everyday life while in college helps you build these skills whether you realize it or not.<\/p>\n

So, what are these so-called “soft” skills anyway?<\/p>\n

Essential soft skills<\/h2>\n

The personal qualities you gain while interacting and communicating with people, generally regarded as soft skills, include:<\/p>\n