Preparing Students for the Workplace beyond Resume and Technical Skills

Having transitioned from the role of a software engineer to an HR, and then to an assistant professor and finally to a corporate behavioural trainer, it has taken me years of work experience to realise that we need skills beyond our technical knowledge and expertise to have a successful and thriving career, irrespective of the industry or designation. Today’s students have the advantage we (Gen- Y) did not have back then; training programs on skills beyond the books, the “soft skills”. In this article, I share my thoughts and wisdom gained through experiences on the four important skills beyond the technical skills that I think are required for students to have a successful career; namely emotional intelligence, time management, their willingness to take initiatives, and problem-solving attitude.

In my experience of interacting with HRs of different organizations and designing and delivering behavioural skill trainings across audiences ranging from students to freshers in organizations, to mid-level managers, I can confidently say that today’s students need to be prepared on “soft skills” as much as hard skills. This is because organisations today are not looking at recruiting merely “employees” with great technical skills, but potential “leaders”; and for a leader, qualities like emotional intelligence, time management, taking initiatives, and problem-solving attitude are indispensable (in addition to the technical skills) to make the right decisions, to lead people with trust and empathy, and to meet the constantly changing demands of businesses in this VUCA world.

Through my previous work experiences, I learnt that people skills and emotional intelligence are the most important factors that determine your success and longevity at workplace. This is because organisations are nothing more than one huge team divided into smaller teams, and to be successful in the corporate world, students should be great team players who are emotionally intelligent, assertive in communicating, empathetic and trustworthy. Having learnt through some painful experiences myself when I had difficulty in controlling my emotions at workplace, I learnt emotional intelligence the hard way, and today I share my learnings about the importance of emotional intelligence with my students. 

To prepare the students for the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of training the students in time management skills. As I mentioned that companies are recruiting their future “leaders”, they want students who know the value of time. As the popular corporate adage goes “time is money”, I always suggest to my students and participants that time is much more valuable than money, and it is the real luxury in today’s world. When students learn to manage their time better, their stress decreases, they become more productive, healthier, happier and become better leaders who contribute to their organisations and society at large. 

Being punctual is a virtue the students could aspire to attain, as it speaks of their discipline and consistency, which are admirable qualities in candidates. I share my personal experience to students that punctuality is a trait that helped me overcome a challenging situation; when I was late to one of my training sessions because of a road-block ( a fault that wasn’t mine), everyone knew that my arriving late to the session was not about me (as I’m punctual otherwise), but about an unusual situation. As professors, I believe the best way of preparing the students in soft skills is through leading by example. 

For preparing students to thrive in the corporate world and in life, we as facilitators could train the students to take initiatives, which I believe is the most important skill that is required beyond their powerful resumes and technical acumen. This trait could be encouraged in students by acknowledging and rewarding those who come up with new ideas and solutions, and those who take onus of tasks and accept complete responsibility for the tasks assigned to them. We can also help foster this mindset in students by assigning them responsibilities with autonomy and by supporting them in their failures too.  Whenever I have tried giving creative assignments to students by giving them complete autonomy of tasks, I have sometimes been blown away by their brilliant output. Students who are potential leaders should be encouraged to take new initiatives and acknowledged for the same.

To prepare the students for the future, training them on critical thinking and problem-solving skills are the absolute need of the hour. This could be encouraged by incorporating a variety of teaching/training methods like video-based discussions, mock group or panel discussions, case studies, role-plays, and by designing activity-based learning modules. When students learn through demonstration and activities, they retain knowledge better and their creativity also improves as they come up with new ways of thinking. Such students eventually become leaders with great problem-solving acumen and decision-making abilities who will face challenges with resilience. 

Preparing students beyond resumes and technical skills is not a luxury anymore; it is an absolute necessity. I have had students tell me after they entered the corporate world that they did not realize the importance of soft skills during their college. However, if students hone their soft skills along with their technical skills through continuous learning and make the best of the resources available to them, they can easily find themselves great opportunities and thrive in their careers and in their lives too. 

Key Takeaways

• Soft skills are essential for career longevity: People skills and emotional intelligence often determine workplace success more than technical expertise.

• Employers look for leadership potential: Organizations increasingly value traits like empathy, trust, and decision-making alongside domain knowledge.

• Time management reduces stress and increases performance: Students who learn to manage time become more productive, healthier, and better prepared for corporate expectations.

• Initiative-taking is a differentiator: Students should be encouraged to own tasks, propose ideas, and take responsibility—with autonomy and support through failure.

• Problem-solving must be trained intentionally: Case studies, role-plays, discussions, and activity-based learning strengthen critical thinking and resilience.

• Career readiness goes beyond resumes: Students who continuously build behavioural skills alongside technical skills access better opportunities and thrive long-term.

Curator's Note

Technical skills may open doors, but long-term growth is shaped by the human skills that sustain careers. Drawing from her journey across engineering, HR, academia, and behavioural training, Sukanya highlights four foundational strengths students need today—emotional intelligence, time management, initiative, and problem-solving. A practical reminder that confidence and clarity at work are built beyond the resume.

About Author