E-business specialist skills for your resume and career

Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the phrase "soft skills" v. "hard skills," as some might take such phrases to imply that soft skills are not as important or are easier to obtain. That being said, to answer the question, communication and critical-thinking skills are essential to a successful career. Communication skills (both oral and written) are necessary to convey messages. It does not matter how much technical expertise someone has if that person is unable to convey that expertise to others. Critical-thinking skills are important because skilled workers need to know how to think through problems. The answer will not always be readily apparent. And even when it is, workers need to ensure that they can analyze it to ensure that it is trustworthy. Maybe the information found is outdated, doesn't apply to the situation, or is just flat out wrong, and a skilled worker needs to be able to make that determination.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, adaptability is also necessary to be successful. So many jobs have changed (and will continue to change). Many people left their respective industries during the pandemic because they couldn't (or did not want to) adapt to change. Those who can, or at least try, will find more opportunities in the workplace.

Generally, the most valuable hard skills are going to depend on your field. So, it is hard to identify a specific "hard skill" that is most important. The current "buzz words" in business education is data analytics, or the ability to use tools to analyze and present data. Our society is increasingly data-driven. How do people wade through all of this information and provide something useful? Those who can do this well will have the upper hand.

I know that there is a lot of talk about gap years now, but I do not recommend this. Most travel isn't safe, or even possible, and unemployment rates are high, leaving fewer job opportunities. Gap years can lead to students losing the motivation to finish their degrees and lengthening the amount of time it takes to obtain well-paying, satisfying work. I would recommend that students either continue with their degree, if they are in the middle of one, or consider a graduate program. There are many options for students to advance their degrees, depending on their current situation.

For example, the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University has a 4+1 program (where students can earn their Bachelor's degree and MBA in a total of 5 years), online or hybrid MBA programs, and accelerated programs, like 12- a month or 17-month MBAs. There are also certificate programs that are designed to train specific skills in a shorter time frame. By earning an advanced degree or certificate, students will be better able to stand out among the increased job market competition. They will be more likely to pursue a successful career.

To successfully enter the workforce, I believe new graduates will need to have a solid base of technical knowledge, skills, and abilities in their chosen fields such as finance, marketing, supply chain, human resources, etc. Yet they will also need effective "soft skills," such as critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communications, teamwork and collaboration, emotional intelligence, digital technology skills, professionalism, and a solid work ethic. Soft skills are equally as important, if not more important, than technical skills, states Joan Berry Kalamas, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, an H.R. professional with 30 years of business, leadership, and H.R. experience and now serving as a full-time faculty member, teaching H.R. undergraduate and MBA courses at Ashland University.

From experience, I know that most employers will select candidates who possess and demonstrate emotional intelligence, effective oral and written communications, and other "soft skills" over those candidates that possess just the technical skills. Students need to learn about real business practices and challenges and then learn practical, applicable, "real-life" technical and soft skills to deal with various situations that occur in organizations. An "it depends" answer is usually a response that allows students to look at the variables, analyze the facts, and use critical thinking skills to determine the appropriate course of action to take. The goal should be to teach students how to think, not what to think. I feel very fortunate to have been in the business world, as I can help develop in our students the types of skills and abilities employers are seeking from new graduates.

Ms. Berry Kalamas also serves on the Ohio SHRM State Council, an affiliate of The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), an organization of over 300,000 HR and business executive members in 65 countries that is an expert in H.R. practices. A new initiative regarding "Young Professionals" is being introduced from SHRM all across the country as SHRM has identified and understands the energy, passion, and work ethic this new generation of employees bring to organizations, and SHRM is providing guidance to assist that next generation of H.R. leadership.

If you ask me, I consider valuable experience over good paycheck. Once you have gained that experience the paycheck will follow. As soon as you are out of college, the knowledge gained is very fresh and raring to go. If put into the right place can enhance your technical skills and you can do wonders.
As a Computer Engineering professor, I would say the job opportunities are tremendous for students out of college as they can venture into hardware field (technical support, hardware engineer, test engineer and much more) as well as software field (software engineer, software developer, software tester and much more). The possibilities are endless.
With COVID and employees working remotely there is still ample opportunity to enhance your technical and interpersonal skills as I believe remote working might stay for a while till things get back to normal.