Softskills Development for the University Students

   THE SOFSKILL DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE THE QUALIFIED LEADERSHIP THAT ACCORD WITH THE NATION IDENTITY.

1. INTRODUCTION

Talking about university students always become our attention. The students dynamic will always be changeable for time to time. University students have good spirit to get involve for the government development. And it has been proven for every government’s cases, it will be the university students there. The university students are also willing to be involved for the humanity matter, they care about the human right disorder and fight for it. But sometimes they take the wrong way to solve the problems that they are facing of.

University students are usually between seventeen to twenty four years old, so they are called youth. They are easy to be influenced weather the good or bad things. And on this age, they need to be controlled and given the right guidance to find their identity, because of they are too sensitive of the development of the globalization era. This era sometimes has bad influences for them. They can find the drug dealer easily, they adopt the free sex culture and the worst is that they are able to do the criminal if they are not in a good guidance. That because they are so emotional and unstable.

In the other hands, the globalization era has challenged them to be very flexible, competitive, and smart. It is possible for them to make a relationship to people among the world which have a very different culture. It can be seen since they were in the university, there will be so many chances to go abroad as the students exchange. It accord with the government purpose and effort as the acceleration of the Indonesian university to be the international standard. So, they have to hold a perspective point of view on multicultural relationship to avoid the cultural shock between them.

For that reason, it is very important for university students to develop their soft skills besides the hard skills. With the soft skill they can find the foundation of their identity to develop their leadership character. Soft skills can be the controller and guidance for them. Because when learning soft skills they learn the edification, communication ability, integrity, team working ability, interpersonal ability, ethics, motivation, adaptation ability, analytic power, computer ability, organizing ability, detail orientation, leadership, self confidence, hospitality, politeness, to be wise, creativity, sense of humor, and entrepreneurship. Having those criteria of soft skills, the university students will be able to control their emotional manner. They can spend their time into the useful activities and they have positive point of view for everything. It means that they won’t waste their time to do some useless things. It will build a constructive mind for them.

Soft skills are also prepared for the university students to own good mentality and personality to face the real work challenge and they are demanded to have good relationship with the colleague. The migration or the changes from the adolescent into adult is considered as the sensitive moment. The education model and their milieu that they receive when they were in university will take main part to form their personality and mentality. So, that is why soft skills have to be an important role for that.

It has been proven that people who can stay on the competitive situation with the healthy mind and manner is the person who has good personality and mentality or good soft skills. They have very big responsibility of their selves, their family, their job, their friends surrounding them, their religion and even their country. They are very suitable to be a leader.

For the reasons that described above, the writer wants to find some solutions as the media for the university students to state and realize their bright ideas on the safe and right way. It has been known that university students are the nation pillar. So, that is way it is necessary for them to prepare them selves to have good personality and mentality so they can develop the better nation. And the soft skills development is the answer. University should take role and to be the facilitator for their soft skills development. Not only on the formal education but also the informal one. There are many informal ways to conduct the soft skills education, such as: the soft skills training, seminar, social movements, inter- university students discussion, student organizations. These kinds of activities are the media to improve and applicate soft skills to the real movements, They will be engaged psychologically and emotionally. It makes them think positively and begin to control their manner. They will give a big appreciation for the people surround them, they are easy to receive the different among people and have a good problem solving. So, when they become a leader, they will be wise person and as the good decision maker.

2. DISCUSSION OF THE STUDY

In this chapter, the writer wants to discuss widely for the soft skills orientation, obstacles which is seen from many point of views, and the way to solve them. And the importance of soft skills development for the university students to achieve the qualified leadership that accord with the nation identity.

a. Soft Skills orientation

Soft skills is oriented for youth especially university students to prepare them selves into the real competition. Effective communication and interpersonal skills are crucial to increase employment opportunities and to compete successfully in the business environment. The real key to the effectiveness of professionals is their ability to put their domain knowledge into effective practice. In this context, soft skills have a crucial role to play. If future managers know how to deal with people at the emotional level (peers, subordinates, superiors, clients, suppliers, etc.) through Emotional Intelligence (EI), they can build and sustain effective relationships that will result in mutual gain. Soft skills provide students with a strong conceptual and practical framework to build a mutual personality, develop and manage teams. They play an important role in the development of the students’ overall personality, thereby enhancing their career prospects. It can be developed by conducting the soft skills training. The soft skills training provides strong practical orientation to the students and helps them in building and improving their skills in communication, the effective use of English, business correspondence, presentations, team building, leadership, time management, group discussions, interviews, and inter-personal skills. This training also helps students in career visioning and planning, effective resume writing and dealing with placement consultants and headhunters. The training is conducted in a very informal, interesting, and interactive manner, which gives ample scope for the students to interact with each other and face a wide variety of issues, topics, and situations that they are likely to come across as entry-level managers.

b. The soft skills obstacles.

Every matter there always the obstacles, and so is the soft skills. The soft skills obstacles can be seen from the following explanation. Soft skills have taken a much higher profile in recent decades, especially since emotional intelligence has been shown to be a key indicator for identifying top performers. Yet some personality types still have a tough time grasping the value of soft skills, let alone the skills themselves. The workplace continues to see authoritative bosses rising into senior management positions, relying on intimidation to get short-term results instead of building solid organizations with the help of good interpersonal skills. For example, one senior manager gets great results, but his command and control approach pushes and manipulates people. A quick look at the bottom line for his team is impressive, but when considering other factors, such as turnover and average levels of productivity, his numbers start to lose their glamour.

Some people use intimidation to climb the corporate ladder, but what they don't realize is that such results are not long-lasting. Intimidated people are more obedient than engaged, which creates a wonderful ego stroke for the manager, but no compelling drive toward unity or internal strength for the company. It also happens in the students inter personal relationship to conduct the team work on organizations. So, what are the Soft skills obstacles? Talking about behavioral analysis, It is known that people demonstrating personality traits are the least likely to see the value of interpersonal skills. And the manner that usually become the soft skills obstacles are as follows:

1. Pushing partners or colleagues to get things done quickly.

2. Getting angry with people over insignificant events.

3. Openly criticizing others about mistakes.

4. Being combative or contradictory, always needing to win.

5. Displaying a "short fuse" or being impatient.

As the discussion before, these intimidating traits can push people to produce. But, as the point out people who motivate by fear must use increasing amounts of it to maintain or increase their production numbers. When that happens, something eventually breaks. So, be it the manager, or the team.

For people addicted to above type behaviors, learning about emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills can be difficult. After all, changing behaviors involves changing techniques that have always brought results. Therefore, they see no compelling reason to change - and are often terrified of doing so. Although their hubris would never allow them to admit such fears.

As a result, they refuse to consider a better approach than the one they have been using. The bottom line: Good is the enemy of best. You may get good results with the illustrated behavior above, but you can get better results by improving your soft skills. You will probably need to face and work through some fears, but the results are worth it.

c. The soft skills obstacles solving.

After learning the soft skills obstacles, the writer try to discuss the way to solve them. The most affective ways are as follows:

1. Have The “winner” Attitude.

We have all heard that it is better to see the glass half full instead of half empty. And in the workplace or team, that type of positive thinking can go a long way. An overall positive outlook leads to an overall positive attitude, and that can be a valuable asset in work environments that typically breed cynicism and negativity. The key to having a winning attitude is in how you tackle obstacles and challenges that come your way. For example, instead of complaining about a stressful workload, think about it as an opportunity to show off your abilities by getting through it productively and efficiently.

2. Be a Team Player

Leaders love the partner who displays the ability to work well in groups and teams. Being a team player means not only being cooperative, but also displaying strong leadership ability when it is appropriate. The next time a conflict arises within the team, take the initiative to mediate. When you find your team getting stuck in a project, take the lead to move things forward. And what if you don't normally work with a team? Try to be more collaborative in the work you do and build professional relationships with your coworkers.

3. Communicate actively

Good communication skills are essential to someone's performance. Communication is what allows you to build bridges with other people, persuade others to adopt your ideas and express your needs. Many small things you already do things you probably don't even think about have a big impact on your communication skills. Here are some things you should be wary of when communicating with others:

a) Make good eye contact

b) Don't fidget

c) Avoid body movements that cut you off from others, like folding your arms

d) Don't talk for the sake of talking; always have a point

e) Enunciate your words properly

f) Hone your grammar skills with a good reference or style manual

In general, you should become more aware of both the verbal and nonverbal cues you give off to others. Also remember that one of the keys to being a good communicator is being a good listener.

4. Exude Confidence

In almost every situation where you are trying to impress another person, confidence is the key. While it is important to accept your limitations and act humble when you receive praise, it is also important to acknowledge your strengths and embrace them. Make sure you have the knowledge and skills to back up your confidence. If you act confident in some of your job responsibilities, like your written communication, project management skills or leadership abilities, make sure that it is based on genuine, positive reinforcement.

5. Hone Your Creative Skills

Creativity and imaginative thinking is valued in any team work. Even the most technical positions require the ability to think outside the box. So never underestimate the power of innovative problem solving.

The next time you are handed a tedious task, try to tackle it in a way that allows you to complete it more efficiently. When a problem comes along that others are reluctant to take on, jump at the opportunity to find a creative solution. If it doesn't work, then at least you will have tried.

6. Accept and Learn From Criticism

This is one of the most challenging soft skills, which is why it is typically one of the most impressive to leaders. Your ability to handle criticism says a lot about your willingness to improve. And being able to criticize the work of others constructively is just as important. Be aware of how defensive you get in reaction to negative feedback. Never reject a piece of constructive criticism completely without acknowledging that at least part of it is helpful. And when you dish out criticism, make sure it is done diplomatically. Try to anticipate how the person you are criticizing will react based on his personality, and shape the way you criticize him accordingly.

7. Motivate Yourself and Lead Others

It is important for a leader to know that you are a self-starter who takes initiative. This means constantly seeking out new ways to keep your job interesting and motivational, even if it at the surface it seems repetitive and mundane. Creativity plays a big role in this, but there is more to motivation than just that. Have the courage to pursue those ideas you have had stuck in the back of your mind, and have the dedication to follow through with them and be successful. Pilot others in the same direction to work towards a common goal. Remember that a good leader leads by example.

8. Multitask and Prioritize Your To-Do List

In today's workplace, a good employee is expected to be able to shuffle several different assignments and projects at once. Are you good at tracking the progress of different projects you've been handed to work on? Do you know how to prioritize what's most important? These are the keys to being a good multitasked. Don't be afraid to take on new tasks. Show off your multitasking skills by taking on projects that fall all over the spectrum. Branch out beyond your direct responsibilities, and be sure to report on the progress of projects regularly.

9. See the Big Picture

Looking at the larger picture in your work means being able to see the determining factors of success. It also means recognizing a risk that is worth taking, and knowing when to take it. For example, that you are in advertising and you are handed the task of creating a campaign for a brand of soap. To see the big picture, you should recognize that the goal is not just to sell soap, but also to satisfy the client and provide him with a quality service. Additionally, you make yourself more valuable to your company by showing the unique creativity only you can bring to such a project.

d. The Importance of the Soft Skills Development for the university students

The implementation of the soft skills development for the university students is needed to reconcile personal goals with those of the group. And this is very important for leader to succeed in getting people to follow you. And that requires an awareness of and focus on those you are leading. A commitment to build their trust and delivering the vision that inspire their enthusiasm. Leaders need to know how to empower people and get everyone from the top on down aligned in the same strategic direction. This is rarely accomplished through simple charisma but rather through persuasion and incentives. In another words a leader is someone who has a vision and is able to communicate it.

Soft skills as the tools for qualified leadership are needed to be applied for university students, so they can be good leaders that accord with the nation identity. As we can see from the explanation above, with a good soft skills, someone is able to lead well the teams or company.

3. CONCLUSION

To live to the challenge of globalization which is in line with the era of information economy, the strength of a nation is strongly dependent on the ability of its citizen to be highly intellectual and skillful. The development of human capital is thus important and necessary since it drives the nation to the envision vision and mission. Without a quality human capital, a nation will be weak as there is no human factor that is capable to embark on new initiatives and perspectives. A quality human capital comes from a quality education process. A carefully designed and well planned education system is critical to developing such human capital. Thus, institution of higher learning plays a very important role to produce a human capital that is highly knowledgeable and skillful to meet the demand and expectations of many people. The teaching and learning processes in institutions of higher learning should be capable to provide such knowledge and skills to future graduates. Soft skills can be said to incorporate all aspects of generic skills that include the cognitive elements associated with non-academic skills. Soft skills are identified to be the most critical skills in the current global job market especially in a fast moved era of technology. The reorientation of education which is one trust of education for sustainability also relates the importance of these so-called soft skills.

Vast research and expert opinions have been sought in the effort to determine the specific soft skills to be implemented and used in higher institutions of learning. Based on the research findings obtained, seven soft skills have been identified and chosen to be implemented in all institutions of higher learning here. They are: Communicative skills, thinking skills and problem solving skills, team work force, life-long learning and information management, entrepreneur skill, ethics, moral and professionalism, and leadership skills. And soft skills development is very important effort for the university students to achieve the qualified leadership that accord with the nation identity.