LIFE & STUDY

SKILLS AT
WORLD OF
WORK-
LSS1003- Life & Study Skills
By Anamika Vajpeyi Misra, SHCT
Course CLO 4- Recognize the importance of time

Learning management, team work and effective study skills

including basic research literacy and critical thinking.

outcomes
covered CLO 5- Recognize the importance of being a
productive member of society both at work and in the
broader community.
What are the
expectations
of Emirati
Graduates
from the Job
Market
The reality. According to Bayt.coms Middle East and
North Africa Job Index survey, released in
July 2014, which measured the answers of
1,586 fresh graduates in the GCC, Levant
and North Africa, 79 per cent of fresh
graduates admit that the biggest
challenge for them is finding a job
UAE
EXPERTS SAY-
Be realistic when looking for your first job and seek out a

graduates' job workplace where you have opportunities to grow.

Youth unemployment in the Middle East is the highest in

expectations the world, more than 25 per cent, and the UAE is not
immune.

must change, To create the 100 million jobs required in the region by 2020,
experts say a concentrated effort is needed by private

experts urge companies and governments to change graduates

expectations and perceptions, and link them to
employers early.
Adapted from: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae- Dr Nabil Ibrahim, chancellor of Abu Dhabi University, said
news/education/uae-graduates-job-expectationsmust-change- students should keep informed about the job market and
experts-urge
research the work environment before taking up any
position.
 Soraya Salti, regional director of the Mena chapter of Injaz Al-Arab, a non-profit organisation that aims to
improve youth employability skills, said There is a huge knowledge gap when it comes to
understanding the labour market, she said. The youth are making the wrong career decisions, perhaps
guided by society or parental pressure. She said the draw towards government jobs needed to be
addressed first. In Middle East countries, between 50 and 92 per cent of the youth look for
government jobs. They are unaware of what the private sector has to offer.
Kathryn Taylor, student experience officer at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, said, An increasing
number of employers are looking for soft skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership and
technical skills, she said, and graduates must note they may have to start at an entry-level post.
STUDENTS SAY-
Mariam Sabha, who graduates this month from Abu Dhabi Universitys college of business administration
said,I know the challenges and keeping that in mind, I think for a fresh graduate a salary between
Dh5,000 and Dh7,000 in a company that promotes team effort is ideal.
Nesrine El Hassan, 20, who will graduate from the textiles and design course at Heriot-Watt this year,
agreed getting a job was not easy particularly in her field, which tends to be very protective.
I have sent my CV to a number of places and will be talking to my career adviser about better ways to
grab attention.
According to a survey 1. Business Management, Commerce and Engineering-
These three qualifications (for graduates or post-graduates)
conducted by the came in at 27 per cent of the most sought-after degrees by

recruitment website
employers, making them highly desirable in the UAE job
market.
Bayt.com in February 2. Administrative qualifications- Administrative
2016, the following qualifications are sought by 18 per cent of the employers.
3. Science - Science graduates or post-graduates were
qualifications were desired by 17 per cent of the hiring respondents, closely
seen as the most following admin qualifications.

desired by the UAE

4. Information Technology- IT professionals, graduates or
post graduates are desired by 15 per cent of the surveyed.
Specific degrees, diplomas and streamlined IT experience
employers. can gain you a job in this sector, if you want it.
5. Hospitality qualifications- The UAE is a country with
many opportunities for qualified professionals in the
hospitality sector and this reflects in the 13 per cent
desirability for specific degrees in this field.
6. Computer science qualifications- A computer science degree opens up a lot of possible roles
such as analysts, developers, system admin, testers and many more. This qualification is sought by
11 per cent of the employers surveyed.
7. Teaching qualifications- Teaching qualification also comes in at 11 per cent desirability. With the
number of schools and variety in syllabi, any teaching qualification can be played up in your favor
once you shortlist your desired schools.
8. Arts degrees- Arts graduates and post graduates come in at the least desired in this survey but
at 9 per cent, this does not mean that there are no chances for great placements if you seek out
firms looking exactly for the qualification you have.
SO what do we Employers are looking for 3 types of skills.

know now?
1. HARD skills or Work content skills involve specific
knowledge and abilities. These are unique to the
occupation/Job, i.e., skills as an Accountant, Teacher,
Graduates Dental Assistant, IT professional and so on.

need to develop
2. SOFT skills focus on attributes and personality traits.
These are self-management skills such as teamwork,

Hard Skills,
communication, attitude, reliability.
3. TRANSFERABLE skills or Portable skills are those

Soft Skills and HARD and SOFT skills that relate to many occupations,
i.e., proficiency with MS Office Suite applications, or the

Transferable ability to manage time using Outlook, etc. You apply

these skills in many different situations. These skills can

Skills
be enhanced, modified and developed further as you
progress in your career. Some skills are more
transferable than others so you need to determine how
your skills relate to each new job opportunity.
(Ngoo, Tiong, Pok, Scientific, & Publishing, n.d.)

You are already learning Hard Skills in your

content courses according to your program so you
need to concentrate on developing soft skills
alongside .
According to 1. Communication skills

the Bayt.com
2. Analytical and research skills
3. Willingness to learn
Middle East Job 4. Flexibility, adaptability and the ability to manage
Index Survey, multiple priorities.

July 2014, here 5. Interpersonal skills.

are the top 10

6. Leadership skills and a positive attitude
7. Planning and organizing
most sought 8. Multicultural awareness
after soft skills 9. Problem solving, creativity and reasoning

by employers in 10. Working well in a team

the Middle East.

 1. Learn to communicate effectively in English & Arabic

How to 2.
3.
Watch Your Body Language.
Make eye contact (http://lifehacker.com/use-the-triangle-
improve 4.
technique-to-make-engaging-eye-contact-1586412923) ;
Adopt a power pose (http://lifehacker.com/5903441/adopt-one-
communication of-these-postures-to-reduce-stress-and-build-confidence)

skills .
5. Learn how to read other peoples body language so that you can
respond easily (http://lifehacker.com/how-to-read-body-
language-more-effectively-1572937449)
6. Get Rid of Unnecessary Conversation Fillers like ummm..;
Yani..; Sah, He; shusma..
Read +Write + 7. Ask Questions and summarise
Speak + Listen+ 8. Use humor effectively
Body Language = 9. Tailor your message to audience

Communication 10. Up your empathy- Practice taking other persons viewpoint

(http://lifehacker.com/why-empathy-is-your-most-important-
skill-and-how-to-pr-1505011685)
11. Learn to LISTEN http://lifehacker.com/how-can-i-improve-my-
listening-skills-1333981305
 Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize your emotions,

How to
understand what they're telling you, and realize how your emotions
affect people around you. It also involves your perception of others:
when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage
develop relationships more effectively.
In his book titled "Emotional Intelligence - Why It Can Matter More
Emotional Than IQ" 1995, Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist,
developed a framework of five elements that define emotional
Intelligence 1.
intelligence:
Self- Awareness- Know, understand and accept yourself.
2. Self-Regulation- Control your emotions and impulses.
3. Motivation- Explore the real reasons behind what youre doing or
want to do.
4. Empathy- Understand, feel for and help others.
5. Learn Social Skills- Learn how to communicate, build & maintain
relationships, work in & for groups , be assertive but compassionate.
 Self Awareness- Find out how emotionally intelligent you are by clicking on
How to this link https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ei-quiz.htm
Introspection- Understand yourself- How do I react to others/situations?
develop How does that impact them and me? Am I always right? Can there be

Emotional
different opinions about the same issue?
Develop Accountability & Internal Locus of Control- Take responsibility of
Intelligence? you actions & decisions. Develop a sense of responsibility. Believe that you
always have a choice!
Learn Gratitude & Forgiveness- Focus of what you have and how wonderful
your life is. Understand you compete only with yourself. Learn to forgive the
mistakes of others and move on because life doesnt wait for anyone!
In fact, emotional intelligencethe ability to, for instance, understand your
effect on others and manage yourself accordinglyaccounts for nearly 90
percent of people getting promotions when IQ and technical skills are
roughly similar ("What Makes a Leader" in the Harvard Business Review,
January 2004).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJhfKYzKc0s
How to
Teamwork is an art of working together to meet a common
goal, managing change, dealing with conflict and how to reach
our potential. The needs of the team are best met when we

develop intergrade the needs of individuals with that of group.

Stages in Team development-

Leadership Stage 1:Forming: This is the initial phase when the team first gets
together. It is usually a stressful period, as team members do not

skills by necessarily know each other well and might approach each other
with caution and trepidation. The leaders primary task at this
stage is to give them the best possible start and make them feel at
learning ease.
Stage 2:Storming: This is a tricky phase that usually results

teamwork because rules and roles become somewhat unclear to team

members despite the fact that they have been briefed during the
forming stage. The actual truth is that every team member is now
looking for a way to link the teams goals to his own individual
goals and agenda. The leaders skills are put to test here as the
team is in need of clear direction and support.
Stage 3:Norming: This is the acceptance phase: goals are now comprehended, responsibilities are
clarified and relationships have solidified. The leaders role at this stage is to ensure the smooth continuity
of the process and the avoidance of any potential challenges.
Stage 4:Performing: This is the concentration phase: team members have set their minds to work
towards team goals in order to reap the benefits of getting there. They can now identify their strong and
their weak points and can focus on developing themselves. All members who have made it to this stage
will witness the birth of team loyalty. The leaders role at this stage is to grant team members the
opportunity to become self-directive while he focuses on the next step forward.
What is Leadership?
According to the idea of transformational leadership , an effective leader is a person who does the
following:
1. Creates an inspiring vision of the future.
2. Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision.
3. Manages delivery of the vision.
4. Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision
 1. Learn to work in teams.

What can 2. Learn accountability and responsibility

you do at
3. Develop a sense of ownership for your team, college
and country.

college to 4.
5.
Join and start student clubs.
Organize and Participate in college events and

develop competitions.

Leadership
6. Do voluntary work and community service
7. Learn new skills

skills 8.
9.
Develop clear SMART goals for your future.
Create an efficient network
10. Create positive self- image
 HCT Graduate Outcomes:-

How does
HCT prepare
1. Communication and Information Literacy

its graduates 2. Critical and Creative Thinking

for the world 3. Global Awareness and Citizenship

of work 4. Technological Literacy

5. Self-Management and Independent Learning

6. Teamwork and Leadership

7. Vocational Competencies

8. Mathematical Literacy
References Russo, K. (2015, October 22). Hard skills vs. Soft skills: What they mean to your job
search and the weight they carry with HR. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristi-russo/hard-skills-vs-soft-skill_b_8341566.html
Ngoo, Y. T., Tiong, K. M., Pok, W. F., Scientific, & Publishing, A. (n.d.). Bridging the gap
of perceived skills between employers and accounting graduates in
Malaysia. American Journal of Economics, 5(2), 10498. Retrieved from
http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.c.economics.201501.09.html
Pinola, M. (2014, June 14). Top 10 ways to improve your communication skills.
Retrieved November 15, 2016, from http://lifehacker.com/top-10-ways-to-improve-
your-communication-skills-1590488550
Retrieved November 15, 2016, from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm
Goleman, D. Emotional intelligence. Retrieved November 15, 2016, from
http://www.danielgoleman.info/topics/emotional-intelligence/