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What are professional skills & why are they important?

Skills Based Hiring

A shift is underway in the job market: employers are increasingly prioritizing skills over traditional qualifications like educational background or extensive job history. This approach, known as skills-based hiring, focuses on the demonstrable skills, knowledge, and abilities you possess, regardless of how or where you acquired them (DOL). These skills are also referred to as either soft skills, employability skills, or career-readiness competencies. To thrive in today’s dynamic professional landscape, college graduates need more than just academic knowledge; they need a specific set of highly valued abilities.

In their Job Outlook 2025, the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) showed that two-thirds (64.8%) of employers they covered reported that they use skills-based hiring practices for new entry-level hires. This underscores the vital need to develop strong skills for the job search.

College is the ideal environment to cultivate these skills. You’ll gain:

  • Job-Specific (Hard) Skills: The technical abilities relevant to your chosen career.
  • Stand-Out Soft Skills: Qualities like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication that make a big difference in applications.

Watch this video that differentiates your soft-skills and job-specific skills.

NACE Competencies

The National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) identifies eight Career Readiness Competencies, which are the critical soft skills employers seek. While often referred to as “soft skills,” NACE uses “competencies” to emphasize that these are broader – they are measurable and developable abilities. The Magner Career Center has developed comprehensive resources to help you understand and develop these competencies/skills employers are looking for. We strongly encourage you to read this page in full and explore the other pages we link to for a complete understanding. Our guidance is based on the Career Readiness Competencies from NACE.

Where & how should I begin?

The eight competencies introduced in the previous section can appear daunting. Like any new talent, you should begin slowly and intentionally. Start with just a few things to focus on and build out from there. Some relevant and crucial skills you can begin with are Communication, Professionalism, and Technology. 

  • You can work on your communication skills in class by participating (raising your hand, doing extra credit, visiting your professor during office hours). Or you can join groups like Smooth Talkers or Toast Masters to get help public speaking.
  • Learning to present yourself positively and professionally is important for giving good first impressions. You can review this page to learn more tips on your business etiquette and professional communication. You can employ these skills when you have meetings with your professors, or if you go to networking events. 

How else can I develop skills?

There are many ways you can work on your skills – these can be in the form of micro credentials or in your classes. Here are some additional resources: 

Other BC Knowledge Pages with Skill Development Resources

All skill development webpages on BC Knowledge.

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