Best Answer
When I think about what I have learned in my professional skills course, I think of those things that my parents would have called “soft skills.” To me, they are the factors that make the difference between someone looking good on a resume and someone doing well in an interview and on the job. They include several factors that relate to how well a person can work in a team, as well as factors that demonstrate someone’s ability to manage time.
Time management is probably the most important skill I have learned from this course. I never had a significant time management problem, but in this course I learned a new perspective on what it means to be late. If I am even a few minute late to a meeting, I have taken those minutes from everyone present at the meeting. If this makes them run late the rest of the day, the effect gets amplified. This can easily result in hours of wasted productivity each day, even in a small-to-medium sized company. These kinds of seemingly insignificant issues with time management can lead to missed deadlines, forced overtime, and other issues that cost the company time and money.
Teamwork is another important aspect I am taking away from this course. Prior to this course, I thought of teamwork as actively working with others on a specific project. Now, I take a much more holistic view of the concept. Speaking honestly and with integrity to coworkers, clients, and managers helps improve how the team functions. Getting help when I need it helps the team work. Honoring the work commitments that I make, and, when something occurs that makes that impossible communicating that to all stakeholders clearly and in a timely manner helps contribute to the overall function of the team.
