How to build ‘soft’ employment skills? Randolph professor and career development director weigh in

Launching a career requires more than the skills and knowledge necessary for getting a job done. Employers increasingly are looking for people with “soft skills” that might not, at first thought, relate directly to a person’s on-the-job duties.

Two online articles recently raised this point. One explained that employers are struggling to find workers who can answer the phone professionally or who have good interpersonal skills. Another explained why one CEO refuses to hire people who cannot use correct spelling and grammar.

Krista Leighton, director of career development, meets with students
to help them assess and improve their preparation for careers.

Krista Leighton, director of career development at Randolph College, explained that those skills and attributes are crucial because of the message they send about employees and the employers they represent. “One person who does not adhere to being professional in every way can affect many people in the organization,” she said.

For example, a bad experience with a phone call—an unprofessional greeting or an incorrect call transfer—could sour a customer’s experience with a company, Leighton said.

Bunny Goodjohn, a Randolph English professor and director of tutoring services, added that grammar and spelling help ensure clear and effective communication.

Bunny Goodjohn, an English professor, recommends
reading well-written material to improve writing skills.

“We live in a world of mindless writing—hasty e-mails, two-thumb texts, a scribbled post-it note here and there,” Goodjohn said. However, “I am seeing a groundswell of support for good writing among employers in a host of different professions from sales to marketing, from human resources to engineering.”

Here are some tips Goodjohn and Leighton pointed out for developing the kinds of skills and attributes that will, in combination with an excellent education, help people get jobs after college.

Goodjohn recommends that the best way to develop more professional writing skills requires reading good material. “My advice to students would be that they read something decent with a group of friends and then talk about it. It doesn’t have to be something heavy—they just have to engage with the words,” she said.

Well-written magazines such as Sports Illustrated are a good start, she added.

Randolph’s Writing Across the Curriculum program helps students develop these skills by incorporating expectations for good writing in every course, not just English classes, she said.

Leighton said students should find a mentor who can honestly assess their career development. In addition to professors and former employers, students can find this type of mentoring in Randolph’s Experiential Learning Center. There, Leighton and other staff members can help students assess their career interests, explore internship opportunities, and engage in other career preparation activities.

Leighton pointed out that students can, and should, take advantage of those services as early as their first year in college. “The earlier a college student works on this process, the more satisfied and successful they will be in their career preparation.”

TV station internship opens door to job for Randolph student

A summer internship has turned into a full-time job for one Randolph College senior.

Ryan Blackwell '13 adjusts settings on a camera during a news broadcast. He
joined WSET as an intern and then was hired as a full-time production assistant.

A few weeks into his internship,  Ryan Blackwell ’13, a communication studies major, became a production assistant at WSET, an award-winning ABC-affiliated television station near the College, He helps produce three WSET newscasts each day, creating on-screen graphics, controlling sound levels, and operating a live camera.

He signed up for the internship, and then applied for the job, to help him prepare for a career in broadcasting. “It’s mostly about gaining experience during my schooling,” he said. While his classes are preparing him intellectually, he believes “some practical experiences are going to be equally helpful.”

Blackwell’s entrance into the television news world originated from his interest in radio. Growing up in the Washington, D.C., area, he was fascinated with the numerous local talk radio shows. He believes local radio is an important part of a thriving community. “Audio always has resonated with me as an interesting medium, and is one of the most versatile ways for disseminating information and telling a story,” he said.

Ryan Blackwell '13 gives a cue to a news anchor.

When he visited Randolph College for a scholarship  interview, he learned about the student-run radio station WWRM. The station allows students to produce their own shows, and Blackwell launched his own as a first-year. He served as station manager for the WWRM for the past two years.

While exploring radio station internships with the help of Randolph’s Experiential Learning Center, Blackwell learned of the WSET position. Krista Leighton, the career development director, encouraged him to consider the WSET internship because it would offer important hands-on experience.

The internship allowed Blackwell to cultivate technical skills such as graphics editing and audio production. He also learned how to collaborate with others to produce a show with a firm deadline. “Working at WSET has really given me a taste of what it’s like to work on a real production team that has to work through issues real-time,” he said.

The experience also has given Blackwell a new perspective on his academic pursuits. Communication studies majors usually examine media from the perspective of consumers, he said. “Being on the production side, inside the newsroom, and seeing what these reporters actually go thru to create a news product for the masses, has really opened up my eyes.”

While interning, Blackwell heard that the station needed a full-time production assistant, so he applied and earned the job. He hopes to continue on a part-time basis during his senior year.

Blackwell said more students should consider fulfilling internships while in college. “You’re definitely going to have to put a lot of time into it, especially when you’re finding and applying for them,” he said. “I would suggest that you go ahead and tough it out. It will bring you new opportunities and great experience for whatever you want to do.”