In the contemporary world of employment, the requirements extend beyond possessing expertise in a specific field, proficiency in the English language, and computer skills. Individual personality traits and interpersonal skills are increasingly becoming the keys to success in various business domains. Recognizing their significance, professional and assertive communication, organizational skills, time and stress management, conflict resolution, leadership qualities, teamwork, and other so-called “soft skills” have become crucial factors in job acquisition. Hence, the YourJob project offers young participants the opportunity to attend various free training sessions for the development of these essential “soft skills.”
Recently, two workshops were held in Zrenjanin, sparking significant interest among the youth – one focused on professional communication and the other on teamwork. The workshops were conducted by seasoned experts in these fields, with support from YourJob’s career advisor.
These interactive training sessions encouraged participants to self-assess their abilities, identify areas for improvement, and provided tools for enhancement. The general impression among participants was that, prior to the workshops, they were unaware of the importance and practical applicability of “soft skills,” as evidenced by their comments post-training.
“I didn’t realize how crucial ‘soft skills’ are. Honestly, I thought it was just a fancy trend. Now I’m aware that soft skills are a necessity in today’s world. I was living under the misconception that professional communication mostly pertains to written correspondence. I’m genuinely shocked at how the techniques I learned today instantly improved my communication and public speaking skills. I’ll definitely continue with more training! I’d love to attend sessions on Time Management and Active Listening; that has intrigued me,” said Ana after the professional communication and public speaking workshop.
“The teamwork workshop opened my eyes. I considered myself a team player, but I wasn’t aware of my shortcomings in that regard. Today, I recognized and became aware of the causes behind some of my failures and conflicts in my personal life… Now I feel much more prepared to face the challenges that teamwork brings,” expressed Mihailo after completing the workshop.
The development of soft skills is not just a trend, as Ana initially thought, but a necessity. Through training in professional communication and teamwork, young individuals gain not only knowledge but also self-confidence and the ability to confront the various challenges of the modern business environment. Simply put, through soft skills training, young people work on comprehensive personal development. These two conducted workshops are the first in a series of numerous sessions planned to empower youth from Zrenjanin, Niš, Šid, Irig, and Aleksinac, enhancing their competitiveness in the job market. The YourJob project builds bridges between the talents of young individuals and the demands of the contemporary job market, leaving a lasting impact not only on individuals but also on society as a whole.
