1 To your mind, what the text is about according to the title? Scan the text to check your ideas.

2 Read the text and find the answers to the following questions:

• What do the terms of hard skills and soft skills mean?

• Which type of skills is more important to your mind?

The rules for succeeding in business are changing daily. Yet people are still asking for the magic formula that contributes to a successful organization. May be, self-development is the key. Actually, there are two types of development: hard skills and soft skills. The hard skills contain anything that is factual. For example, two plus two is four. Once a person learns this fact they do not need to continue studying or developing to know the fact better. The hard skills category might include such areas as science, financial reporting, procedures in a company, etc. It is essential that people have the hard skills to do their job.

But what keeps people from getting where they want to go at work? It’s rarely the lack in theoretical knowledge that limits them, but rather bad self-management abilities. More and more corporations around the world recognize that, in order to gain a competitive advantage, they also need to make sure their people know how to handle themselves at work and how to relate with their customers and managers.

What we find is that there is an additional level - the level of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Unfortunately, most schools don't teach you how to cultivate your soft skills. We live in a society that measures intelligence through quantifiable metrics. A professor will give you good grades once you know XYZ, but he or she will not increase your grade for being able to deal with a difficult situation, showing compassion, or solving an unexpected problem. It has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills are more important over the long term than hard skills. The legal profession is one example where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely can determine the professional success of a lawyer more than his or her technical skills.

3 a There are such soft skill families often possessed by professionals and management level personnel as COMMUNICATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, SUPERVISION & MANAGEMENT&PLANNING, INNOVATION&CREATIVITY.

Match the specific skills to each family and underline the ones that reflect your abilities.

a Public speaking, meeting participation, negotiation skills, interviewing, training, teaching, writing letters/speeches/reports, making up manuals, writing articles for periodicals, ability to listen patiently.

b Setting standards and criteria, professional judgment, control, leadership, decision-making, planning, recruiting, discipline, organizing, coordination, team building, administration, ability to examine the actual state of things critically.

c Invention of methods/designs, professional curiosity, inventiveness, good abstract thinking, good imagination, ability to break the accepted rules and conventions.

d Problem identification, problem analysis, problem resolution, conflict resolution.

b How do you think is it possible to obtain or develop these qualities?

4 Work in pairs. Choose 6 qualities that are the most important in your opinion. Range them according to the degree of importance. Explain your choice to the rest of the group.

5 According to psychologist John Holland there are six types of personalities. For each type there are special soft skills and jobs that might be right. Read the information and find out which personality type you are.

The Realistic type is practical and likes working with machines and tools.

The Investigative type is curious and likes to learn, analyze situations and solve problems.

The Artistic type is imaginative and likes to express himself/herself by creating art.

The Social type is friendly and likes helping or training other people.

The Enterprising type is outgoing and likes to persuade and lead other people.

The Conventional type is careful and likes to follow routines and keep track of details.

6 Find the job that is the odd man out.

The Realistic type reporter, carpenter, factory worker.

The Investigative type detective, model, psychologist, researcher.

The Artistic type actor, computer programmer, photographer, writer.

The Social type doctor, nurse, writer, teacher.

The Enterprising type painter, manager, politician, businessman.  

The Conventional type accountant, bookkeeper, inventor, secretary.

7 Add at least 2 examples of soft skills and professions to each type.

Have you chosen the right profession? Give reasons.

Reading&Speaking