From creativity to collaboration, in this blog, we explore how our Business and Management courses will equip you with the soft skills you need to supercharge your CV.
The workplace is changing. It’s more demanding, more complex and more collaborative than ever before. As such, leaders don’t just need to have the technical knowhow and business acumen to drive change, but also bring the interpersonal talents and soft skills — like creativity, clear decision making and strong communication — to their organisations to help grow their competitive advantage. The facts speak for themselves: according to a recent LinkedIn survey of 2,000 business leaders, 57 percent of respondents said that soft skills are more important than hard skills when it comes to recruitment.
Our suite of distance learning Business and Management courses — which includes our Business and Management BA (Hons), BA (Hons) Top Up and Masters degree — have all been designed to give you both the hard business skills and the soft interpersonal skills you need to make your CV shine. Take a look at three of the soft skills that are most asked for by global businesses, and learn more about how our courses will help you to take your place among the next generation of business leaders.
1) Creativity
It’s perhaps no surprise that creativity comes top of LinkedIn’s 2020 list of the top five most in-demand soft skills. The ability to generate original solutions is an incredibly valuable skill in every business person, no matter what function they sit within or where in the world their organisation operates. Sarah Tierney, a digital storyteller at Microsoft UK, agrees. “Creativity can separate successful organisations from the rest,” she says. With McKinsey research suggesting that creative organisations outperform others in both innovation and financial performance, it’s no wonder that it’s a soft skill that’s at the top of many global recruiters’ wish-lists.
Each of our Business and Management courses is geared towards developing your creative business skills. You’ll be taught by academics with real experience in the field, who will show you first-hand how research can help spark innovation. Your assessments — which could range from project reports to essays — are also designed to help you think creatively about how the theory you learn could be put into practice within your current role. Each course also includes dedicated modules on entrepreneurship, which will teach you the soft skills you need to generate new ideas and the hard skills to turn them into a successful business strategy.
2) Communication and Collaboration
The ability to be able to communicate effectively and work with others seamlessly to achieve a common goal or outcome has been a long-desired skill set on job descriptions. In 2008, Google launched a groundbreaking research effort — “Project Oxygen” — to establish exactly what made a great manager at the firm, a business activity that was later revisited again in 2018. Good communication, defined as the ability to listen and share information, appears in both their 2008 and 2018 list, with strong collaboration making its debut in 2018. In a business world where teams need to collaborate and communicate complex information with other employees and companies across the globe now more than ever before, it’s perhaps no surprise that Googlers are now increasingly relying on their leaders to facilitate partnerships.
No matter which Business and Management pathway you choose, you’ll not only learn how to digest, analyse and explain complex issues clearly, you’ll also be encouraged to share your knowledge and experiences with other students. During each module, you’ll collaborate with your peers during online seminars, on discussion boards, on group chats and beyond.
By the end of your degree, you’ll be able to communicate complex business concepts succinctly and have strong evidence of collaborative working — showing employers you’ve got what it takes to lead.
3) Drive and Self Motivation
In a recent interview, Telsa's chief people officer, Gaby Toledano, commented that the company measures candidates against three traits: being innovative, being driven and being a team player.
Completing an online degree will help demonstrate to hiring managers that you not only have excellent business knowledge, but that you also have the drive and the commitment to meet your goals. Unlike with traditional study routes, online learning requires a unique sense of self-motivation and time management. Although you’ll receive plenty of support along the way from our Student Success Team, it’s ultimately up to you to balance your studies with your existing professional and personal commitments. You’ll learn how to make the most of your time to achieve your goals, demonstrating a strong sense of direction, discipline and a clear vision for your own long-term growth.
Manage Your Future
There are a plethora of other in-demand soft skills you’ll learn along the way over the course of your Business and Management degree, including decision making, critical thinking, problem solving and harnessing a strategic vision.
To learn more about our Business and Management pathways, visit our web pages below:
