By WESLEY CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
Social
When we think of being successful, we think we have to make good grades, go off to college, get a degree, and begin working to get where we want to be in our careers. This is mainly because it’s what we’ve been taught since we were younger. I do believe that receiving a higher education is important, but it’s most certainly not the most important part of being successful.
The key to success falls mainly on social skills. There is no way to get ahead without them. It is great to have several degrees under your belt when you go for a job. For an instant you will look like the perfect candidate, but this is only the case on paper. Your resume will look better than most applying for the position, but without social skills, how do you get from looking like the best candidate on paper to actually getting the job? The answer is that you probably won’t get much further. If you’re called in for an interview and you aren’t able to articulate your thoughts or saellyourself to a potential employer, then that job will go to someone else.
There is a saying that “it’s not always what you know, but who you know.” This quote is perfect when it comes to expressing how important social skills are in many fields. I am a mass communications major, and this industry is one of many that is largely based on social skills. We need them to be able to network and get our foot in the doors of jobs that we want. It’s good to be able to communicate and relate well to others. This is how you make connections that could help get you where you want to be in life.
Lack of social skills could cause a person to miss out on a plethora of great opportunities.
It costs you job opportunities, potential friendships and bonds that we all need in life, and it could send negative messages about you that you are probably not wanting to portray.
Social skills are the driving force to prospering in life. We’ve heard several stories about people succeeding without a college degree, but never any stories about success without social skills.
By ALEXANDRA SMITH
Staff Writer
Academic
College is about learning and getting a degree so that you can get a job.
It is really important to have internships and leadership positions in College so that you can build your resume.
As opposed to generations of the past, high school graduates today are unable to obtain the number of high-paying jobs that were once available.
The U.S. has been transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge, and the importance of a college education today can be compared to that of a high school education forty years ago.
It serves as the gateway to better options and more opportunity.
There are additional reasons as to why it is important to go to college to focus on academics. When students experience a post secondary education, they have the opportunity to read books and listen to the lectures of top experts in their fields.
This stimulation encourages students to think, ask questions and explore new ideas, which allows for additional growth and development and provides college graduates with an edge in the job market over those who have not experienced a higher education.
The importance of an academically based college education is also accentuated because of the opportunity to gain valuable resources during your tenure.
The more connections which are collected during your college career, the more options you will have when you begin your job search.
Once you have ended your job search and have started your career, however, the importance of a college education has not been exhausted.
Having a college degree often provides for greater promotion opportunity. The academic aspect carries a great weight for how you will succeed in the work world. Focusing on academics will allow you to reach your potential.