While you are in school, you may not think about all the wonderful tools you are acquiring. You may not realize at the time the invaluable skills you are practicing and perfecting just by taking college classes, whether online or on campus.
You may already be employed and working in “the real world”. Or, you may be graduating soon with a certificate or degree and just starting your journey into full-time employment. Whatever your situation, you will be able to apply the knowledge and skills you have been learning in school to your unique situation.
There will be times where you purposefully apply what you have learned and there will be other times where you automatically complete tasks without even realizing you were using a skill you learned in school. Over time, these skills can become second nature.
Your employer will recognize and appreciate your application of skills and knowledge, which could be like those listed below.
Become a Master of Resourcing
While you were in school, you had to seek multiple sources for varying projects or papers. You may have chosen to go to the library, search online, or interview professors or industry leaders to gain the information you needed.
Being able to gather information from a wide range of sources may benefit you in your job. This talent means you can make decisions quickly and follow through effectively until you obtain the knowledge you need.
Work Well Within a Group
Group projects are a common staple among college teachers, using it to teach team building, decision making, and even conflict resolution. These are tools that are essential in succeeding in the workplace.
If you cannot get along with co-workers or complete tasks as a united group, you will be less likely to reach your potential in your job. Employers expect employees to have teambuilding skills upon hiring. Luckily, these can be learned while you are in college and applied later.
Manage and Prioritize Tasks
Your time is limited, both in school and at work. You must make the most of the time you do have. Meaning, you must be organized and structured when it comes to planning. Having time management skills shows your employer you know how to prioritize the important and less important duties.
It also shows them you can adapt to different work scenarios and be productive in each job your given.
Communicate Well with Others
Communication includes both speaking and listening skills. You must be able to do both and do them well. Communication in school can mean giving a presentation to your classmates to preparing videos, papers or emails. You will learn how to do all these well while attending college.
Once you graduate, you will likely begin using these same skills on the job site. Your employer may require you to do public speaking. They may want you to know how to send and receive emails. They may have monthly meetings where you are teaching your co-workers a specific topic. They may even have you communicate through video conferencing.
The communication skills you learned in school will help you when in teams, working in groups, at work.
Meet Deadlines
In college, you have numerous deadlines in every class you take. From research papers, exams and quizzes. You must enroll by a deadline, withdraw by a deadline, and submit your work by a deadline.
Meeting deadlines only increases in the workplace. You will be given many tasks that require completion within a certain amount of time, usually given to you by your boss or supervisor.
Because you will already understand why deadlines are important and how to organize your work to meet a deadline, you will be able to work more efficiently, helping everyone in your department or office.
Motivate Yourself to Complete Projects
In college, there is no one hovering over you, pushing you to finish projects. You are given the assignment and it is up to you to get it done. If you don’t get it done, you receive a failing grade. For most of you, this is motivation enough to help you do the work as assigned and on time.
In the workplace, being a self-motivator is a great trait to possess. Your employer will not have the time to double check your progress or send you encouraging or not so encouraging reminders. Applying the skills of working independently to complete projects will benefit both you and the company.
Commitment and Loyalty
Completing college requires commitment. You set a goal, take steps towards that goal, and succeed. It is this same type of commitment you can take with you into the workplace. Employers want to hire people who plan to stay with their company for a long time. They want you to think long-term rather than your job being a stepping stone to a different work environment.
Showing commitment and loyalty helps your employer feel reassured that you are a team player, that the company is a priority for you, and that you are not just working for a paycheck.
Don’t Give Up
Throughout school you will face challenges. Some you will overcome, some you will fail. What you do after both winning and failing show what type of person you are. You can win and lose in a positive way. You can quit after you win, you can quit after you lose. Neither of these will make you a success in the workplace.
What you learned in college, however, is to never give up. You may have failed in the classroom, in work study, in practicums or even in social groups in your class. But you didn’t give up.
This grit within you, the fight that keeps you searching for success, is what employers want in an employee. This is a desire to not stop, no matter what life throws at you.
It is this quality that makes it easy for you to apply what you have learned in school in the workplace.
