Table of Contents
-The Importance of Soft Skills: The Key to Standing out in your Career
-Navigating Career Paths: Insight from Carter Collins, Director of Communications at the University of Minnesota Alumni Center
-DRIVING CHANGE: THE PATH OF A NIL COLLECTIVE VP IS UNVEILED
The Importance of Soft Skills: The Key to Standing out in your Career
Posted: Feb. 12, 2025
By: Gabby Roman
What's in this blog?
-What are soft skills?
-Why are soft skills critical?
-My personal experience with soft skills?
-Leadership as a figure skating coach
-Adaptability as a military kid
- Work-life Balance at a Boarding School High-School
In today's job market, hard skills and degrees are often prioritized over soft skills. However, what truly distinguishes a candidate is their soft skills. Employers look for individuals with the technical abilities to perform the job, collaborate effectively within a team, and contribute positively to the work environment.
As a college student and young professional, I want to explore my resume and share my personal experiences utilizing my soft skills and how they helped me secure my job. Everyone's experiences are unique, including my own as a military kid, figure skating coach, and boarding school student. I believe I can illustrate how everyone can leverage their experiences and soft skills in their following job interview.
What are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are abilities that won't be assessed in a formal test but can significantly influence your career success. These non-technical skills impact various aspects, such as interactions, communication, and teamwork. Employers often look for qualities like leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability when reviewing your resume. Below is a long list of soft skills you can add to your resume.
- Organization
The ability to efficiently and strategically approach a task in an orderly fashion.
- Leadership
Ability to lead a group or team of people: Leadership styles vary and can be leveraged for the job that you are applying to.
- Adaptability
The ability to adjust to change, especially in an ever-changing environment.
- Problem-Solving
Ability to find a solution to a problem or work with others to find a solution, especially in a high-stress situation.
- Teamwork
The ability to work effectively and efficiently with a group of people.
- Creativity
Having the capacity to invent new concepts and bring them to fruition with unique approaches.
- Time-management
The ability to efficiently and productively complete tasks within a time limit.
- Critical thinking
Approaching a task differently and being able to conceptualize and evaluate information beyond a surface-level approach.
- Conflict resolution
Resolving disagreements in a civil approach and finding compromises for both or all parties.
Why are Soft Skills Important?
Although a striking 93% of employers regard soft skills as either "very important" or "essential" to workplace success, many still prioritize hard skills during the hiring process (Wonderlic). This tendency can often obscure the potential of candidates who may excel in collaboration, communication, and adaptability. By effectively showcasing your soft skills during an interview or within your cover letter, you not only differentiate yourself from other applicants but also present yourself as a well-rounded candidate poised for success in a dynamic work environment.
My Personal Experience with Soft Skills
Leadership as a Figure Skating Coach
As a figure skating coach, I have taught students from 2 to 80, motivating them and fostering a fun environment. Developing my leadership skills in this position has helped me land jobs unrelated to figure skating. In my most recent marketing internship, I had a phone interview with the HR representative, and she commented that whenever she sees that on a resume, she always thinks it looks great. She noted that if anyone has any coaching experience, they should always include it on their resume.
Adaptability as a Military Kid
I’ve lived in 10 different places in 20 years. I owe this to the ever-changing military lifestyle. I’ve immersed myself in new cultures, visited almost all 50 states (I can’t seem to get to Alaska), and made friends worldwide. I have truly felt blessed to have these opportunities. These experiences will stay with me, and I will continue to share how they have impacted my work style with employers. Being a military kid can give you a lot of strong traits. Adaptability is the primary one I talk about with employers. Employers want someone who can roll with the punches and recalibrate fast when there are changes. The military lifestyle often has unexpected changes. At one point, my family was on the road to what we thought was our new home when we got a call to go somewhere completely different. Significant changes like moving across the country make the work changes seem minor and easily manageable. This adaptability and flexibility are especially appealing to employers.
This lifestyle gave me more skills beyond this. The military lifestyle can mature people fast and teach resilience because there are often difficulties in the military. This is an excellent segue for the “Explain your biggest challenge” question.
Military kids also tend to have excellent social skills, as they constantly have to make new friends and meet people from different places. This may not seem an important skill when job hunting, but employers can find it appealing. Working well in a diverse environment is essential, and facilitating group communication is a great skill.
Work-life Balance at a Boarding School High-School
I am only 20 years old, and when looking for internships and jobs, one struggle for many people my age is maintaining a work-life balance. This is especially true for those balancing school, work, a social life, and more. A good work-life balance will show dependability and make your skills more appealing.
What are your tips for all those busy college students? Share your thoughts below!
About the author: Gabby Roman is an aspiring public relations professional. She is a junior at the University of Minnesota (UMN), majoring in strategic communications and minoring in sports management and political science. She coaches figure skating in her free time and is treasurer for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at UMN. LinkedIn | Email
Navigating Career Paths: Insight from Carter Collins, Director of Communications at the University of Minnesota Alumni Center
Posted: Feb. 14, 2024
By: Gabby Roman
Communication is a dynamic field with many ups and downs; success is rarely a straight line. Carter Collins, the director of communications at the University of Minnesota Alumni Center, has had a diverse career with valuable insight for current and future strategic communication professionals.
Carter's adventure started at Iowa State University, where he studied communications and political science. He initially developed his communication abilities there and laid the groundwork for a successful career. One of his professors at Iowa State suggested that he apply for an internship at Fleishman-Hillard, a well-known public relations company in the Omnicom network. Carter anticipated that this opportunity would launch him on a career path that would last a lifetime, introducing him to the public relations world in Kansas City. However, Carter discovered that plans can change and that professional paths might lead in unexpected directions
Carter welcomed the chance to learn and improve in his profession. Carter has had various exciting experiences, from working with prestigious clients like Bank of America and AT&T at Vox Global in Dallas to navigating crisis communication challenges during events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Israel-Palestine conflict. An essential lesson to learn from Carter's experience is the value of flexibility and accepting change. Carter changed his professional path from working only for PR firms to a position at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. Here, he encountered fresh difficulties and chances to influence significantly, such as planning exciting events and encouraging long-lasting relationships between alums.
As part of his job, Carter highlights the value of clear communication in boosting alum involvement and creating a sense of belonging. He stresses the value of strategic communication and preemptive planning while acknowledging the difficulties, ranging from handling cybersecurity concerns to crisis communications. Future communicators can learn a lot from Carter's experience. His story offers inspiration and direction for navigating the constantly shifting field of communications, from the value of ongoing learning and flexibility to the significance of good communication in creating lasting connections.
How did Carter inspire you? Share your thoughts below!
About the author: Gabby Roman is an aspiring public relations professional. She is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota (UMN), majoring in strategic communications and minoring in sports management and political science. She coaches figure skating in her free time and is treasurer for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at UMN. LinkedIn | Email
DRIVING CHANGE: THE PATH OF A NIL COLLECTIVE VP IS UNVEILED
Posted: Feb. 8, 2024
By: Gabby Roman
Dinkytown Athletes is an official NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective. Dinkytowm Athletes is a University of Minnesota athletics fans, alums, and supporters community. The organization was born as a result of recently passed NIL legislation. NIL allows college athletes to accept money in exchange for NIL-approved activities. Dinkytown Athletes provides athletes with these opportunities through marketing, public relations, and advertising.
Robert (Rob) Gag attended St. John's University in Minnesota, majoring in communications with a minor in government. Rob is the co-founder and vice president of Dinkytown Athletes. Rob is responsible for finances, accounting, human relations, and more. Previously, Rob was CEO and partner at Tierney, gaining 25 years of sales and leadership experience. He is from Stillwater, MN, and has even served on the Stillwater City Council. 2022 was the first year of Dinkytown Athletes, and Rob worked long weeks with no pay. Now, they have employees and interns that allow him to work 20–30 hours a week. He was on vacation in Florida when we spoke. He hopes to continue working with the University of Minnesota, spend time with his family, and one day retire. He hopes Dinkytown Athletes can gain more support for women’s athletics and finish their coffee brand project, a collaboration between the company and fans to gain financial support for University of Minnesota athletes
Transitioning from Tierney, a technology provider, to a NIL collective was no easy feat for Rob. Since it is a startup and Rob is from a company with 200 employees, he now has to wear many hats he never thought he would. This is why he does daily financial reports, human relations, fan interactions, etc. Since NIL was initially disliked, changing the narrative took a lot of work, especially starting after most other Big Ten schools. They were only successful because they kept things very discrete. Nobody knew that the teams were doing better because Dinkytown Athletes had secured money for the players and team, and the publicity attracted better players. Rob said his favorite part of this job is supporting the teams, which means he feels the losses more than anyone.
Let’s discuss! Share your thoughts below!
About the author: Gabby Roman is an aspiring public relations professional. She is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota (UMN), majoring in strategic communications and minoring in sports management and political science. She coaches figure skating in her free time and is treasurer for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at UMN. LinkedIn | Email
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