{"id":4461,"date":"2015-05-20T16:54:15","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T16:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.hult.edu\/?p=4461"},"modified":"2026-04-29T16:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:52:43","slug":"mba-increases-soft-skills-matter-employers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/mba-increases-soft-skills-matter-employers\/","title":{"rendered":"How MBA increases soft skills that matter most to employers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u201cDay 1 ready\u201d is a term that is repeated a lot during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/en\/programs\/mba\/\">Hult&#8217;s\u00a0MBA program<\/a><\/strong>. You may guess that it refers to being prepared to handle finance, accounting, or marketing, the so-called \u201chard skills\u201d in business school. but it\u2019s more than that. It means that the program is designed to prepare students to be effective decision-makers on\u00a0their very first day on the job.<\/p>\n<h2>Watch for your soft skills!<\/h2>\n<p>According to research, the skills that employers look for the most in MBA graduates are <strong>interpersonal skills<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>communication<\/strong>,<\/li>\n<li><strong>self-awareness,<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>teamwork<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They are also known as \u201c<strong>soft skills<\/strong>\u201d. Employers have basically said \u201cbook smarts\u201d are not enough to prepare people for a fast-changing and complex work environment.<\/p>\n<p>As future managers, we will need to make decisions constantly. We will also need to be able to justify those decisions\u2014and live with them. This is why we are constantly challenged to think about the consequences of our decisions <em>and<\/em> the reasoning process behind them during the program. Here are the two important questions we have been trained to ask ourselves: \u201c<em>Why did you make this choice?<\/em>\u201d and\u00a0\u201c<em>How will this decision impact your environment?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The next step is to translate the answers into a feasible plan and appropriate actions. Let me tell you a story about how I applied this step to my professional and personal development.<\/p>\n<h2>How to improve your soft skills<\/h2>\n<p>Throughout my MBA program, I\u2019ve been constantly seeking open and direct feedback from friends, colleagues, peers, and navigators (management consultants who provide coaching to students). I\u2019ve learned to accept their comments, whether I agreed with them or not, without judgment. This can be very difficult at first. However, \u201cpractice makes perfect\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>This is a necessary, pivotal step in increasing self-awareness because how we perceive our strengths and development opportunities can be very different from how others see them. This makes feedback key. Without truly understanding ourselves, how can we deduce our values and motivations?<\/p>\n<p>In the first Module of the MBA course, \u201cImmersion,\u201d we were introduced to the \u201cHult DNA\u201d concept, in which we learned about 56 different themes, competencies, and skills that play a role in students\u2019 development throughout the program. They can also be measured. At the end of Immersion, we were organized into teams and, based on the Hult DNA criteria, we evaluated our teammates. In my final evaluation, my peers gave me the feedback that I needed to improve my <strong>communication skills<\/strong>. I agreed.<\/p>\n<h2>Personal Development Plan<\/h2>\n<p>As a result, I created a <strong>Personal Development Plan<\/strong> (PDP) with actionable goals. One of them was to give a clear and concise presentation in front of my cohort. I started participating more actively in discussions to improve my English proficiency. I sought constant feedback from my classmates and professors. I ran for class representative, and volunteered to participate in every single group presentation. These actions helped me to <strong>improve my confidence<\/strong> within six months, and though they took me out of my comfort zone, they enhanced my relationships with my classmates. My PDP has become an ongoing plan to assess my <strong>communication skills<\/strong>, even after I graduate.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/\">Hult<\/a> is the ideal environment in which to learn how to develop your <strong>professional mindset, interpersonal influence, and become better at collaboration and self-awareness<\/strong>. These skills can help you develop into a leader who contributes to a\u00a0<strong>positive and productive work\u00a0environment<\/strong>, and one who <strong>communicate values and goals clearly<\/strong>. I know, because that has been my own experience. But even more than that, these skills will give you greater respect for the unique differences we all possess, without making them obstacles toward building a cohesive team that accomplishes great results.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>To find out more about Hult\u2019s programs\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/en\/brochure\/\">download a brochure<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Rafael Natali is a Hult Global Ambassador. He has a background in Information Technology with over 10 years of experience, and four as a manager. He is currently an MBA student at Hult\u2019s London Campus, where he is enhancing his knowledge and business skills, while in the midst of a multicultural experience.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Kickstart your career in Europe&#8217;s biggest startup cluster by studying at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/en\/locations\/london\/\">Hult&#8217;s London business school<\/a>. To find out more, take a look at our blog <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/blog\/recap-tedxhultlondon-2018\/\">Shifting mindsets: A recap of TEDxHultLondon 2018<\/a>. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cDay 1 ready\u201d is a term that is repeated a lot during Hult&#8217;s\u00a0MBA program. You may guess that it refers to being prepared to handle finance, accounting, or marketing, the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":4654,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[146],"tags":[175],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How MBA increases soft skills that matter most to employers | Hult International Business School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The skills that employers look the most in MBA graduates are interpersonal skills: communication, self-awareness, and teamwork, also known as \u201csoft skills\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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