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• Leave a Comment on Question 2 – Some employers believe that job applicants’ social skills are more important than their academic qualifications. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

It is opined that the social skills possessed by job applicants are more crucial than their formal educational qualifications. While both aspects have their significance, I reckon that the importance of social skills often surpasses that of academic qualifications in several professional settings.

On first thought, it cannot be refuted that social skills are essential in fostering effective communication and collaboration within the work premises. Needless to say, employees with robust social skills can build a rapport with co-workers, superiors and clients, which results in better teamwork and more productive working relationships. On the contrary, someone equipped with outstanding academic qualifications but lacking interpersonal skills may struggle to fit into a team or find it challenging to assert their ideas. What is more, social skills are vital for leadership and career advancement. Effectual leaders excel in communication, empathy, motivation and so on. All these traits are closely associated with excellent social skills. Moreover, social skills are necessary for jobs that entail dealing with customers actively. In fields such as sales, marketing and customer service, the ability to connect with clients and discern their needs can be far more valuable than academic qualifications.

Having said this, it will be grossly erroneous to assume that academic qualifications are by any means relevant. This assertion can be justified by the fact that formal qualifications build the foundation of knowledge and skills necessary for specific job roles. In other words, they provide an individual specialised knowledge and expertise in their chosen professional domain. Besides, individuals can learn the basics of problem-solving and the principles of decision making by pursuing relevant courses at the higher education level.

To encapsulate, while academic qualifications undeniably have their own place in the professional world, it is often found that these are overshadowed by the importance of social acumen.