As a new job seeker or even a mid-career professional, you may find yourself hitting puzzling roadblocks to your success or advancement. What is the problem? 

Often the answer lies not with your technical skills, but with a need for better soft skills such as leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, time management, or conflict resolution. Overlooking these areas can hold you back.

“When you lack emotional intelligence, other people often do not want to work with you, to engage with your projects, or to go the extra mile to help you succeed,” explains Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Art Markman in Fast Company business magazine. 

“Human” skills can be learned

UT’s Extended Campus offers a robust selection of soft skills training ranging from one-day seminars to open-enrollment certificate programs to professional certificates for enrolled graduates. A small sample: 

Emotional Intelligence for Leaders. A one-day Human Dimensions of Organizations professional seminar exploring how leadership behaviors can be enhanced for workplace decision-making, creative innovation, and team communication.

Strategic Communication Graduate Certificate. A two-semester course offered by the Moody College of Communication covering:

• Persuasion, Advocacy, and Social Influence
• The Art and Science of Social Media
• Communicating for Careers
• Team Building
• Resisting Stereotyping and Prejudice

Communication and Leadership Certificate Program. A four-course HDO certificate program to prepare participants to be strong communicators as leaders or aspiring leaders. Courses include:

• Communicating for Impact
• A Good Idea is Not Enough: Persuading Like an Entrepreneur
• Perspectives on Branding: Ethics, Ambiguity, Persuasion
• The Art & Science of Negotiation

Many more courses to enhance soft skills in leadership, teamwork and communications are listed at the Extended Campus program finder. For example, choose “Communication” to start browsing.