Skills beyond the academic lessons learned are highly desirable in today’s workforce. Soft skills such as communication, problem solving, willingness to learn, motivation, and initiative are just a few of the key skill sets you’ll need to set you apart.

Women tend to possess a strong level of emotional intelligence, which leads women to focus on team building and working collaboratively, motivate others towards through positive reinforcement, form connections and develop relationships, and talk through approaches and ideas before making final decisions.

A great place to start nurturing these highly sought after skills is through college experiences. Those interactions can be through; involvement in organizations, internships, part-time jobs, volunteer activities, and leadership opportunities.

In this roundtable discussion, you can learn what skills help you in making the first big career step or your next career move.

We communicate through how we think, act, respond, sound, and look. Effective communication is a balance between active listening and speaking with: clarity and concision, friendliness, open-mindedness, confidence, and respect.

Women can sometimes face challenges with effective communication, especially in the workplace. Those who speak up early in meetings are often seen as more credible, greater-risk takers, and possessing more leadership potential that those who speak later. Supporting what someone else has said, asking legitimate questions, or commenting on an emerging theme are equally good ways to make your presence known.

Setting boundaries are essential to career success and often are essential to getting promoted. Without boundaries, you can possibly be taken advantage of, stepped over, or stepped on.