Soft Skills and Professional Tips for the Office

by Karen E. Mosier

This book is targeted to office professionals whether they are new, mid-career or late-career employees. What most new employees lack today are soft skills. Soft skills are not like hard skills, such as typing, writing, or how to use software programs which are more commonly taught. Often overlooked, soft skills such as fostering good interoffice relationships, implementing good communication strategies, practicing effective email communication, being aware of your nonverbal communication, developing a thorough work plan, and perfecting your time management skills are just as vital for career success. Mid-career and late-career employees, although successful in their careers, may have never learned more advanced soft skills such as developing meaningful relationships at work, maintaining a work life balance, being a leader in the workplace, and leaving a legacy.

Readers of this book will gain a new understanding of not only the importance of soft skills in the workplace, but they will learn about effective strategies and practical examples that they can implement in their own workplace, to empower them to be successful in their job and develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with their colleagues.

78 pages, Hardcover

Published March 12, 2020

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I know Karen Mosier through the Canadian Association of Research Administrators.

This is a short, accessible book that would be most beneficial to people early in their careers, although it has sections geared to mid and senior career workers, too. The section for new employees acts as a useful checklist, especially in starting a new job when you are overwhelmed with many things to learn/do, and I think serves as a good reminder for someone at any stage of career who is starting fresh. The book would be primarily useful to people in Research Administration, but most of the content is broadly applicable and it would also benefit other academic staff and office workers in other sectors.I appreciate that Karen is only speaking from her own position and says to take what works for you from the book and leave the rest.

The book may be too simplistic for some readers. This perhaps could have been mitigated by including a further reading list for some of the sections, such as time management. For example, the advice in this chapter to “get information and resources on time management” could be substantiated by providing some more specific recommended books/resources.

The simplicity of the book is also a strength, however. We often assume "soft skills" are intuitive, but many people struggle with them, especially folks who may be on the autism spectrum, or just awkward. The book made me think of Awkward: The Science of Why We’re Awkward and Why it’s Awesome by Ty Toshiro which is part-self-help, part-popular-science, and gives clear advice for things like how to make an apology or how to write a polite email. The clarity and simplicity of this book would be a boon to folks who find social interaction less intuitive.

I personally found the most sage words in the book to be included in the job advancement chapter, as I will soon be making a career change myself, and leaving research administration. The only constant is change!

[Lukie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so impressed with Soft Skills and Professionals Tips for the Office by Karen E. Mosier. I believe that every new graduate/new employee should receive this book as a gift when they enter the workforce. The book is simple to read and provides invaluable tips to ensure a smooth transition in and out of the workforce. The book is divided into three sections, new employees, mid-career employees and late-career employees. The book provides insight from when you first enter the workforce to when you retire and are ready to leave a legacy. The new employees sections provides insight on developing good habits to ensure a successful introduction to a new job. The mid-level employees sections provides information on how to maintain your momentum. The Late-career information provides information on how to leave a legacy and be proud of the work you have put into your career. As someone who is a mid-level employee, I found all the information provided relevant because it helped me ensure I was on track with my career, that I was promoting healthy work habits and provided me with a direction for the future when I become a late-level employee. I highly recommend this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the perfect companion for research administrators and is a source of sage advice when you need it most. Thanks Karen for this wonderful resource!