Victoria McJunkin, Communication Intern for The Wheel
Ready for the Workplace: Five Soft Skills that Students Use to Succeed at UC Davis
Dear Faculty,
Victoria McJunkin, a communications intern for The Wheel, wrote the following piece exploring the technology-influenced soft skills of students at UC Davis. Victoria is a third-year student pursuing a B.A. in Science and Technology Studies and a minor in Professional Writing at UC Davis. She also works as a writing intern and editorial assistant for The Davis Dirt, and assists with the remote music instruction of piano students in her hometown of Tehachapi, CA.
Spreadsheets. Social media. Word processors. Being a student in a technologically-dense era means entering the workplace with a pre-equipped toolbelt of basic technical skills, such as touch-typing, smartphone navigation, and email management. However, heightened digital literacy is not the only benefit of this exposure—consistent interactions with digital tools also refine a student’s soft skill-set, preparing that student with a variety of interpersonal skills and character traits desirable for potential employers. In order to better understand how UC Davis students utilize technology-influenced soft skills to successfully navigate their environments, I interviewed undergraduate students Clara Dresselhaus, Anthony Hao Hsuan Tsai, and Jessie Taylor, as well as graduate student Ashley Teodorson-Taggart. Based on these interviews, I have identified the following five soft skills essential for workplace success that UC Davis students regularly employ, and that all students should have a chance to practice in their remote and face-to-face classes.
For second-year NPB student Anthony Hao Huan Tsai, collaborative technologies serve as an invaluable resource for completing group projects. “I think the purpose of working in groups is making the generation of thoughts easier and better,” he tells me, “Having group chats... gives us more time and space to think about things.” Additionally, various forms of digital collaboration allow for more candid contributions from team members who are not as vocal. “Group projects have always been a little intimidating to me [because] I don’t like having to disagree,” Tsai shares. “With technology, I don’t have to face people in person so I can be more genuine about what I really think.”
Although Tsai believes that in-person collaboration should be prioritized when possible and safe, he is thankful for technologies that enable the team to continue working together outside of physical meetings. “And when technology comes along with face-to-face—that really helps a lot,” he shares, “It’s like the icing on top.”
Jessie Taylor, a third-year English major minoring in human rights, never had professors provide virtual feedback on papers before she transferred in Fall 2019. “Now I get comments on Canvas pretty much on every assignment,” she tells me, “It’s a lot more helpful for me.” Taylor, who has always been a big fan of peer critiques, appreciates how Canvas lets her receive feedback that is as extensive as it is organized, as it allows for her to thoroughly evaluate her writing and easily identify areas of improvement.
Ashley Teodorson-Taggart, a graduate student in Performance Studies, highly recommends Zotero, a document and resource storage system, for managing coursework and research materials. “It’s a super useful tool,” she tells me, “I have everything I need in one place, like bibliographies, notes—everything’s accessible. When I’m writing up a paper, it cuts prepping time in half.” By using programs such as Zotero, Teodorson and other students can stay physically and mentally organized, which allows for both clear and critical thinking.
However, Teodorson feels that the current generation of students is significantly better prepared to handle rapid change due to the technological environment they were raised in. “Social media platforms are changing so quickly, and have!” she shares, as most students at UC Davis grew up amidst the explosion of social networking sites through the 2000s, and, additionally, have had to navigate modifications in the implementation of learning management systems, such as the shift from Smart Site to UC Davis Canvas in 2016, and the campuswide shift to remote teaching in the spring quarter of 2020.
With the trajectory for developments in technology continuing to rise, Teodorson believes an ability to learn and adapt quickly is the most essential skill for success. “It’s more about literacy,” she shares, “about becoming proficient at the shift and learning new technologies.”
Victoria McJunkin, a communications intern for The Wheel, wrote the following piece exploring the technology-influenced soft skills of students at UC Davis. Victoria is a third-year student pursuing a B.A. in Science and Technology Studies and a minor in Professional Writing at UC Davis. She also works as a writing intern and editorial assistant for The Davis Dirt, and assists with the remote music instruction of piano students in her hometown of Tehachapi, CA.
Spreadsheets. Social media. Word processors. Being a student in a technologically-dense era means entering the workplace with a pre-equipped toolbelt of basic technical skills, such as touch-typing, smartphone navigation, and email management. However, heightened digital literacy is not the only benefit of this exposure—consistent interactions with digital tools also refine a student’s soft skill-set, preparing that student with a variety of interpersonal skills and character traits desirable for potential employers. In order to better understand how UC Davis students utilize technology-influenced soft skills to successfully navigate their environments, I interviewed undergraduate students Clara Dresselhaus, Anthony Hao Hsuan Tsai, and Jessie Taylor, as well as graduate student Ashley Teodorson-Taggart. Based on these interviews, I have identified the following five soft skills essential for workplace success that UC Davis students regularly employ, and that all students should have a chance to practice in their remote and face-to-face classes.
- Communication
- Collaboration and Teamwork
For second-year NPB student Anthony Hao Huan Tsai, collaborative technologies serve as an invaluable resource for completing group projects. “I think the purpose of working in groups is making the generation of thoughts easier and better,” he tells me, “Having group chats... gives us more time and space to think about things.” Additionally, various forms of digital collaboration allow for more candid contributions from team members who are not as vocal. “Group projects have always been a little intimidating to me [because] I don’t like having to disagree,” Tsai shares. “With technology, I don’t have to face people in person so I can be more genuine about what I really think.”
Although Tsai believes that in-person collaboration should be prioritized when possible and safe, he is thankful for technologies that enable the team to continue working together outside of physical meetings. “And when technology comes along with face-to-face—that really helps a lot,” he shares, “It’s like the icing on top.”
- Emotional Intelligence
Jessie Taylor, a third-year English major minoring in human rights, never had professors provide virtual feedback on papers before she transferred in Fall 2019. “Now I get comments on Canvas pretty much on every assignment,” she tells me, “It’s a lot more helpful for me.” Taylor, who has always been a big fan of peer critiques, appreciates how Canvas lets her receive feedback that is as extensive as it is organized, as it allows for her to thoroughly evaluate her writing and easily identify areas of improvement.
- Organization
Ashley Teodorson-Taggart, a graduate student in Performance Studies, highly recommends Zotero, a document and resource storage system, for managing coursework and research materials. “It’s a super useful tool,” she tells me, “I have everything I need in one place, like bibliographies, notes—everything’s accessible. When I’m writing up a paper, it cuts prepping time in half.” By using programs such as Zotero, Teodorson and other students can stay physically and mentally organized, which allows for both clear and critical thinking.
- Adaptability
However, Teodorson feels that the current generation of students is significantly better prepared to handle rapid change due to the technological environment they were raised in. “Social media platforms are changing so quickly, and have!” she shares, as most students at UC Davis grew up amidst the explosion of social networking sites through the 2000s, and, additionally, have had to navigate modifications in the implementation of learning management systems, such as the shift from Smart Site to UC Davis Canvas in 2016, and the campuswide shift to remote teaching in the spring quarter of 2020.
With the trajectory for developments in technology continuing to rise, Teodorson believes an ability to learn and adapt quickly is the most essential skill for success. “It’s more about literacy,” she shares, “about becoming proficient at the shift and learning new technologies.”