Band 7+: Some employers are giving increased importance to employ people with good social skills in addition to good qualifications. To what extent do you agree or disagree that social skills are as important as good qualifications for success in a job ?

In contemporary society, it is often asserted that good social skills play an as important role as good qualifications in the job market. While qualifications and academic performance indicate one’s knowledge level, I believe that social skills have the same crucial influences.

On the one hand, presenting perfect qualifications indeed overpasses other competitors. Employees with high qualifications can solve problems in multifaceted ways and offer practical ideas for the company’s success. For example, Lei Jun, the most successful businessman in China, has updated products by numerous methods due to his profound knowledge, leading to a plenty of achievements in various careers. Furthermore, people with high academic performance and who graduated from a renowned university can make excellent friends at the same level, resulting in forming a robust elite friendship that can provide numerous resources for the company.

On the other hand, despite the advantages of high qualifications, I contend that social skills earn the same place in job competitions. Firstly, a successful business requires good teamwork skills based on good socializing and communication skills. Competitions in the 21st century lie in cooperation, which creates a comfortable working atmosphere and promotes fantastic projects from fierce brainstorm. For example, Apple, the most famous international company, consisting of faculties combining a strong academic background with expressing ability, has been achieving goals annually. Secondly, it is a key skill to contact and develop potential customers. With better social skills, people can build strong relationships with customers, which lays a solid foundation for further sales and enlarges the social circles that are invaluable resources.

In conclusion, I can understand that high qualifications have plenty of positive impacts; however, I firmly trust that social skills are as vital as qualifications since they not only activate the thinking process but also strengthen the bonds with customers that lead to success.