Investigating the Essential Soft Skills (SS) that Engineering Graduates Need to Enhance their Employability in Bangladesh

Abstract

Soft skills (SS) significantly influence engineering graduate’s employability. In addition to their academic knowledge and technical capabilities, graduates need soft skills. Employers give a greater value on soft skills than on technical abilities. For career-long employment sustainability, these skills are essential success factors. Employability is significantly correlated with soft skills. To succeed in the job, engineers require soft skills. Technical skills are valued by employers throughout the hiring process, but as engineering careers progress, employers give more emphasis on soft skills. However, not every level of a person's career requires the same set of soft skills. At a certain point in a career, employers look for different soft skills. Starting with early career, moving through mid-career, and ending with advanced career, this research attempts to uncover those soft skills accountable for workplace success meeting employer’s expectations. Both graduates with a diploma and a bachelor's degree in engineering have been covered by this study. The majority of engineers share the same Intelligent Quotient (IQ) on an average. Technical skill gaps are easily bridged with quick trainings. The only things that set engineers apart from the masses are soft skills, which are primarily characterized by personality traits and Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Employability is influenced by numerous factors. Only the employability's absolute dimension is the subject of the inquiry. Absolute dimension is contingent upon the candidate’s skill sets. It is true that having technical abilities is a requirement for employment. But in addition to technical skills, modern employers now prioritize soft skills. Of course, an engineer continues to be measured by his/her soft skills in mapping their Annual Compensation Review (ACR). The study identifies 46 distinct soft skills that engineers need. Since not all skills are equally valuable at every level of a career, they are grouped according to career stage.