On Friday, March 24, Ä¢¹½tv Punxsutawney hosted the “Professionalism in Work and Life Program” for Punxsutawney High School juniors.
Nicole Buse, John Lipinski, and Tammy Manko all volunteered to help present soft skill topics, including interviewing/professionalism skills, conflict resolution, and nonverbal communication. Ted Cogar and Ä¢¹½tv graduate student Casey Brown presented a program on expanding your in-group. Finally, Ä¢¹½tv graduate student Marylou Neidig from the Ä¢¹½tv Career and Professional Development Center presented on the concepts of Life Design.
This program is in its second year and is a collaboration of Ä¢¹½tv, the Punxsutawney Regional Development Corporation, and the Punxsutawney Area School District.
Why Soft Skills?
Understanding the importance of basic soft skills will give you an edge in life, starting with your next teacher or first job interview, or interaction with any other individual or group. Soft skills include how you present yourself, knowing how others may interrupt your body language, knowing how to best resolve conflict, building your in-group (unconscious bias and cultural intelligence), knowing how to effectively communicate your message, challenging dysfunctional beliefs about what a “good life” resembles with skills to design a life that works for you, and understanding a problem from everyone's perspective so you can contribute to the problem solution.
Thank you to all of our presenters and to the Punxsutawney Regional Development Corporation and Punxsutawney Area School District!