Connections

People Skills And How To Use Them

I prefer the term “people skills” to “interpersonal skills.”

I recently passed a Communications Skills course. Got a certificate for it. I am ready for this world. Bring it on.

No, in all seriousness, skills like this are not on most colleges’ curriculum. All this time, and nobody has ever tried to figure out why.

It might have to do with the ethos that places of learning exist to teach you only enough to train you to operate the machinery of industry and earn money for the landlords and company owners. Communication is irrelevant; you do what your lords and masters tell you, or else.

Today, I attended a jobs fair. In previous jobs fairs, I have been terrified. But for the past ten years, I’ve looked on them as opportunities - not to look for work, but to present myself.

To market myself.

It’s become so clear to me that these people skills are, in all likelihood, my most important assets. They are certainly my most important resource.

They include rapport, diplomacy, and most of all humour. Skills I have attempted to refine, and exercise and polish. Skills I am proud of, and seriously want to work on to make them better.

There is a strategy. And I plan on working these skills for the rest of my days.

I’m posting this today. It’s been a long, rough road to get to where I am, but today has been a day to look back and see how far I have come from the start of this ongoing journey.

And look forward to where I need to be next.