Necessary Soft Skills for HUFLIT Students

Why are soft skills necessary for students in the 4.0 era?

In the Industry 4.0 era, the labour market is changing rapidly under the impact of technology, artificial intelligence and automation. Professional knowledge is still important, but soft skills are the factor that helps students adapt, develop and stand out in a volatile working environment.

According to PwC’s Vietnam digital-skills readiness report (2021a), up to 84% of Vietnamese people think they need a clear skills framework to orient their capacity development in the 4.0 era. Similarly, data from Navigos shows that Vietnamese enterprises most highly value problem-solving skills (73.06%), effective communication (63.00%) and foreign languages (52.75%).

Besides, the World Economic Forum (WEF) forecasts that the 2025–2030 period will require important skills such as analytical thinking (69%), resilience and flexibility (67%), leadership and influence (61%), creative thinking (57%) and technology use (51%). These figures show that enterprises today not only need people good at expertise but also comprehensive people with the ability to think, communicate, cooperate and continuously innovate.

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10+ soft skills for students to conquer employers

In the era of fierce competition, the soft-skills list is the “weapon” that helps students stand out among hundreds of job applications. Below are 10

Communication and presentation skills

Communication skills are the foundation that helps students connect, persuade and convey ideas effectively in both studying and work. Meanwhile, presentation skills help you confidently speak in front of a crowd, demonstrating logical thinking and leadership ability.

To improve communication skills, students must proactively join clubs and volunteer to present in their subjects. Besides, you also need to practise yourself through sources such as YouTube and online courses.

For HUFLIT students, you do not have to register for any additional external communication course. Because this skill is already integrated right into the training programme. Through presentation, teamwork and report courses, along with support from lecturers, students will train communication naturally and continuously.

Necessary soft skills for students – Teamwork skills (Teamwork)

In studying and careers, teamwork is an indispensable factor. A talented person who does not know how to collaborate effectively can hardly succeed in the enterprise environment. Teamwork skills help students listen, share and together achieve common goals.

Therefore, students should regularly participate in study projects and extracurricular activities such as startup competitions, MICE programmes, or doing group reports. This where you can train how to assign tasks, resolve group conflicts and bond team spirit.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Critical thinking is the ability to ask questions, analyse facts and view problems multidimensionally. This is the foundation for forming problem-solving skills — one of the most important capacities at work.

Students can train critical thinking through group discussions, debating in class or participating in enterprise case-analysis workshops. The steps include: identifying the problem, analysing the cause, proposing a solution and evaluating the result.

Time management and work-arrangement skills

With a packed study schedule, part-time work and extracurricular activities, students need time-management skills to balance everything. Knowing how to arrange work reasonably helps reduce stress and enhance efficiency.

One piece of advice for students is to apply methods such as Pomodoro (work 25 minutes – rest 5 minutes) or the Eisenhower matrix (classifying and prioritising work based on two criteria: importance and urgency). Training organisational skills right from your studies will help you be more proactive and professional in the future.

Necessary soft skills for students – Emotional intelligence skills (EQ)

Emotional intelligence (EQ – Emotional Quotient) is the ability to recognise, understand and control your own emotions, while also empathising with and understanding others’ emotions. EQ helps you control your reactions in stressful situations and supports building positive relationships in studying, work and life.

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Adaptability and flexibility skills

In the context of an increasingly innovating world, adaptability and flexibility skills become an important factor that helps students survive and develop. A person with good adaptability will know how to adjust their thinking, actions and emotions to suit new circumstances.

To train this skill, students should proactively embrace challenges, dare to try new things, not fear failure and always maintain a learning spirit. When you have an open mind and are ready to change, you will easily overcome fluctuations and seize opportunities in studying as well as work.

Negotiation and bargaining skills

Negotiation and bargaining are not only for business people or when you “deal salary” in an interview. In the study and teamwork environment, negotiation is the art of reaching consensus between parties while still ensuring the common interest. A person with good negotiation skills is usually respected for knowing how to listen, analyse and persuade reasonably.

The basic principle in negotiation is win-win (both sides benefit). To do this, you need to prepare information carefully and clearly understand your own and the other party’s goals. Listen more than you speak, find common ground instead of arguing and maintain a respectful attitude in all situations.

Creativity and innovation skills

In studying, research or office work, creative thinking helps you find new approaches, more effective solutions and express yourself prominently among the crowd. To train this skill, students should practise asking “why” and “what if” questions to stimulate different thinking.

Regularly practise brainstorming – recording every idea without judgement, then selecting the most feasible one. The mind mapping tool is also an effective method that helps systematise thinking and expand perspectives.

Office informatics and technology skills

In the digital era, being proficient in office informatics skills is a basic requirement for every student. Knowing how to use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) helps you study, work in groups and report more effectively. In addition, the ability to work on technology platforms such as Trello, Notion, Slack, Zoom or Canva also helps you increase productivity and professionalism.

Personal branding skills

A personal brand is the way you present yourself so that others remember and trust you. For students, this is an important tool that helps you stand out when applying for jobs, scholarships or extracurricular activities.

To build a personal brand, students need to identify their strengths, values and career goals. Then, build a professional image on social media, especially LinkedIn. At the same time, you also need to invest in your CV and portfolio to reinforce your image and prestige in others’ eyes.

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HUFLIT – An ideal environment to train soft skills

In the university environment, training soft skills plays a no-less-important role than studying professional knowledge. A school with a dynamic learning environment that focuses on personal development like HUFLIT is the ideal place for students to perfect themselves and be ready for the future.

Developing the necessary soft skills for students through clubs

At HUFLIT, student club activities are always seen as a dynamic environment that helps students train soft skills in a practical and natural way. Joining clubs helps students develop hobbies and expand relationships. Some outstanding clubs at HUFLIT include:

Academic and hobby clubs

• HUFLIT Japanese Club – HUFLIT 日本語クラブ (Faculty of Oriental Studies)
• HUFLIT Korean Club (Faculty of Oriental Studies)
• HUFLIT Chinese Club – HUFLIT 汉语俱乐部
• HUFLIT Law Club – HUFLIT Law Club (Faculty of Law)
• HUFLIT Informatics Club (Faculty of Information Technology)
• ABS Economics Club – HUFLIT (Faculty of Economics – Finance)
• Communication & International Club (Faculty of International Relations)
• HUFLIT Badminton Club (self-organised)

Skill and entertainment clubs

• HUFLIT Music Club
• HUFLIT Basketball Club
• HUFLIT Football Club
• HUFLIT MICs MC Club
• HUFLIT Photography Club
• HUFLIT Esports Club
• HUFLIT Volunteer Club – HVC

A study programme integrating real-world projects and the “enterprise semester”

HUFLIT always focuses on combining theory with practice, through subjects that require students to carry out group projects or projects that simulate real-world work. Besides, the school also coordinates with enterprises to organise Company Tours so that students can visit the offices of large companies.

These experiences help students come into contact with reality, clearly understand professional requirements, while also training a series of important soft skills such as teamwork, time management, problem-solving and communication in a professional environment. This is a solid stepping stone for HUFLIT students to be more confident when stepping out into the labour market.

Academic competitions and skill workshops organised regularly

HUFLIT regularly organises many academic competitions and skill workshops that help students both train knowledge and develop soft skills in a dynamic environment. Some outstanding activities include:

• Workshop “The interpreting profession – Practical skills”: For students who love the language field. The workshop shares skills for training reflexes in communication, handling situations and professional demeanour in the interpreting profession.
• The “Global Conference: I Am The Speaker” competition: A playground for students who want to enhance their presentation ability, develop critical thinking and confidence in front of a crowd.
• The Yukata experience activity – “Open Campus”: Organised for students of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. This activity brings the opportunity to directly contact Japanese culture through the experience of wearing a Yukata and learning about traditional rituals.
• The “English In Action 2025” series: For students who love English at many schools; helping to train communication, debating and presentation skills through Talkshows and academic debate competitions.

Besides the activities organised by the School, HUFLIT students also proactively create many meaningful programmes. The “Everbloom” activity series, organised by students of the Faculty of International Relations & Communication, brings an environment for practising event organisation and developing content-creation skills. Besides, the activity is also an occasion for students to express gratitude on the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers’ Day.

Frequently asked questions about soft skills for students (FAQ)

During the process of studying and preparing for a career, many students often wonder what the factors that determine success in the modern working environment are. Below are some questions about soft skills with brief answers.

How to include soft skills in a CV effectively?

Students should not just list skills in the CV but should integrate them into the experience or activity description. For example: “I was responsible for coordinating project A for club X, helping to increase activity efficiency by 20%”. This way of writing helps the CV become more specific and convincing.

How do introverts train their skills?

For introverts, skill training should start from suitable forms such as small-scale teamwork, presentation within the classroom or 1–1 exchanges. Regular practice in a safe environment helps increase confidence without creating too much pressure.

Training the necessary soft skills for students not only helps them be more confident in studying but also creates a solid foundation for their future career. Through a dynamic learning environment, extracurricular activities and real-world experience opportunities, HUFLIT brings students a space to develop comprehensively in both expertise and life skills.

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