{"id":2026100252,"date":"2021-03-20T18:24:31","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T11:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danieel.id\/10-soft-skills-students-can-develop-through-organizations\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T19:16:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T12:16:49","slug":"10-soft-skills-students-can-develop-through-organizations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danieel.id\/en\/10-soft-skills-students-can-develop-through-organizations\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Soft Skills Students Can Develop Through Organizations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For many people, including myself, college years are one of the most beautiful periods in life. Those four or five years are not just a time for chasing grades and understanding theories. College is also a golden opportunity to hone student soft skills through organizations<\/strong>, skills that will prove very beneficial in work and social life. <\/p>\n

Soft skills are non-technical abilities that need to be practiced. We don’t suddenly become good at communicating just by reading a communication book. The same goes for the ability to work in a team, lead, manage conflict, or conduct ourselves. Theory provides the map, but experience is what truly makes us walk the path. <\/p>\n

This article began when I was invited by a Student Association to be a speaker at a Leadership Organizational Development Training in March 2021. I then thought that the presentation material would be more useful if I also wrote it down so that students who couldn’t attend could read it. <\/p>\n

Why Are Soft Skills Important for Students?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

By the way<\/em>, why bother developing soft skills? Isn’t GPA more important? <\/p>\n

GPA is indeed important. In some recruitment processes, academic grades can be an initial screening requirement. However, GPA alone is not enough. After passing the administrative stage, a person still needs to explain ideas well, work with others, manage tasks, and demonstrate responsibility. <\/p>\n

The NACE career readiness framework<\/a> currently includes competencies such as communication, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, critical thinking, self-development, and technology. The list may change with the times, but the message remains relevant: the professional world requires both technical and human skills. <\/p>\n

A similar idea forms the basis of Bill Coplin’s book, 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College<\/em>. Syracuse University<\/a> even developed a skills curriculum from the ten ability groups in that book. I chose ten soft skills that, in my experience, are most likely to be honed through student organizations. <\/p>\n

If you’re still a student, it would be a shame if this valuable time was only filled with classes and then going straight home, or just hanging out at the mall. Organizations provide us with a social laboratory. As a bonus, who knows, you might even meet your soulmate in an association. An unofficial and highly unscientific survey by danieel.id\/ found at least one successful case: myself. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Of course, organizations are not the only way, and not everyone has the same opportunities. Internships, social activities, group projects, communities, or part-time jobs can also be learning grounds. However, in my experience, student organizations provide many real-world situations in one package. <\/p>\n

Communication Skills<\/h2>\n

\"Communication<\/p>\n

Communication ability is not just about talking a lot. Some people are naturally talkative<\/em>, as people from Palembang would say, but a lively speaker isn’t necessarily able to convey messages coherently. Effective communication happens when our message is understood by the listener or audience. <\/p>\n

In organizations, I learned to speak with peers, juniors, seniors, faculty advisors, department heads, and even institutional leaders. When organizing a national seminar, I once had an audience with the governor and several leaders of state-owned enterprises, regional-owned enterprises, and private companies in my area to seek sponsors. The way I spoke to them was certainly different from how I chatted with classmates. <\/p>\n

That experience helped when I entered the professional world. I also interviewed applicants and saw firsthand the difference between grades on paper and the ability to articulate oneself. However, that’s my experience, not a universal law that activists are always better. The lesson is simple: students pursuing high GPAs still need to practice communication, while organizational activists shouldn’t forget to study. Balance is key, guys<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Teamwork Skills<\/h2>\n

\"Student<\/p>\n

Teamwork teaches us that we cannot be great alone. In a leaderless group discussion<\/em> test I once participated in, participants were asked to solve a problem without an appointed leader. In my observation, the person who constantly dominated wasn’t necessarily the best performer. Participants who only nodded didn’t help much either. <\/p>\n

Healthy contribution lies between the two: expressing opinions, listening, helping the group find common ground, and summarizing decisions. Situations like this often arise in committees. Sometimes our idea is accepted, and we need to convince the team to implement it. Other times, someone else’s idea is chosen, and we still have to help execute it. <\/p>\n

That’s the art of working together. Organizations provide a space to learn to prioritize collective interests over personal desires without losing the courage to express opinions. <\/p>\n

Interpersonal Skills<\/h2>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Interpersonal skills are the ability to build and maintain relationships with others in various situations. Organizations are not always as beautiful as the group photos on social media. There are conflicting interests, competing groups, and egos, including my own. <\/p>\n

In my third year of college, I felt I was the most qualified to be the head of the association. The problem was, six of my classmates also felt they were the most qualified. Meanwhile, the year below us united to nominate one candidate. If seven people from my year ran simultaneously, we risked losing because the votes would be split. <\/p>\n

After discussions, six people, including myself, stepped aside and supported one candidate. Our candidate eventually won. More importantly, we remained friends, even with the candidate from the opposing year who had thwarted our personal ambitions. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

From that experience, I learned that maintaining relationships doesn’t always mean avoiding differences. Sometimes we need to push forward, sometimes we need to yield, and almost always we need to talk calmly. This skill helps build healthy networks, not just collect contact numbers. <\/p>\n

Responsibility<\/h2>\n

\"Responsibility<\/p>\n

As soon as we accept a position in a committee or management, we accept responsibility. Even a seemingly simple task, such as being the catering coordinator, demands planning for quantity, distribution time, quality, and budget. A position is not just an extra line on a resume. <\/p>\n

In organizations, it’s easy to see who fulfills their duties and who disappears until their term ends. From there, we learn to motivate ourselves without constant supervision. This habit then helps shape professionalism in the workplace. <\/p>\n

Responsibility also starts with oneself. Delaying a thesis can happen for many reasons, so I won’t simplify all cases as laziness. However, for me, the habit of completing small obligations is practice before taking on greater responsibilities. <\/p>\n

Leadership Skills<\/h2>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Student organizations provide opportunities to lead on a small scale: becoming a section coordinator, committee chair, division head, or association president. We don’t have to reach the highest position to learn to lead. <\/p>\n

Leading students can sometimes be more challenging than leading formal subordinates. We don’t pay committee members. If they are removed, they might even be happy because their workload decreases. So, what makes people want to follow us? In my experience, the answer lies in clarity, setting an example, how we treat people, and the courage to make decisions. <\/p>\n

I still remember an association president who faced a plan to postpone an inauguration event after posters had already been distributed. He delivered his decision briefly and firmly: the event would proceed as scheduled, then he invited everyone to work together. <\/p>\n

The event was ultimately held without division. That small incident left an impression because it showed that a leader needs to listen to input, but at the right time, must make decisions and take responsibility. <\/p>\n

I also shared my college experiences and subsequent learning process in an article about the reasons for choosing an MBA program at SBM ITB<\/a>. For me, leadership is not something you stop learning once you get a position. <\/p>\n

Organizational Skills<\/h2>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

When I was interning at a company, a mentor asked, \u201cWhat’s the first thing you need to know when you join a company?\u201d I replied, \u201cCompany profile<\/em>?\u201d My friend guessed business processes. His answer was the organizational structure. <\/p>\n

I remember that lesson to this day. We need to understand our own position, our direct supervisor, other functions related to our work, and the limits of each person’s authority. A company is essentially also an organization. <\/p>\n

When I was active in the association, I actually enjoyed member meetings that discussed the Articles of Association and Bylaws, article by article, until late at night. The difference between the word \u201cand\u201d and \u201cor\u201d could trigger a flurry of interruptions, sometimes spiced with table-banging. Thinking about it now, it was quite dramatic. But from there, I learned to read rules, understand hierarchy, and see the relationships between different parts. That fondness later proved useful when dealing with procedures and regulations in the workplace. Or at least, that’s what I, who tends to be overconfident, think. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Entrepreneurial Skills<\/h2>\n

\"Student<\/p>\n

Limited organizational funds and the typically tight budgets of students force administrators to think creatively. Organizations become a place to learn to sell ideas, programs, goods, or services, even for students who don’t intend to become entrepreneurs. <\/p>\n

I once served as the head of the fundraising section for a new student orientation event. The committee needed to print pocketbooks. To make them attractive to sponsors, we transformed them from mere senior autograph books into books containing an academic calendar, department history, Articles of Association and Bylaws, and a list of lecturers. <\/p>\n

With that mock-up<\/em>, the team visited printing shops, photocopy centers, and computer accessory stores. We offered advertising space by explaining who the readers were and why their ads would be relevant. Ten sponsors joined, and the funds raised exceeded the printing costs. That book, one might say, generated profit before it was even published. <\/p>\n

Time Management<\/h2>\n

\"Time<\/p>\n

Managing time sounds easy until several deadlines arrive simultaneously. Organizations force us to prioritize between classes, meetings, committee tasks, and personal life. If everything is considered urgent, usually nothing gets done well. <\/p>\n

During college, I divided my time between lectures, association activities, being an assistant in the basic physics and computer labs, and tutoring to earn extra pocket money. I wasn’t always perfect at managing it, but the packed schedule forced me to learn to make plans and reduce the habit of cramming. <\/p>\n

Self-control also determines how we use our time. If you want to read another perspective, I once wrote about self-control lessons from the Marshmallow Test<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Creativity<\/h2>\n

\"Creativity<\/p>\n

Organizations provide space to pour ideas into work programs. We can copy last year’s activities, create something new, or improve old concepts with a more relevant touch. <\/p>\n

When this article was first drafted in 2021, the pandemic forced many activities to move to an online format. Organization administrators had to figure out how to make events via Zoom or Google Meet not boring. The context has changed now, but the lesson still applies: limitations often force us to find new ways. <\/p>\n

In the Future of Jobs Report 2025<\/a>, creative thinking, as well as resilience, flexibility, and agility, are among the skills predicted to become increasingly important. For me, organizations are a safe place to try out ideas, receive criticism, and then improve them. <\/p>\n

Ability to Work Under Pressure<\/h2>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Organizations and companies can both create pressure, albeit with different degrees and consequences. Tight deadlines, limited personnel, minimal funds, unsupportive colleagues, and external disruptions make good plans seem much harder to execute. <\/p>\n

In 2002, I initiated the Alumni Master Data Book, an early effort in my association and department to collect thousands of alumni data. The internet wasn’t as easy then as it is now. I didn’t even own a computer or a mobile phone. Our team typed from one computer rental to another, borrowed space in the department head’s office, contacted alumni via email and mailing lists, and distributed physical forms. <\/p>\n

Amidst limited funds and a nearly expired term, a team member returned after being ridiculed by alumni at an institution: \u201cWhy bother collecting data like this, you have nothing better to do!\u201d<\/em> That comment almost made us want to quit. Thanks to the support of friends, the book was finally published on time. <\/p>\n

I later recounted that story during a job interview when asked about my most significant contribution during my time in organizations. I don’t know how much it influenced the final decision, but that experience helped me explain how to work under pressure with a real example, not a memorized answer. <\/p>\n

How to Develop Soft Skills Without Sacrificing Academics<\/h2>\n

\"Students<\/p>\n

Being active in an organization doesn’t mean you have to accept every position and attend every meeting. The goal isn’t to be the busiest student on campus. Choose one or two activities that truly provide room for learning, then take on responsibilities where the results can be seen. <\/p>\n

Start with small, clear tasks. Taking minutes trains us to grasp the essence of a discussion. Contacting speakers trains communication. Managing catering teaches planning and budget discipline. Being an event coordinator provides an opportunity to learn to delegate tasks and make decisions. You don’t have to immediately aim for the chair position. <\/p>\n

After an activity is completed, take time to evaluate yourself. What went well? Where did the team encounter obstacles? Did we listen to others or were we busy winning arguments? This kind of reflection turns experience into lessons. Without reflection, people can participate in many committees but repeat the same mistakes. <\/p>\n

Also, remember to set boundaries. If your grades start to suffer, your health is affected, or all your work is done by cramming, reduce your workload. I love organizations, but I don’t recommend students sacrifice academic obligations just to appear active. Soft skills and hard skills should complement each other. <\/p>\n

Also, keep reasonable proof of your work: proposals you’ve made, activity reports, project schedules, or evaluation notes. Not for showing off, but so that later you can explain your experiences concretely when preparing your resume or facing an interview. An honest story about problems, actions, and results is usually more powerful than just writing \u201chas leadership qualities.\u201d <\/p>\n

Soft Skills Need to Be Practiced, Not Memorized<\/h2>\n

\"Student<\/p>\n

The ten soft skills above are not a scientific list that applies absolutely to every student. This is a selection based on my experience in organizations and work. Others may have a different order, and that’s normal. <\/p>\n

What I believe is that soft skills are more like riding a bicycle than an exam subject. We can read ten books about bicycles, but we still need to get on, pedal, lose balance, and then try again. Student organizations provide a place for that practice. Small failures there often become inexpensive lessons before we face greater responsibilities. <\/p>\n

I always remember two pieces of advice from my parents. My late father said, \u201cYou do need to be smart, but it’s more important to be shrewd and strategic.\u201d<\/em> In Palembang dialect, calak<\/em> roughly means clever and good at strategy. <\/p>\n

My late mother advised, \u201cYou must know how to carry yourselves well,\u201d<\/em> which means being good at adapting, adjusting your attitude, and maintaining relationships with others.<\/p>\n

So, pursue academic grades as best as you can, but don’t stop in the classroom. Choose activities that make sense for your time and circumstances. Take on real responsibilities, complete them, and then reflect on what you’ve learned. <\/p>\n

College time is limited and cannot be repeated. Use it to create works and memories that will be sweet to tell later.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hope this is helpful..<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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