Abstract:
Soft skills have become determining factors in career success in addition to technical
competencies in the current employment market. The research examines the impact
of soft skills on the career of graduates of the Faculty of Management Studies of the
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. The primary objective is to unveil the degree to
which some soft skills communication, time management, problem-solving and
critical thinking, leadership, analytical, and networking skills define graduates' career
success. A quantitative research approach was adopted, and primary data were
collected from a random sample of 265 management graduates through the collection
of a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The data collected were
analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), applying descriptive
statistics, correlation, and regression analysis to determine the relationship between
the soft skill variables and career success. The results showed that communication,
problem-solving and critical thinking, analytical, and time management skills all have
a very positive relationship with career success, whereas leadership and networking
skills showed a less significant relationship. The model explained an R² of 0.840,
meaning that 84% of the variation in career success can be explained by the selected
soft skills. The findings highlight the necessity to incorporate formal soft skills
training in university studies to enhance graduates' employability and long-term
career progression. The study concludes that soft skills play a vital role in shaping
professional success, and greater emphasis on these competencies will enable
graduates to navigate the competitive labour market more effectively.
