This week’s episode certainly aligns with a common theme this season addressed by many of our guests, and that is the critical importance of cultivating “soft skills” in the up-and-coming workforce. These skills, like assertiveness, resilience, self-direction, empathy, cooperation, diversity awareness, and adaptability are simply not versed (even discouraged) in traditional education in the US. In the current US college admissions game alone, it appears there is no room (or reflected value) for failure. 

Our guest this week, Colleen Bordeaux, a senior manager at Deloitte Consulting in LA, joins us in discussion on this hot topic, speaking from an employer’s point of view. You’ll hear her pressing for today’s youth and graduates to see the value in getting out of comfort zones, of taking and seeing the advantage of experiences and failures, since these are some of the opportunities where important human skills can begin to take shape; these are the skills that matter more-than-ever for professional success.   

"Up to 40% of the jobs that we know have the potential to be automated and done by technology. And there are millions of new jobs that are being created that people have never done before. And so it is calling on us to really think differently about  what are the skills and capabilities we've got as humans that can endure and help us adapt in the fast-changing workplace." –Colleen Bordeaux

“Though I don’t believe college in Europe is the route for everyone, I do truly believe that it’s an incredible way to ensure our kids are developing these crucial skills while having these life-changing experiences.”  –Jenn