Transitioning from Engineering to Soft Skills Training: How Do I Start This Journey?

I am currently working as an engineer; however, I have a strong desire to become a soft skills trainer. I am not sure how I shall go about it, which courses I should opt for, which can help me. Please guide me.

You should always handle the jobs that justify your qualification. To be a soft skills trainer does not require an engineering qualification. I would recommend you pursue a job that requires an engineering qualification. Whatever type of engineer you are, you have the potential to become a VP (Ops) or any other VP position. There is no such thing as VP (Soft Skills).

Many people stick to their qualifications and work in related fields, yet they may reach a career plateau after the ages of 45 or 50. If you transition into soft skills training now, you might find yourself on a plateau by the age of 35.

What you need to do is find the right mentor who can guide you in your career planning!

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

"Limit of your words is the limit of your world"

I am currently working as an engineer. However, I have a strong desire to become a soft skills trainer. I am unsure about how to proceed and which courses to pursue to help me in this transition. Please guide me.

To be successful in life, one requires attitude and aptitude, and of course, lots of passion. As your desire is to become a soft skill trainer, you have to gain all the abilities to become one through various courses and books some of our friends have suggested. But in soft skill training, an important aspect is understanding the other person, for which I don't think any course can be of much help. I would suggest you take a job as per your qualification and then probably take training programs in soft skills and, side by side, understand the human element in your surroundings (workplace, home, social gatherings). These things would test your attitude, and learning through programs and books would build the aptitude. About passion, since all these would tend to drain you, if your passion is not high enough, you would automatically leave it before even reaching midway. Any qualification is not good or bad; how we apply it makes it. I have seen a lot of engineers move into this space; yours truly is one of them.

Take care,

Regards,
Rajiv TASMAC Consulting

Have you thought of the pros and cons of the profession? Have you done your personal SWOT analysis? Try these two things in written format, and you will find the directions yourself. All the best.

Qualifications to Become a Soft Skills Trainer

First of all, let me ask you all a question: What are the requisite qualifications to become a soft skills trainer? I am a trainer with a total experience of 6 years. In my understanding, you must have been in this industry for some time, understand your passion, and if training is your passion, the qualities you need include being a good presenter and having adequate knowledge about soft skills and behavioral skills. One can also consider doing a certification in behavioral skills, such as CPBA. It's important to have a good grasp of the language.

The list of requirements is endless, but the bigger question is, unlike an engineer, in this role, you have to impart something that many people may not understand or be ready to accept. It's a challenging job, especially when catering to different audiences. But first, ask yourself, do you have the passion?