The Intangibles: What Separates You From the Rest
Intangibles are skills that can not be taught, they can only be gained through experience. Panelists Katie Ross, Director of Liberal Studies at Full Sail, as well as past Hall of Fame inductee Leslie Brathwaite, a graduate from the Recording Arts program, sat down to explain what exactly intangible skills are and the most important ones that make students stand out. Brathwaite has hired many Full Sail graduates as music production interns so he’s got a strong idea of what type of traits that he, and other business hiring interns, look for.
If you missed out on this panel, don’t worry- it was broadcast live on the Full Sail University Youtube channel.
“being a person that people want to be around”
The most important on this list of traits is “being a person that people want to be around”. Situational awareness is one of those intangible skills that applies heavily to this topic. That means knowing when to end a conversation, knowing when to interrupt and when to listen, and knowing when someone has an interest in the conversation as well as when they don’t.
However, being a person that people want to be around also includes basic things like hygiene. People aren’t going to want to hold a conversation with you if you haven’t showered in a few days because you were “studying so intently” to give you the benefit of the doubt, or if you have bad breath. That’s something that you are going to have to monitor yourself because more often than not, nobody is going to notify you if your hygiene is lacking to avoid seeming rude.
Communication skills were also high on this list. Many students have heard that communicating not only your ideas effectively but also your goals is a crucial skill in getting hired. However, Brathwaite states that while those skills are important, it’s also okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do in the industry. As long as your passion and drive is visible and you can communicate that effectively, that works too.
Brathwaite also states that greeting everyone in the social circle even if you only wanted to speak with one person is equally important. You may not know everyone in the circle but making the effort to get to know who they are may do you a favor in the future in the form of a connection that you wouldn’t have made otherwise.
Leadership took third on this list of invaluable skills.
“Boss doesn’t mean leader” says Brathwaite. Just because someone is bossy in a group doesn’t mean that they would make a great leader. A great leader is someone who understands the group dynamics and the strengths and
weaknesses of the members in order to make sure everyone is doing something suited to them and are in a position to contribute as much as they can to the group. A great leader is also someone who is good at conflict resolution and understands when not to engage and how to not fuel conflict between others.
With all that said, the biggest thing to take away from this panel was to take initiative. Be there even when it’s not asked of you, be available and adaptable to learning, and be present- you have to be present to encounter opportunities. Working and improving on all of these skills is what will set you apart from the rest and make you stand out in the industry.
Photo Credited to Full Sail's Youtube Channel
