English Education Alumni's Preceptions of Soft Skills, Hard Skills, and Competitiveness (SHC) in the Workplace: a study at Jambi University

Abstract

Graduate employability increasingly depends on both discipline-specific knowledge and transferable competencies needed to remain competitive in changing workplace environments. However, limited research has examined how English Education alumni perceive the importance of Soft Skills, Hard Skills, and Competitiveness (SHC) and how Soft Skills and Hard Skills contribute to Competitiveness based on workplace experience. This research aimed to identify the perceived importance of the three SHC components and examine the contribution of Soft Skills and Hard Skills to Competitiveness. A quantitative survey involved 205 alumni of the English Education Study Program at Universitas Jambi with at least six months of work experience. Data were collected using a 64-item questionnaire adapted from the SHC framework and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. All three SHC components were perceived as important, with Competitiveness receiving the highest mean score (M = 4.320), followed by Soft Skills (M = 4.285) and Hard Skills (M = 4.190). The regression model was statistically significant and explained 55.9% of the variance in Competitiveness (R² = 0.559, p < .001). Soft Skills showed the strongest positive contribution (β = 0.758, p < .001), whereas Hard Skills showed a small negative partial contribution (β = -0.106, p = .026). These findings indicate that both competency dimensions are relevant, although Soft Skills make a stronger unique contribution to Competitiveness. The research highlights the importance of integrating technical and transferable competencies in preparing English Education graduates for diverse professional contexts.