Are There Soft Skill Ability Different In Gender?

Abstract

The importance of soft skills as a complement to higher education is of concern to all parties, both educational institutions and students. This awareness emerged due to criticism from the business world which stated that there was a gap in the soft skills of job seekers and the world of work. Referring to these conditions, this research attempts to explore how important soft skills are for students and explore differences in the soft skills abilities of male and female students. This research interviewed 40 respondents, namely 20 male students and 20 female students on 8 soft skill variables. The analytical tool used is two way ANOVA to determine the differences in 8 soft skill abilities between male and female students. The research results show that in communication, flexibility, interpersonal, professionalism and work ethics there are differences in abilities between women and men, but overall there is no difference in the soft skills abilities of male and female students.

Full text

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Volume 2 No. 2 October 2022
Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship
Journal homepage: https://ejournal.umm.ac.id/index.php/jce
P ISSN 2830-3172 E-ISSN 2829-7822
Are There Soft Skill Ability Different In Gender?
Fita Setiati1
1Politeknik Negeri Malang, setiatifita5@gmail.com
ARTICLE INFO
Article History:
Received 15 December 2023
Revised 15 December 2023
Accepted 15 December 2023
Keywords: soft skill, gender,
student
ABSTRACT
The importance of soft skills as a complement to higher
education is of concern to all parties, both educational
institutions and students. This awareness emerged due to
criticism from the business world which stated that there
was a gap in the soft skills of job seekers and the world of
work. Referring to these conditions, this research attempts
to explore how important soft skills are for students and
explore differences in the soft skills abilities of male and
female students. This research interviewed 40 respondents,
namely 20 male students and 20 female students on 8 soft
skill variables. The analytical tool used is two way ANOVA
to determine the differences in 8 soft skill abilities between
male and female students. The research results show that in
communication, flexibility, interpersonal, professionalism
and work ethics there are differences in abilities between
women and men, but overall there is no difference in the soft
skills abilities of male and female students
Introduction
To survive in the competitive and dynamic business world today, employees
and employees need to possess both soft skills and hard skills (Ibrahim et al., 2017).
Soft skills have become a very popular term related to the development of modern
society and industry, which is shown by the increasing content of soft skills in
educational syllabi and requirements for entering the world of work. Soft skills have
been studied and discussed at length in various circles when several large companies
stated that the main requirement in recruiting workers is soft skills. Several large
companies, through their CEOs and leaders, stated that the company prioritizes soft
skills over hard skills. This is a result of the imbalance between academic results and
industry needs, where students tend to only get good grades. This statement can be
interpreted as meaning that learning places more emphasis on hard skills.
Soft skills have been a topic of ongoing discussion because there is still a gap
between the soft skills expected by the world of work and those possessed by students

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
44
or alumni. The demands of the world of work that continue to grow and are not
followed by developments in the educational curriculum make the gap even bigger,
making it difficult for students or graduates to get jobs. Apart from that, the stigma
that female students do not have the same opportunities as male students makes the
soft skills of female students lower.
Supported by the reason that hard skills can be learned, while soft skills are
attached to a person from birth. Soft skills are formed by the environment, so soft skills
are a set of personal and interpersonal attributes that a person has which cannot
necessarily be measured, but can determine a person's work performance. Soft skills
have many advantages and multiplier effects. Soft skills are vital in today's life. There
are voluminous individuals who are willing to master this art. Soft skills possess
multiple advantages. To mature in common skills one needs to practice and practice.
One needs to graft beyond his comfort zone. The role model is key for the development
of soft skills. Any individual who has the desire of developing soft skills needs to
observe the role model. Every now and then individuals must be open for feedback
(Chaudhari, 2021).
Digitalization in the business environment and management processes at the
same time requires additional skills to prepare clients and members of the public by
explaining to them the nature and use of the product. Therefore, senior and middle
managers must not only be knowledgeable in their profession and develop relevant
hard skills, but also, due to labor market demands, must be aware of the importance
of training and understanding soft skills. In the process of developing study programs
in the field of life sciences and bioeconomics, these challenges are integrated into
business higher education, preceded by appropriate investigations. The aim of this
research is to explore the role of soft skills and their variability in life sciences
education in digital work environments.
Every individual needs to improve their soft skills in order to be able to answer
the challenges that are currently growing. Students are given the awareness that it is
not only about getting good grades and completing a degree, but also soft skills on an
ongoing basis. The gap between academic results and industry needs must be bridged
to improve students' employability and improve the quality of higher education. Soft
skills are the answer and must become an indispensable part of today's education
system. Apart from that, raising children with social and moral ethics is very important
so that they become good humans and responsible citizens. Therefore, apart from
academic skills, soft skills and emotional management skills, social ethics must also be
instilled in children so that they can obtain holistic parenting and education.
Lack of soft skills like communication skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills,
negotiation skills, etc. becoming a problem of greater concern in this rapidly growing
industry (Policies et al., 2014). The teaching of soft skills and communication must not
be undertaken merely to complete the syllabus; it should also be seen as a means to
instill good manners and offer tips on appropriate behavior. Impeccable soft skills and
etiquette go hand-in-glove with every level of good and effective communication, good
behavior, age-appropriate conduct and, above all, becoming a better co-worker and
human being (Kahlon, 2013). Soft skills are the answer, and should become an

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
45
indispensible part of the present system of education. In addition to this, it has become
absolutely important to raise children with social and moral ethics so that they may
become good human beings and responsible citizens. Hence, apart from academic
skills, soft skills and emotional management skills, social ethics should also be
inculcated in children so that they may have a holistic upbringing and education
(Kahlon, 2013). illness/death experiences are at a great risk for burnout (Pagnin et al.,
2013). Strategies focusing on changing curriculum structure and focus, increasing
students’ exposure to practice in different contexts, settings and conditions, providing
good mentorship models, developing promotion activities directed to the community,
professionals, and students, and creating high-quality postgraduate courses may
increase the attractiveness for career (Marques et al., 2019). Career choices often start
in childhood and often change with age. Childhood experiences have a very strong
impact on career choices as adults. Interest Developed Prior to or While in study,
Personal Relevance, and Validation of Potential (Alexander et al., 2015), aptitudes,
personality, developmental and educational experiences, skills, social trends, role
models, cultural factors, and market forces (Hojat, 2016).
Career choices often start in childhood and often change with age. Childhood
experiences have a very strong impact on career choices as adults provide insight into
how nursing is perceived to be positioned in relation to medicine and bow the
participants struggled to locate themselves within this social hierarchy (Ruiz et al.,
2013). My interest field, friend advice, opportunities, parent advice, status, role
models, salary, working hours, stress level, family hours, intellectual stimulation,
interest in the specific speciality and that lifestyle factors did not seem to be so
important (Chellappah & Garnham, 2014). Educational experience; job security;
advice from others; work-life balance; technical and research specialty; and personal
reasons (Kawamoto et al., 2016). Fields of health science that students planned to be
involved in after graduation, level of health facilities that students wanted to work in
after graduation and types of organisations students wanted to work after graduation
(Giang et al., 2015). that traditional job motivators such as materialistic benefits, job
security, and stability were more important for the young Vietnamese (Phan & Bae,
2021). Factor of personal, training, culture and organizational may be involved in the
career choice in Italian students (Ferrari et al., 2013).
Career choices often start in childhood and often change with age. Childhood
experiences have a very strong impact on career choices as adults (Clark, 2016; Dong,
2015, 2017; Van de Walle, Steijn, & Jilke, 2015) Clark, A. F. (2016) mahasiswa yang
memiliki rasa percaya diri tinggi dan berani mengambil resiko lebih memilih
pekerjaan non sector public dan sebaliknya. Toward an entrepreneurial public sector:
Using social exchange theory to predict public employee risk perceptions (Dong, H. K.
D., 2017).
The explanation above shows that the results of career choice research are
mostly carried out in the exact field, especially in the field of health or medicine and
very little research on career choice in the social field. This is the reason for this
research, namely to first answer the gap in career choice research in the social field
where the social field has more and more flexible career choices, secondly to find out

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
46
the factors that influence careers which are very beneficial for universities in designing
and providing career planning training for students.
of entrepreneurs, all movements are now called social entrepreneurs. It could be true
as the researcher commented because people tend to terminate based on extremely
slight information. However, at least, people have a cognition of social
entrepreneurship. Sensitiveness and consideration in this regard will bring about
changes in views and mindsets regarding social enterprises. Also, social business ideas
or models can be considered by companies. This social entrepreneurship business idea
is urgently required to encounter human necessities and the resources required to
fulfill these needs (Ouazzani & Rouggani, 2022).
Social entrepreneurship doesn’t mean being oriented only toward helping and
improving social issues or fulfill needs, but balancing the company is needed to run on
this type of entrepreneurship. The balancing means the company remains to survive
while running the business which means optimal balance between social impact and
sustain the business (Pacut, 2020; Syrjä et al., 2019). Hence, being an entrepreneur is
not only struggling to create social value (Bacq et al., 2016; Mcmullen & Warnick,
2016), but it is necessary to still secure profits. In contrast to the opinion of Singh et al
(2017), business leaders do not only talk about profit but sustainability with social
development. The two contrasting opinions actually complement each other. When it
comes to long-term sustainability in continuing to operate a business and company,
both things are equally important. In addition, collaboration is needed for actors with
the same goal of establishing principles to solve social problems (Gupta et al., 2020).
Dickel & Eckardt (2021) expressed that social entrepreneurs are the agents of change
to attract and create innovative solutions to solve social needs.
Cinar (2019) declared that social entrepreneurs can provide small-scale
changes and also encourage large-scale changes in the long term, specifically for young
people who will succeed in the nation. These young people have been expected to
become agents of change to achieve a better world. Interestingly, Lamio & Sebillo
(2022) upport the younger generation to be the drivers of this change. This also applies
in Indonesia where the population of the younger generation is large, especially
Generation Z with an age range of 15-24 years occupying the largest population
(27,94%) in Indonesia (Jayani, 2021). he age range is ready and has entered the world
of lectures. Meanwhile, most of them already have a genuine preference for the
entrepreneurial world, which means that according to Purnomo et al (2019) Gen Z can
become the largest generation of entrepreneurs in Indonesia.
This good fact can be displayed that Generation Z in Indonesia is literate and
understands entrepreneurship, and has the intention to naturally enter the world.
Anggarini (2022) communicated that in his research, 47.7% tried to become an
entrepreneur. It is undeniable even globally it has been remarkably supportive and the
resources have understood entrepreneurship. Ip et al (2018) and Eyel & Vatansever
Durmaz (2019) explain that social entrepreneurship is still relatively new in Asia and
developing countries, as evidenced by the lack of government support, little general
and specific understanding, and little support from universities or academies which
are still obstacles in developing students into entrepreneurs. Furthermore, this study

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
47
contributes to the current literature by showing social entrepreneurship as a variabel
that has prominent sub-dimensions of social entrepreneurship in developing countries
Indonesia and Gen Z students in particular.
Literature Review
Softskill definition
Soft skills are all skills that are related to "being human", namely those that are
specifically related to being human and "relating" to other humans (Policies et al.,
2014). Specifically, communicating with them, working with them, influencing them,
hanging out with them, fighting with them, arguing with them, getting angry with
them, agreeing with them, laughing with them, and much more. It is called “life”.
Employers today place a high value on soft skills because they understand that to get
things done, to achieve company goals, they must have the right employees in their
organization. People with good personal attributes and excellent interpersonal skills
are necessary and invaluable to their business.
Soft skills are all skills that are related to "being human", namely those that are
specifically related to being human and "relating" to other humans (Policies et al.,
2014). Specifically, communicating with them, working with them, influencing them,
hanging out with them, fighting with them, arguing with them, getting angry with
them, agreeing with them, laughing with them, and much more. It is called “life”.
Employers today place a high value on soft skills because they understand that to get
things done, to achieve company goals, they must have the right employees in their
organization. People with good personal attributes and excellent interpersonal skills
are necessary and invaluable to their business.
Types of soft skills
Soft skills aims at developing key skills such as: Business etiquette 2.
Interpersonal skills 3. Negotiation skills 4. Team skills 5. Social skills 6. Public skills 7.
Listening skills 8. Communicative skills, Telephone etiquette 10. Table manners 11.
The ability to motivate others 12. The ability to maintain social talk as well as carry on
discussions, 13. Group presentation 14. The ability to explain details to others,
leadership skill, Behavioural traits such as attitude, motivation and time management,
17. English communication skills 18. Grooming - dressing etiquette, office etiquette,
19. Effective use of body language 20. Presentation skills 21. Interview skills 22. Group
discussion 23. Time management 24. Stress management etc (Kahlon, 2013).
Soft skill include interpersonal or people skill, problem solving skills, decision
making skills, communication skill, leadership (Ibrahim et al., 2017). Itani & Srour
(2016) Risk management, Project (construction) management Decision analysis,
Sustainable development, Contemporary technological issues, Engineering economy,
Engineering ethics, Entrepreneurship, Technical writing, Management theory, Basic
accounting/finance and Basic marketing. Communication, Language proficiency,
International language, Behavior, Conversations, Public speaking, Media
management, Leadership, personal presentation, Positive Attitude, Willingness to
acquire, team work and confidence (Chaudhari, 2021). Communication, flexibility,
interpersonal skills, positive attitude, professionalism, responsibility, team working

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
48
and work ethic (Tsirkas et al., 2020).
Individuals are like shoes; the more you polish them, the more they shine, said
Ramchandram, a soft skills, etiquette and public speaking trainer. This paper aims to
drive home the fact that simply scoring good marks and completing a degree is not
enough to succeed in this swiftly changing world. The gap between academic output
and industrial requirement must be bridged to improve the employability of students
and to enhance the quality of higher education. Soft skills are the answer, and should
become an indispensible part of the present system of education. In addition to this, it
has become utterly important to raise children with social and moral ethics so that
they may become good human beings and responsible citizens. Hence, apart from
academic skills, soft skills and emotional management skills, social ethics should also
be inculcated in children so that they may have a holistic upbringing and education.
Softskill on the digital job vacancy
Soft skills are all skills that are related to "being human", namely those that are
specifically related to being human and "relating" to other humans (Policies et al.,
2014). Specifically, communicating with them, working with them, influencing them,
hanging out with them, fighting with them, arguing with them, getting angry with
them, agreeing with them, laughing with them, and much more. It is called “life”.
Employers today place a high value on soft skills because they understand that to get
things done, to achieve company goals, they must have the right employees in their
organization. People with good personal attributes and excellent interpersonal skills
are necessary and invaluable to their business.
Method
Sample and peocedure
Data for this quantitative study were collected through a survey among
students. Respondent participation to the survey was voluntary. For the purposes of
the study, a convenience sample was used. A stage survey was used for the data
collection all students (n=48) participating in the research were asked to provide their
perceptions of soft skill they possess. The response rate for the first stage was 83% (40
participants). More specifically, the students were asked for their perceptions of their
soft skills level. A coding system was used to match the students responses and the
survey reached a 100% response rate (all the 40 students responded).
The students came from 4 universities: 25% Brawijaya University, 25%
Politecnic Malang, 25% UIN Malang and 25% UM Malang. 10% of them engineering,
20% agriculture, 40% economic and business, 15% politic and 15% law. In more detail,
the students came from java 28%, Sumatera 20%, Kalimantan 16%, Sulawesi and NTT
36%. The majority of the respondents (80%) were last semester. Regarding their age,
middle-aged students predominated: with 18% under 18-20 years old, 32% between
21–23 years old, 50% between over 23. With respect to entertainment 15%, business
30%, digital 40% and journalist 15%. In addition, all respondents had previous
internship experience. A total of 95% had a good or excellent command of information
technology, and 90% had good or excellent knowledge of a foreign language.

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
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Method
As mentioned above a survey questionnaire was used as the tool for the data
collection. The same questionnaire was administered to perceptions of students’ soft
skills. The questionnaires included items, aiming to explore participants’ perceptions
of eight soft skills: a) communication, b) flexibility, c) interpersonal skills, d)
professionalism, e) responsibility, f) team working and g) work ethic, h) problem
solving. After conducting a thorough literature review, the variables, to be used, were
specified and the scales for the survey questionnaire were created, based on the
description of soft skills by (Tsirkas et al., 2020) and (Ibrahim et al., 2017). Each soft
skill was operationalized with a specific description and a number of representative
items were linked to each variable, based on the literature (Table 1).
The soft skills items numbered 22 in total. The questionnaire also, included a
number of questions on students’ socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender
and education. These characteristics were used so as to aid in explaining the existing
soft skill perception. Students were asked to complete a self-assessment of their soft
skills, stressing the level up to which they possessed each skill. A Likert type scale was
used for both questionnaires, where 1 represented “strongly disagree” and 5
represented “strongly agree”. A pilot survey was conducted with a small group of
students to test the accuracy of the questionnaire. The pilot verified that the meaning
the participants assign to each question matched the intended meaning and that
questions were not ambiguous. Modifications were made to the items of the
questionnaires, including semantic changes following the pilot survey. The final
version of the questions was also cross-checked by academics in the field.
Table 1: Measure variable
No
Variable
Indicator
1
Communication is a process by
which information is exchanged
between individuals through a
common system of symbols,
signs, or behavior.
Ability to convey
1. Orally idea
2. Writing
3. Presenting
4. Listening
2
Flexibility is the intrinsic
property of body tissues which
determines the range of motion
achievable without injury at a
joint or group of joints
Ability to
1. Readily modify
2. Response
3. Integrate with minimal
personal resistance
3
Interpersonal skills is the
qualities and abilities that help us
communicate and build
relationships with others
Ability to
1. Interact with others in a
friendly
2. empathetic manner
4
Professionalism is the conduct,
behavior and attitude of someone
in a work or business
environment.
ability to
1. businesslike,
2. well-dressed,
3. Appearance,
4. on time
5
Responsibility is refers to an
obligation to perform certain
ability to be
1. Accountable

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
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No
Variable
Indicator
functions in order to achieve
certain results.
2. Reliable
3. Conscientious
6
Team working is Team the
collaborative effort of a group to
achieve a common goal or to
complete a task in an effective and
efficient way
ability to
1. cooperate with others
2. meet objectives
7
Work ethic is a belief that work
and diligence have a moral
benefit and an inherent ability,
virtue or value to strengthen
character and individual abilities.
ability to practice ethical
attitude
1. moral
2. ethic
8
Problem solving is the process of
articulating solutions to
problems
Ability solve problem
1. exacly
2. speed
Research framework
This research is research that combines the results of research from (Tsirkas et
al., 2020) and (Ibrahim et al., 2017), these two researchers focus on how to develop
soft skills and see the differences between men and women. This research model can
be described as follows:
Figure 1 Research framework
Result and Discussion
Result
The present study determine the level of skills, students’ self-assessments on
the level of soft skills. The soft skills descriptive statistics (mean differences between
the two groups) have been gender. Paired t-test has been used to identify statistical
difference between the matched pairs. Independent samples t-test and two-Way
ANOVA, have been used to compare the means of soft skills perceptions of students
with different characteristics.
Between subjects factor
The results of data analysis using the first two way Anova test are the between
subjects factor which shows the variables, number of items, value labels and number

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
51
of respondents used in the research.
Tabel 3. Between subjects factor
Variabel
Item
Value Label
N
Soft skill
1
Communication
40
2
Flexibility
40
3
Interpersonal skill
40
4
Professionalism
40
5
Responsibility
40
6
Teamwork
40
7
Work ethic
40
8
Problem solving
40
Gender
1
Male
160
2
Female
160
The results of data analysis using the first two way Anova test are the between subjects
factor which shows the variables, number of items, value labels and number of
respondents used in the research.
Discriptive statistic
The results of the second two way Anova test analysis are descriptive statistics
which contain research variables, gender, mean, standard deviation and number of
samples.Tabel 4. Discriptive statistic
Soft skill
Gender
Mean
Std.
deviation
N
Communication
Male
3.5000
.51299
20
Female
4.1500
.74516
20
Total
3.2850
.71208
40
Flexibility
Male
4.0000
.64889
20
Female
3.9000
.71818
20
Total
3.9500
.67748
40
Interpersonal skill
Male
3.8000
.89443
20
Female
4.2500
.44426
20
Total
4.0250
.73336
40

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
52
Professionalism
Male
3.9000
.91191
20
Female
4.0500
.75915
20
Total
3.9750
.83166
40
Responsibility
Male
3.5500
.94451
20
Female
3.9500
.68633
20
Total
3.7500
.83972
40
Teamwork
Male
3.2500
.71635
20
Female
3.6500
.81273
20
Total
3.4500
.78283
40
Work ethic
Male
4.0500
.68633
20
Female
3.8500
.67802
20
Total
3.9500
.67748
40
Problem solving
Male
3.4500
.82558
20
Female
3.6000
.75394
20
Total
3.5250
.78406
40
Total
Male
3.6875
.81021
160
Female
3.9250
.72294
160
Total
3.8062
.77575
320
Table 4 is the test results for each variable for each gender type, showing that the mean
values for communication, flexibility, interpersonal, professionalism and work ethic
are different between men and women. Meanwhile, responsibility, teamwork and
problem solving have mean values that are not much different. Overall, the soft skills
possessed by male and female students are the same.
Levene’s Test of Equity of Error Variance
The results of data analysis using the third two way Anova test are Levene's Test
of Equity of Error Variance which contains variants of the dependent variable, namely
gender which consists of male and female which will indicate homogeneous or
heterogeneous.
Tabel 5. Levene’s Test of Equity of Error Variance
Levene
Statistic
df1
df2
Sig

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53
Hasil Soft
skill
Based on Mean
1.515
15
304
.098
Based on Median
1.056
15
304
.398
Based on Median
and with adjusted df
1.056
15
264.750
.399
Based on trimmed
mean
1.471
15
304
.144
Test the null hypothesis that the error of the dependent variable is equal across groups
a. dependent variable: Soft skill
b. design: intercept + Soft sklill + Gender + Soft skill*Gender
from table 5 shows a significance value of 0098, this value is greater than the required
one, namely 0.05 (0.098>0.05), meaning that the soft skills variable for men and
women is the same.
Test of Between Subjects Effects
The results of data analysis using the fourth two way Anova test is the Test of
Between Subjects Effects containing research factors, degree of freedom, mean square,
F count and significance.
Tabel 6. Test of Between Subjects Effects
Dependent variable: Soft skill result
Source
Type III
sum of
squares
df
Mean
square
F
Sig
Corrected
model
23.487a
15
1.566
2.825
.000
Intercept
4636.013
1
4636.013
8364.082
.000
Soft skill
13.087
7
1.870
3.372
.002
Gender
4.513
1
4.513
8.141
.005
Soft
skill*Gender
5.887
7
.841
1.517
.161
Error
168.500
304
.544
Total
4828.000
320
Corrected Total
191.987
319
a. R Squared = .122 (Adjust R Squared = .079)
From table 6, 3 things can be explained, namely; Firstly, the significant soft skill
value of 0.002 is smaller than 0.05 (0.002<0.05), which means that the result is that
there are respondents' answers to different soft skill variables. Second, the significant
value for gender is 0.005, which is smaller than 0.05 (0.005<0.050, which means that
there are differences in respondents' answers regarding gender. Third, the significant
value of soft skills for gender is 0.161, which is greater than 0.05 (0.161>0.05),

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
54
meaning there is no interaction between the answers. respondents on the soft skills
variable with gender.
Discuss
One of the determinants of being accepted in the world of work is soft skills,
soft skills as a complement to hard skills. The combination of soft skills and hard skills
makes a complete person who has good knowledge and personality. Hard skills in the
form of the ability to gain knowledge can be learned anytime and anywhere, but soft
skills are built from the time humans are born with the environment that forms them.
Soft skills have become a part of a person in the form of character or disposition that
cannot be easily changed in an instant and changing them requires self-awareness and
great sacrifice. Soft skills are becoming hotly discussed again as a spotlight on the
growth and development of today's young generation, which is considered to be
experiencing a decline compared to the past. One of the criticisms is the change in the
curriculum from primary education to tertiary education.
Soft skills are not only homework in all households, but also in the world of
education. Academics are starting to review the education system and curriculum that
has been practiced so far. Everyone is starting to improve and revise educational
patterns, upbringing and educational curriculum content. Pressure from the world of
work and the Ministry of Education encourages universities to improve by improving
the curriculum with soft skills content in formal education. Informal education
includes activities outside campus in the form of improving student activity units
(UKM) and providing direction, guidance, training, seminars, workshops and other
activities oriented towards improving students' soft skills.
Students as the nation's next generation who can determine the fate of the
nation in the future are not just equipped with hard skills, but must be equipped with
soft skills. However, in reality, more students prioritize getting high grades than taking
part in activities to enrich soft skills. It is even stigmatized that male students have
more soft skills than female students. This condition triggered research to be carried
out to test and prove this stigma through this research.
The research was conducted to determine the comparison of perceptions of soft
skills possessed by students in Malang, represented by male and female students from
4 universities in Malang. From the results of research data analysis using 8 soft skill
variables which were tested on both female and male respondents, it can be explained
that in general there is no significant difference in the perception of soft skills
possessed by males and females. This means that the developments that have occurred
show that men and women have the same opportunity to equip and develop
themselves in various soft skills which are basically intended for everyone. On the
other hand, female students have a high awareness of achieving their dreams by
achieving the highest career goals, so they flock to take part in various activities to
improve their soft skills. The 8 soft skills in this research are Communication,
Flexibility, Interpersonal skills, Professionalism, Responsibility, Work ethics,
Teamwork and Problem solving which will be explained next.
Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between
individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Communication

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
55
is the skill of conveying information from one party to another. This communication
is very important to convey messages containing tasks, work results and desires to
other parties. Communication skills can be demonstrated by the ability to convey
ideas, write, present, or listen. In general, female students' communication skills are
higher than male students, meaning that female students' communication skills are
better than male students. In general, female students tend to be more closed and shy,
but in fact female students are able to communicate better. This ability is
demonstrated by the ability to develop ideas well, create complete proposals and
reports, create presentation materials and present well and provide time to listen to
complaints better.
Flexibility is the intrinsic property of body tissues which determines the range
of motion achievable without injury at a joint or group of joints. Flexibility i s one of
the characteristics of a creative and innovative person which is manifested in various
creations and the ease of adapting to various changes. In carrying out various
activities, it shows that male students are taller than female students, meaning that
male students adapt more easily than female students. Adaptability can be in the form
of readiness to make modifications, respond quickly to various input and complaints
and the ability to interact with various groups.
Interpersonal skills are the qualities and abilities that help us communicate and
build relationships with others. Interpersonal skills are the ability to build long-term
relationships, establish friendships and friendships with anyone regardless of
background. The interpersonal skills of female students are higher than male students,
meaning that female students have better abilities in dealing with other parties than
male students. This can be understood because female students are more painstaking
and more careful in dealing with other parties. In the process of connecting with other
parties starting from introductions, it shows that female students pay more attention
and are easily touched or sensitive to other parties. This ability is a manifestation of
maternal traits which tend to protect and safeguard the feelings of other parties.
Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude of someone in a work or
business environment. Professionalism refers to a person's ability to do something
according to the skills, knowledge and knowledge they possess. Someone who has
basic knowledge will easily solve problems related to their basic knowledge. The
professionalism of female students is higher than male students, meaning that female
students' ability to work according to their knowledge is better than male students.
This shows that female students prefer and are challenged in fields of work or activities
that are in accordance with the knowledge and knowledge they have. When carrying
out work or activities, female students do not do anything carelessly, but rather choose
jobs that are suitable and appropriate. This professional is also demonstrated by the
ability to carry out business analysis, wear clothes that represent the profile where they
are, an attractive appearance and always maintain punctuality.
Responsibility refers to an obligation to perform certain functions in order to
achieve certain results. Responsibility refers to the ability to carry out all duties and
obligations. Every individual has duties and obligations that must be accounted for.
This ability cannot be separated from the habit of accepting trust, both social and

Journal of Career and Entrepreneurship, Are There Softskill Ability Different in Gender?
56
professional. The responsibilities of male and female students are the same or
comparable, meaning that male and female students both carry out their
responsibilities well. The responsibilities referred to in lectures, organizations and
other tasks are carried out well, which is based on the fact that some respondents are
in the final semester and tend to be more mature in thinking and acting. They are fully
aware and voluntarily responsible for all the things they are charged without feeling
pressured or forced. This responsibility is measurable, appropriate and appropriate.
Teamwork is Team the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal
or to complete a task in an effective and efficient way. A person's success is often
determined by how they can work together in a team. In an organization consisting of
various people and various backgrounds, you need the ability to manage yourself in
order to accept and be accepted in that environment. Differences in vision, mission
and goals often trigger individual conflicts, therefore tolerance and sensitivity towards
differences is needed. Male and female students have the same team work abilities,
meaning that both male and female students can accept themes from various
backgrounds and can work well without feeling intimidated. Teamwork is a group of
individuals who will realize the vision, mission and goals of the organization together,
have strong ties and are not competitors. They are mutually aware that each individual
has strengths and weaknesses, by combining the strengths of all individuals it will be
easy to achieve common goals.
Work ethics is a belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an
inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. Work
ethics are the values of individual behavior in carrying out tasks or work in an
organization. This value can determine whether an individual is good or not, has the
ability and sensitivity to do something in accordance with the norms or teachings of
the religion he adheres to. That religious norms and teachings always provide good
direction, the rest is up to each individual. Male students have a higher work ethic than
female students, meaning that in every action they take, male students think more
carefully about ensuring that what they do is in accordance with morals and ethics.
Female students in carrying out their activities are very concerned about considering
every impact they will receive. In daily life and life in organizations, students can
maintain their dignity. Likewise, with class assignments and organizations, they are
very careful about the simplest things, namely doing them independently, not cheating
or plagiarizing.
Problem solving is the process of articulating solutions to problems, ability to
solve problems. Problem solving is the ability of each individual to solve a problem,
whether simple or complex. This ability is based on experience in dealing with previous
problems which becomes a stepping stone in facing future problems. Male and female
students have the same high ability to solve problems, meaning that both male and
female students are used to solving problems well. This is based on personal
experience, role playing in learning and organization. Apart from that, students are
used to listening and reading very open information through social media which
makes them quicker and more accurate in solving every problem.

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57
Conclussion
Male and female students are often thought to have different abilities in various
things, but in reality in this research, in general, all male and female students have the
same abilities in terms of their soft skills. However, in particular the soft skills of
female students in the form of communication, interpersonal and professionalism
show that women are better. Meanwhile, for male students, soft skills in the form of
flexibility and work ethics are better.
The soft skills of response, teamwork and problem solving are similar between
male and female students. This similarity means that male and female students can
equally rely on these three things, where these three things are important in carrying
out their roles both in class and in organizations. Apart from that, these 3 things show
maturity in acting, thinking and behaving.
Managerial implication
This kind of research needs to be carried out continuously to determine the
impact of curriculum and learning and its success. As a form of responsibility from
higher education not only emphasizes hard skills, but also improves soft skills. Apart
from that, universities need to require students to take part in training, workshops,
seminars and extra-curricular and co-curricular activities regarding soft skills.
Universities need to develop curriculum and extra activities every semester on
an ongoing basis and provide certificates as something that students must have as a
substitute for a diploma. This is because students never feel that these activities are
important in supporting their careers in the future.
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