As a fresh graduate student from high school or even college and entering the workforce for the first time, soft skills such as communication, professionalism, team-building skills, and even how to handle conflict in the workplace, are sometimes hard to come by. This book will take you through 12 of the most essential skills you will need to be successful at work as well as your personal life. The two authors pooled their considerable work expertise and laid out the book in an easy to read and understand manner. I was able to really grasp what they were saying and what I needed to do in order to practice and develop my soft skills. A fantastic book for those starting out their careers!

I bought this book for my granddaughter, in her final year at university. Reading it myself I can only wish it was available when I started my career. It would have helped me surmount years of struggle with anxiety and insecurity. Very well structured in easily digestible chunks, the book covers pretty much everything that new employees face when starting their careers. Full of common sense, the book avoids the jargon and psychobabble so often found in self help books. I recommend this not just to new employees, but to anyone who struggles to find their place in the world of work.

This is the book I would have wanted to read when I made the transition from university to work life. That does not mean that it is not helpful to anyone other than recent graduates, indeed it might help reorient the career of anyone reading it.

The book fills a unique niche in two ways: first it focuses on the practical aspects of work. While you may have learned the hard skills in school they will not guarantee you success at work. As the authors note, there are a great many differences between school and work the most important of which is the value of soft skills, such as communication, interpersonal skills and motivation. These are not developed in the educational system but are crucial to work life success. Some books may dive into one or another of these but this book conveniently summarizes them in 12 key skills.

Secondly, the book takes seriously an underserved audience: young professionals. Other books in this genre tend to focus on giving advice to managers or people who already have experience from work. I do not recall ever seeing a book focusing exclusively on the needs of those starting to work.

The descriptions are admirably clear and straightforward making the read easy and inspirational. The book never takes on an instructional tone but tries to show rather than tell how to build these skills. It also never becomes a standard self help book of the sort motivational speakers produce. Rather it takes the reader by the hand.

All advice in this book is spot on and something that seems self evident for the seasoned professional but you gain an understanding of how much actually goes into simple self evident behavior like meetings, writing emails, and other basic work behaviors.

A great bonus is that it builds on a large base of theoretical and especially practical knowledge from the authors’ own experience. Much literature in this area can delve into a theoretical rabbithole that ends up with little to offer real people with real challenges. This book is a great antidote to that.

I can warmly recommend it to anyone who are getting ready or already have made the transition from school to work life but also to anyone who are not satisfied with their current work. Since these skills are, as the authors note, universal, it is never to late to start building them and improve your work life.—

Whether you call them “soft skills,” “essential skills,” “human skills,” or – as per the title of this book, “universal skills” – it has been demonstrated time and time again that our “people skills” are often the differentiator between success and failure both at work and in life. In “12 Universal Skills: The Beginner’s Guide to a Successful Work Life,” the authors Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen have written a must-read handbook not only for “beginners,” but for any business professional who desires to enhance their personal effectiveness. Covering a range of crucially important topics including time management, communication skills, goal setting, decision making, job searching, and much more, many of the tools, tips, and techniques described in the book might, at first, be perceived as common sense; however, as the classic saying goes, “Common sense is not always common practice.” And this book explains not just the what and the why, but the how to help us become more productive. As an adjunct professor of leadership at two world-class universities, in “12 Universal Skills” I now have an excellent new resource to recommend to my students to help set them up for success both now and in the future.

Authors Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Anderson have impressive careers in the business world and bring their insights and guidance for success to all who are entering careers, no matter the type. As they state, ‘There’s no reason why anyone should start their career without the information and tools that can help them navigate their environment and build the foundation for a happy and successful work life.’ With that firmly grounded preface, they address mental preparation (self-awareness, self confidence, resilience, communication skills), time management (too rarely addressed until now), proper professional behavior (teamwork, interaction with management, networking), and other modes of behavioral and mental adaptation that assure the path to success and happiness in any career. The Appendix provides excellent steps for job searching.

Accessible, high quality, and very practical guidance.

This is an excellent book!

In a holistic, structured and easily understandable way, it addresses the questions and potential pitfalls one has as a newcomer to work life.

The book is very concrete, which makes it practically usable.

If only… That was my overarching sentiment after reading through Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen’s book on “12 Universal Skills”. If only I had access to this book in my early career to seek guidance and practical advice from. And if only young colleagues around me did the same.

The book takes you through 12 soft skills that everyone need to be conscious about. And mastering them – in your way – will help you tremendously on your journey. In fact, not mastering them will likely hinder your career opportunities, and as important, your well being in work life.

The soft skills cover areas like Building Self-Awareness and Confidence, Networking, Time Management, Communication, Professional Behaviors, Team Work, and several more. The content is nicely organized around these subjects, and you can read the chapters in the order you want and where your need is. It is very hands-on, practical, and well structured. It nicely avoids complex frameworks and pretentious lingo in giving all the good advice.

Funnily enough, I had great fresh examples from friends around me and my own family early in their career showing how much the guidance in the book is needed out there. Not only for themselves, but from the stories they share about younger colleagues making mistakes, like we all did. Being ahead of that and avoiding it can make a real difference. And there are so many tips and good practices described in the book.

Everyone early in their career will benefit from this book. Also more experienced professionals can learn or re-master a couple of things, I’m sure. I had a couple of these good reminders myself. And I can think of many situations everywhere with poor e-mail practices and meeting practices lacking efficiency and respect for people’s time. If only these topics were taken seriously broadly, how much time could not be saved…

The book will be great for study groups in companies with graduate programs. Working through the 12 topics as a team and sharing and learning together is a great way to leverage the content. But you can also perfectly well use it with yourself.

A strong recommendation from my side, and 5 stars given!

In 12 Universal Skills, authors Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Anderson teach what they call “universal skills” that will get you far in life and in your career. Also called “soft skills” or “career skills” these are surprisingly common-sense but frequently overlooked tips and techniques on developing the skills to live your best and most successful life. From building confidence to handling stress, conflict and mistakes, to building your ideal career, the techniques discussed in this book are invaluable not only for your career but also for a fulfilling personal life. This book makes a great gift for any young person starting out in life (or for anyone who wants to improve themselves and their career). I am giving this book five out of five stars.

One of the things I appreciate most about this book is how it breaks down each skill into manageable and easy-to-understand sections. The author does an excellent job of explaining the skills clearly and concisely, providing real-world examples that help to bring each skill to life.

The 12 skills covered in the book are wide-ranging and cover essential areas such as teamwork, networking, communication, and decision-making. Whether you are just starting your career or looking to improve your skills as a seasoned professional, I found that this book has something to offer.

Another standout feature of this book is the practical tips and techniques. Overall, I highly recommend “12 Universal Skills: The Beginner’s Guide to a Successful Work Life” for anyone looking to develop their professional skills. It is an excellent resource that can help you succeed in your career, and I believe that it will be particularly valuable to young professionals, like myself, just starting out. So, if you are looking for a guide to help you develop the skills you need to succeed in your career, this book is an excellent place to start.

12 Universal Skills by Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen is one of those books that comes across as something that should be taught in a college level classroom. If I was going to rename the book, I would call it How to Work With People. This is a general skill that we never really learn much about, but so much of our lives both professionally and personally are based around this idea. Some of the topics included here are how to solve conflicts with others, how to manage your time, and how to work as part of a team. These are skills that we are expected to practice as we make our way through school, but are never truly taught to us making them areas of weakness that need to be addressed. If you are starting a career, just getting out of school, or are simply looking for ways to improve yourself then this is a a great read for you.

A very transformative guide that I think is a great one for learning and developing soft skills, to better any career path. Those skills can be for example managing stress, handling difficult conversations or scenarios, really important ones that can be determined to accomplish goals or not.

The reading is very easy to understand and to follow, the authors are very straight when trying to explain something, so every reader can get the hang of the idea.

One of my favorite parts about this book is that you don’t have to read it in order, you can choose a chapter you really want to work on and go with any reader’s needs.

12 Universal Skills written by Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen is a must-read for anyone looking to succeed in their work life through practical, evidence-based strategies. The authors’ clear writing style, coupled with actionable advice, makes this book an excellent resource for people at any stage of their career. However, I think that young people who are just starting their professional path will greatly benefit from following the authors’ insightful and sensible advice. The writers take these 12 skills and explain them using their own experiences. I recommend this book for all those who are committed to making meaningful changes and achieving long-term success. This book is the guide you need.

In 12 Universal Skills: The Beginner’s Guide to a Successful Work Life, Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen stress the significance of interpersonal skills for achieving success in both personal and professional spheres. These skills, known as “soft skills,” “essential skills,” “human skills,” or “universal skills,” are crucial. The authors offer practical guidance and techniques to enhance individual effectiveness, covering essential areas like time management, communication, decision making, job hunting, and goal setting. Although the book’s content may seem obvious, it goes beyond explaining what and why, providing actionable advice on how to improve productivity.

The book is not only suitable for beginners but also for business professionals aiming to enhance their interpersonal abilities. As an adjunct professor of leadership at esteemed universities, I highly recommend “12 Universal Skills” as an excellent resource that equips students with the tools they need to succeed both now and in the future.

In every personnel selection process, a basic issue is evaluated: the candidate’s job skills. A fundamental aspect for the development of a person within the company that not only speaks of their professional and technical skills, but goes much further. In this read, authors Scheele and Bech-Andersen share with readers all the tips, tricks, and do’s and don’ts to get a candidate’s career off to a good start and thrive at work.

What I highlight about this book is that the authors encourage applicants to apply for those jobs they have always dreamed of, to not settle for what they have, to always go for more. Basic skills can be developed by anyone, as long as people work to perfect them. Certainly a book to recommend to all those who are looking for a job.

The book is a very good advice for an early stage career seekers and/or students who look for their first job. It showcases 12 skills suitable for any industry workplace due to them being universal by nature. There are plenty of good examples on how to apply those skills and where they are applicable. While reading I thought that this book can be also a refresher for early and mid career professionals because due to workload we tend to forget simple things. There is a good part devoted to job search that has a good value advice.

“12 Universal Skills” by Scheele & Bech-Andersen is a beginner’s guide to a successful work life. It will teach you many soft skills that school and university don’t necessarily teach you. But these skills are very important when it comes to having a successful career. Some of the tips focus on things such as: avoiding stress, managing difficult situations and conversations, building confidence, handling mistakes and conflicts, etc.

I loved this book because it is very straight forward. No talking around the bush or unnecessary comments. It is very easy to understand and incredibly helpful. I’m trying to really implement these things nowadays and I hope I will soon see results.

This book was a great find! I believe that “12 Universal Skills: The Beginner’s Guide to a Successful Work Life” is an excellent resource for anyone seeking to develop essential skills to be successful in the workplace.

This wonderful book offers a clear and concise overview of twelve key skills that are universally valuable in any profession. I love the fact that the authors provide practical tips and examples of how to cultivate each skill, making it an easy-to-follow guide for us readers.

Overall, “12 Universal Skills” is a well-written and highly accessible guide that provides valuable insights and tools for success in any profession. I highly recommend reading this excellent book!

The Essential Guide to Workplace Competence…

“12 Universal Skills” by Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen is a comprehensive guide addressing critical soft skills often overlooked in traditional career education. The authors present a systematic framework for acquiring essential professional competencies, filling a significant gap in workplace preparation. This work stands out for its practical approach, distilling complex concepts into actionable advice. The inclusion of downloadable tools enhances the book’s applicability, bridging theory and practice effectively.

Covering a wide range of topics from career planning to conflict resolution, the book maintains depth and focus throughout. While primarily aimed at early-career professionals, its insights are broadly relevant across various career stages. The authors’ evidence-based methodology, combined with their extensive experience, results in an authoritative yet accessible resource. As the professional landscape evolves, this book offers timely guidance for navigating the modern workplace. “12 Universal Skills” represents a significant contribution to professional development literature, providing a valuable roadmap for career success in today’s dynamic work environment. Highly recommended.