Last week, my friend Manoj called me at 11:45 p.m. — which can only mean two things: heartbreak or a meltdown about work. Lucky me, it was the second one.

“Bro, I bombed a client call,” he sighed.
 Manoj’s a brilliant coder. Like, the guy who fixes your code bug in one coffee break. But ask him to explain what he fixed — or why it matters — and you’ll see him break into a sweat.

It’s Not Just About Code Anymore

When I started out, everyone told me, “Learn Python. Learn Java. Learn RPA. Get good and you’re sorted.” Nobody said a word about talking to clients, handling team drama, managing your time when you’re buried under four tickets and a Slack ping every 10 minutes.

Truth is, in 2025, the real magic combo is tech + soft skills. The tech gets you in the door — the soft skills keep you in the room.

Meet Sneha: Soft Skills (Painfully) Learned

My college junior, Sneha, found this out the hard way. She landed her first remote gig as a WordPress intern — pretty standard. She knew her stuff, but she kept missing calls, forgot to update her tasks on Monday mornings, and once sent her manager half a page of gibberish because she hit send too soon.

She laughed about it later — “I thought my job was to code pages, not talk to people.” But the truth is, that’s half the job. Tech teams run on clear updates, polite nudges, and knowing when to say “I don’t get this, can you explain?” without feeling dumb.

So, Where Do You Learn This Stuff?

Funny enough, they don’t teach it in college. Most of us pick it up the painful way — dropped calls, missed deadlines, awkward “Hey, where’s that file?” messages.

That’s one thing I love about VishvaVidya, this not-for-profit I stumbled on last year. They’re part of the Aum Education Foundation Trust, around since 2010 — but not many know them outside career circles. They help bridge that messy gap between studying and actually doing the work.

Sneha actually joined VishvaVidya’s Free Training & Internship Program when she was job-hunting again. She spent three months not just building WordPress pages but reporting updates, managing calls, working with other interns. She told me, “I messed up less because they expected me to talk, not just type.” Small win, huge difference.

Remote Work = Soft Skills on Steroids

Ever tried asking for help on Slack at 10 p.m.? Or explaining a tricky bug to a client who has no clue what Python even is? That’s half of remote work life. It’s not glamorous — but it’s exactly why teamwork and clear communication matter more than your 99% HackerRank badge.

VishvaVidya knows this. That’s why their Center of Excellence (COE) programs inside colleges don’t just dump code at students. They run group projects, encourage real-time collabs — so when you graduate, you don’t stare blankly when your new boss says, “Can you loop in the design team and share a summary by EOD?”

It’s Not Just Freshers

Soft skills aren’t just for juniors, either. My cousin Neeraj spent ten years doing backend in .NET — solid dev, no problem. But when he got promoted to a senior role? Boom — daily calls, stakeholder meetings, late-night emails. He hated it at first.

He actually joined VishvaVidya’s Business Analyst Program for experienced pros — half to brush up on workflows, half to learn how to talk to people. Not kidding. Now he’s the go-to guy who explains complicated tech in normal English. Big promotion last month. Bigger pay. Zero regrets.

What the Industry Wants (It’s Not a Secret)

If you skim job postings today — especially remote or hybrid ones — you’ll see lines like:

  • “Strong communication skills a must.”
  • “Team player with self-management abilities.”
  • “Must collaborate across time zones.”

Translation: Don’t be that dev who goes dark for two weeks and drops code nobody understands.

So, How Do You Build Soft Skills?

Here’s the stuff I wish I’d known back when I thought coding alone would save me:

Practice on real projects. Books won’t teach you how to navigate client confusion. VishvaVidya’s Training & Internship Opportunities drop you right into that mess — safely.

Find a mentor. Their Mentee Program pairs you with folks who’ve survived bad meetings and tight deadlines. You’ll pick up what to say — and what not to say — faster than any TED Talk.

Volunteer to lead. Even if you’re scared. Manage a small task group. Run a stand-up. VishvaVidya’s free programs push you to step up while you still have a safety net.

Don’t ghost your team. Basic, but worth repeating.

Code Gets You Hired — Soft Skills Get You Promoted

Look, I’m not saying you shouldn’t learn Python or RPA or .NET. You should — absolutely. But pair it with learning how to work with people. That’s the difference between good dev stuck on small tasks forever and great dev leading a team next year.

VishvaVidya’s been doing this quietly for years — mentoring over 500 people, helping 100+ land real jobs. They’re not-for-profit for a reason — they care about bridging that missing piece between knowing stuff and doing it well in the real world.

If you want to learn how to explain your work, manage your time, handle awkward calls — do it where messing up won’t wreck your career. Try VishvaVidya. It’s free, it’s practical, it’s the soft skill playground nobody talks about enough.

Check them out: VishvaVidya.com — your code’s solid. Now, make you solid too.

Good luck — and hey, remember to unmute your mic next time you talk on Zoom. Been there.