12 Universal Skills: The Beginner's Guide to a Successful Work Life

by Peter Scheele, Nina Bech-Andersen

The most valuable skills at work are often untaught and unspoken. But they are key to a successful career.

Also known as job skills , career skills , or soft skills , these skills are typically not sufficiently taught by the school system or employers. Or they are only taught as part of leadership training courses or talent or mentorship programs – resulting in unequal access to these all-important skills.

But there is no reason why anyone should start their career without these skills.

Written with career starters in mind – but applicable to everybody – 12 Universal Skills demystifies the twelve most important skills into practical “how-to” advice. In a unique framework, you will find all the tips and tricks and do’s and don’ts you need to get your career off to a good start and thrive in your job.

Based on the authors’ extensive experience and backed by detailed research and conversations with leadership experts, this is the ultimate guide for entering work life. Or for catching up if you’re unhappy or frustrated at work. With straightforward explanations and action steps, you’ll learn how
Purchase of the book includes unlimited access to more than 30 downloadable tools and exercises to enhance your self-reflection and learning.

244 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2023

Reviews

[Solveig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and organised book, easy read. Clear and informative.

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Yolanda Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scheele and Bech-Andersen delve into twelve fundamental skills integral to thriving in the professional world, from effectively managing expectations and cultivating influence to adeptly handling conflicts and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The inclusion of a practical appendix tailored for job seekers is a highlight, offering step-by-step guidance on job preparation, applications, and interviews. This makes it an indispensable resource for recent graduates and those transitioning into new career phases.

While the book admirably covers a breadth of topics, some readers may find themselves wanting more depth on specific skills or their application in diverse workplace settings. Additionally, the organizational style could benefit from more streamlined access to supplementary materials. But overall, "12 Universal Skills" stands out as a vital resource for anyone looking to excel in their professional journey.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Margarita Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authors Peter Scheele and Nina Bech-Andersen wrote this amazing book to help us develop the skills we need when we are starting or during our careers. ''12 Universal Skills: The Beginner's Guide to a Successful Work Life'' is a book in which you will work on 12 skills that the authors develop with the aim of helping you to have confidence, and resilience, improve your communication, work better in a team, make better decisions, and not fail on your way.
I found this book practical and easy to read. The authors focus on explaining each topic very well; they also cover some things that we sometimes don't think are important like self-expression, accepting uncomfortable feelings, how to use body language correctly, and others. This is a good book to read if you are a beginner or if you are not comfortable with your current job

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soft skills

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!

[Susel · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Saya Jacaranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

soft skills that school and university don’t necessarily teach you

“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.

[Almiria · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Darya · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 ARC I though that this book can be also a refresher for early and mid career professionals because she to workload we tend to forget simple things. There is a good part devoted to job search that has a good value advice.

[Pablo Cañadas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I read this straight out of university. You will not get much out of it if you have more than 2 or 3 years of work exoerience, but can be a great onboarding gift to new interns and trainees

Easy to read, straight to the point, and at a high-enough-level to allow for experimentation at the workplace and set young professionals up for success

[Murlimb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guidance book for job seekers new and old

A good guide for new job beginners to grow into a successful professional in life. Will recommend this book to all.