The first two years of most bachelor's degree programs involve general instruction across interdisciplinary fields. This includes basic academic subjects such as English and math and general studies in psychology, history and the sciences. Although these courses are not directly tied to job requirements, these serve as common knowledge for the workplace. For example, a retail sales representative may need general math and accounting skills to tabulate sales and create accurate reports.
Most bachelor's degree programs offer field-specific training during the student's third and fourth years. The study during these years will become the student's career knowledge base. For example, an accounting major learns most of his job skills in college. He is required by the position to know the different accounting styles, methodologies and accepted practices to be of value to a firm. All of these are directly tied to what he learned as an accounting major.
Skills are built and developed in the academic training toward a college degree. Most college courses require the student to demonstrate a particular skill to successfully complete assignments and projects. For example, it is common in many courses to have a public presentation assignment. This type of assignment is designed to develop the student's communication and organizational skills. Additionally, completing a public presentation assignment develops student expertise in presentation software.
An academic setting is among the student's first professional environments. A college campus closely emulates a work environment in that the student has to deal regularly with people in a professional manner. School projects also mirror company projects, and students are expected to deal with tight deadlines and high-pressure situations. A student's study habits often translate to her work ethic. Time management in particular is a solid requirement in many jobs descriptions. Interviewers for entry level positions often ask graduates about their experiences in school and how they solved problems by communicating effectively with other people.