Global Business Research Congress (GBRC - 2016), Vol.2 Gurbuz,Ergun,Teraman __________________________________________________________________________________ PressAcademia Procedia 703 Global Business Research Congress (GBRC), May 26-27, 2016, Istanbul, Turkey. POWER OF SOFT SKILLS DETERMINING ACADEMIC CAREER SATISFACTION: EMPIRICIAL STUDY ON RESEARCH ASSISTANTS DOI: 10.17261/Pressacademia.2016118692 F. Gulruh Gurbuz 1 , H. Sinem Ergun 2 , S.Begum Samur Teraman 3 1 Marmara University, gulruh@marmara.edu.tr 2 Marmara University, sergun@marmara.edu.tr 3 FMV Isik University, begum.samur@isikun.edu.tr ABSTRACT Recent debate on skill acquisition by employees focuses on skill shortages (lacking required skills) and skills gaps (lack proficiency in the job) (Hurrell, 2015). Technical skills are not only ones considered in this context. As mostly discussed in literature, performing a job requires several technical skills that are acquired by knowledge in cognitive sense and influenced by an individual’s intelligence. However, such skills are not enough for today, there is a need to have interpersonal, human, people or behavioral skills in order to apply technical ones in the workplace (Weber, Finley, Crawford, Rivera, 2009) that are not reliant on abstract reasoning, are involving interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities to facilitate mastered performance in particular contexts (Hurrell, Scholarios and Thompson, 2012). Thus, technical skills are discussed to complement with soft skills such as human, conceptual, interpersonal and leadership etc. to allow the proper expression, implementation and collaboration of knowledge assets (Brill, Gilfoil and Doll, 2014; Weber, Crawford, Lee and Dennison, 2013). Even there is not a precise taxonomy of such skills; in literature four categories are mostly used to define them as leadership/people/ relationship; communication; management and organization, cognitive skills and knowledge (Kantrowitz, 2005). In this context, the ultimate aim of this study is to discuss whether academician’s soft skills (e.g. communication, interpersonal relations, openmindness, positive attitudes, teamwork, creativity etc.) have an impact on their satisfaction from their career. This study also argues that without having soft skills, how a prospective academician, here Research Assistants, could prepare his students for the future demanding more than technical skills in order to manage themselves and their careers. Proposed sample consists of research assistants who are working in a state university located in Istanbul. The importance of this study lies in the changing role of educational institutions especially universities and the changing role of academia as well. Keywords: Soft skills, Career Satisfaction, Academia. JEL Codes: M19 1. INTRODUCTION As stated in many academic writings, magazines and so on, employers are demanding not only technical skills but also other skills that are used for effective practicing of such skills- named soft skills. Today’s competitive job market conditions have changed the minimum requirements for success in the workplace (Lazarus, 2013). Also, in recent years skills deficits are discussed across many developed countries that many vacancies are filled by people who are lacking not only required job skills but also soft-interpersonal and social skills (Hurrell, 2016). Workplace skills are said to be intensifying, thus technical skills are no longer sufficient (Connel, 1998) in the face of complex problems, tasks requiring creativity, projects realized with team works. Especially in