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The rapid development of technology and the dynamic global labor market require young generations, particularly Generation Z, to possess career readiness that is determined not only by technical skills but also by non-technical competencies, or soft skills. This study aims to analyze the role of soft skills, particularly creativity, in shaping the career preparedness and success of Generation Z. Literature synthesis indicates that Generation Z excels in digital literacy and technological adaptability but still faces challenges in social and emotional competencies, such as effective communication, empathy, and cross-generational collaboration. The imbalance between hard skills and soft skills affects work effectiveness, career mobility, and the ability to build professional networks. Creativity emerges as a strategic soft skill that enhances motivation, innovation, and productivity, and can be developed through the integration of soft and hard skills, project-based learning approaches, educational technology, and the strengthening of self-efficacy. The study also identifies challenges in fostering creativity in real workplace environments, including hierarchical organizational cultures and limited mechanisms for rewarding new ideas. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educational institutions, industries, and policymakers collaborate to create a sustainable ecosystem for soft skills development, enabling Generation Z to become innovative and adaptive change agents in a competitive global career landscape.  

This study aims to analyze the influence of hard skills and soft skills on job readiness through self-efficacy as a mediating variable in students at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Yogyakarta State University. The background of the study is rooted in the increasing demands of the job market, which emphasize not only technical competence but also interpersonal skills and individual confidence in their own capabilities. As the world of work becomes increasingly competitive, the ability to balance technical skills with psychological readiness becomes a crucial factor. This study employed a quantitative approach with descriptive analysis and path analysis. A total of 229 respondents were selected using a two-stage random sampling method to ensure adequate representation. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS to test the validity, reliability, and fit of the structural model. The results revealed that hard skills had a significant but negative effect on job readiness, while soft skills showed a positive but statistically insignificant effect. Both hard and soft skills were shown to have a positive and significant effect on self-efficacy, with self-efficacy having a significant effect on job readiness. Further findings indicate that self-efficacy mediates the relationship between hard skills and job readiness, but not the relationship between soft skills and job readiness. Overall, this research emphasizes the importance of integrating hard skills, soft skills, and self-efficacy in building student job readiness. The implication is that universities need to design curricula and student development programs that not only strengthen technical competencies but also foster interpersonal skills and self-confidence so that graduates can compete in a dynamic job market.

This research aims to determine the influence of hard skills, soft skills and self-ability on the work readiness of final year students at PGRI Semarang University. This research uses a probability sampling technique research method with a purposive sampling method. Data processing used the SPSS version 25 program. The population used in this research were final semester students at PGRI University Semarang and the sample used was 100 respondents from various study programs at UPGRIS. Primary data by distributing questionnaires via Google Form. The results of the analysis and discussion show that there is a positive and significant influence between the Hard Skill variable (X1) on the Work Readiness variable (Y) partially, with tcount 2.550 > ttable 1.984 with a significance level of 0.012 < 0.05. There is a positive and significant influence between the Soft Skill variable (X2) on the Work Readiness variable (Y) partially, with tcount 4.472 > ttable 1.984 with a significance level of 0.000 < 0.05. There is a positive and significant influence between the Self-Efficacy (X3) and Work Readiness (Y) variables partially, with tcount 5.448 > ttable 1.984 with a significance level of 0.000 < 0.05.