Paper Title
Skills and Career Development: What do Current and graduated Students Consider Essential?

Abstract
A few decades ago, knowledge acquired during education and career progress lasted for many years. However, due to turbulent technological, economic, political, and other changes, acquired knowledge becomes obsolete much earlier and requires continual upgrade and development, mainly through lifelong learning. Not only are employees within different organizations aware of this situation and invest in their career development to stay competitive, but current students also follow the same path, securing their knowledge and skills development throughout the education process. Generally, skills are distinguished as hard and soft ones. Hard skills enable entrance to the labor market, usually including technical skills acquired during education, training or gaining work experience. On the other hand, soft skills are perceived as a potential for an employee’s further development. The research was conducted at the University of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism in 2020.-2021. and was focused on final year (undergraduate and graduate) students and former (graduated) students. The main goal of this research was to investigate potential differences among current students, considering undergraduate and graduate students, but also among current and former (graduated) students. These differences focused on the importance of attained skills and training for their employment and further career development, perceived by each group of respondents, as well as the current level of possession of hard and soft skills in general. Keywords - Career Development, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, Hard and Soft Skills, Training.