There are always going to be job-specific skills that employers will look for. However, these employers will also look for general skills known as employability skills. They are also called soft skills in case you have not heard about employability skills.
Essentially employability training picks the job candidate’s employability skills and combines that with an improved sense of self-awareness and then prepares them for a job search, be it graduate or otherwise. Having employability skills can help you get a job. They can also help you stay in a job and work your way to the top. If you land a job interview, chances are you’ll be asked questions about your job-specific skills and your employability skills both.
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What are employability skills?
Employers mostly look for candidates who have skills that go way beyond that of experience and qualifications in the field. Your education and expertise can make you eligible to apply for a job but to be successful and thrive at the job, you will need skills that you can develop over time. Some of these may be specific to the job that you were hired for the vast majority are the ones that can be helpful in any job or industry. As a general rule of thumb, employers are also willing to teach a recruit job-specific skills, but they would like to see that you already have these employability skills that you have learnt.
What are some of the most important skills that you need?
- Getting along and working well with other people
- Being dependable
- Willingness to learn new skills
Getting along and working well with other people
These are also called interpersonal skills collectively and you will see these mentioned on almost any vacancy advert right now. These skills will allow you to;
- Work as a team member
- Meet customer needs
- Negotiate and solve problems
- Work effectively
- Communicate effectively
- Have emotional intelligence
- Practice active listening
- Resolve conflicts and mediate intelligently
Being reliable
Here you need to be doing exactly what you say you will.
You should be organised, manage your time effectively, know how long things will take and whether that time is enough for you to complete tasks while maintaining the right standards too. You will need to have the following qualities in you;
- Excellent work ethics
- Prioritisation of tasks
- Time management
- Stress management
- Ability to thrive under pressure
- Ability to meet tight deadlines
- Being trustworthy and conscientiousness
- Be responsible for your own actions
- Be able to delegate and ask for help when needed
- Take initiative and ownership
- Be intrinsically motivated
Willingness to learn new skills
A willingness to learn means being open to new ideas and experiences, and always looking to improve your skills and knowledge. Sometimes this is referred to as personal development, but that term is also used for a more formal process, of goal-setting, action and reflection. Whether you choose to make your learning process formal or informal, there is no question that the modern world requires all of us to continually update and revise our skills. Change is a constant in most workplaces, and the most valuable employees are those who embrace personal change and recognise that it offers more opportunities than threats. Employers generally want people who are resilient, adaptable and flexible; another key part of self-regulation and emotional intelligence.
So what’s your next step then?
Join an employability training. Study365’s employability skills course can help you groom yourself to be identified as a good candidate by your potential employer. Our Award in employability skills programme such as professional reflexology, learning about the English legal system and time management, can help you gain all the right soft skills needed to make your career a success. For more information, contact us at support@study365.co.uk
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