In today’s job market, job seekers have problems getting a job for many reasons. One of the main reasons is the lack of experience. Most companies seek applicants who already have some relevant experience in the position. But being a first-time job-seeker can mean you have little to no experience. However, this is where employability skills became important in the picture.
Some companies are hiring people not because of their job experience. But most notably, it is because they already have the employability skills that the employer is looking for.
But what are these employability skills?
WHAT IS EMPLOYABILITY?
Employability — from the words “employ” and “ability”.
There is a collection of definitions from the International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences. However, to summarise all the definitions, employability is the ability to be employed. It refers to your skills that allow you to be hired. This refers to your ability to attain an initial job, maintain that job, and obtain a new job if needed.
Nowadays, it is hard to land a job if you do not match the skills that the employer is looking for. But some employers are not looking for people with the best work-related experience. In some cases, they look for the employability skills that a person has. This is for them to check whether they fit the job or not. And whether they can contribute to the team or not.
WHY ARE EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IMPORTANT?
As much as it is important to gain work experience, applicants should also take time to develop their employability skills. These skills will show employers that you can contribute something to the team. It will make you stand out in a pool of applicants. By proving that you can do things with the help of your employability skills, then you are a strong candidate to land the job.
You can be trained for the job that you're applying for. But when it comes to employability skills, these should be possessed and developed for quite some time. Therefore, in some cases, employers choose people with employability skills but with no work experience as compared to choosing someone with relevant work experience but lacking employability skills.
But specifically, what are these employability skills? And do you possess them?
TOP EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS EMPLOYERS VALUE
Employability skills are skills that the majority of people already possess. Some people just need to develop it. These skills don’t need training to have. They just occur naturally over time and experience. These employability skills are non-technical skills, often referred to as “soft skills”, “people skills” or even “emotional intelligence”.
There are a lot of employability skills that are highly valued by employers across different industries. However, here are some Top Employability Skills that you might already have:
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COMMUNICATION SKILLS
This is one of the most important employability skills a job seeker should have. Communication skills will help you express your ideas clearly and engage in conversation with anyone. In this case, being able to communicate well with your employer will give you a high chance of being hired. Answering their questions well can raise your points. However, having communication skills is not just about having the ability to speak. It is also the ability to listen and comprehend the message that they are delivering to you. Communication goes both ways thus having both the skills to speak and listen is very important.
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TEAMWORK
According to an English author, John Donne, "No man is an island." This means that no one is self-sufficient. Everyone relies on others. With that being said, having the ability to collaborate well with the people in the team is a must. In a company, you are needed to work with other people sharing the same goal with you. If you do not know how to be a team player, some conflicts might occur during work. Thus, an individual must have the power to work with other people to secure a peaceful and productive environment.
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PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS
In work, it is not inevitable for problems to arise, intentionally or unintentionally. And whether you like it or not, you might encounter a situation that you need to solve. With that being said, being equipped with problem-solving skills is very vital. Being someone who can think critically of a solution easily will increase your chances of being hired. Employers want someone to be trustworthy. Thus, someone they can rely on to solve problems independently is who they want to become part of their company.
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INITIATIVE
The same as problem-solving skills, having initiative is just common sense. Having the initiative to do things without being told to do so is what employers are looking for in applicants. The majority of the time, people in your company get busy doing their job and might not tend to you. So, having the initiative to do things without being guided is something that they want to be in their team.
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PLANNING AND ORGANISING SKILLS
Your personality will somehow reflect your work. Hence, showing the employer that you are organised and can be trusted in planning is good. Having the ability to plan and organise things on your own will not only help your company but also personally. It will show that you are not a messy worker and you will contribute to bringing order to work. Being organised is not only beneficial for employability skills but as a skill you use daily in general. This will prevent future problems and errors in the workplace caused by being unorganised and unprepared.
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DECISION-MAKING SKILLS
Quick critical thinking skills are good but they should be based on logic. And most definitely, it should be rational. Hence, it is also very good to have good decision-making skills. This refers to the ability to make educated, yet quick decisions that are based on logic and reasoning. Having this ability displayed while looking for a job will raise your chance of being hired. Because this will show them that you are capable of deciding on your own. This will also lead them to trust you in your decision-making skills in the company or team.
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SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
This skill allows you to control and regulate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviour effectively in different situations. Work can be stressful and sometimes, it can’t be avoided to have negative emotions in the workplace. However, knowing how to gracefully control your emotions and remain calm in the workplace is a must. This will show that despite any situations and the pressure that you are currently in, you are still functional. This will show that you are a professional, knowing how to manage both work and your emotions.
But take note that this is not about shutting down your emotions. This simply means that you cannot let your emotions affect your work, and most importantly, the people around you.
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ADAPTABILITY SKILLS
Having the ability to quickly adapt to things is very important. The skill to quickly pick up the pace in your work is helpful in a way that you can learn very fast. In this case, you can be very productive at work. Also, adapting quickly means that you can easily absorb the things that you need to do on the job. This makes it easier to adapt to routines as well.
Always remember that change is inevitable, especially in the workplace. Unexpected changes might arise that will shift this routine. Thus, you must adapt very quickly and be able to do your work despite the change.
These skills might sound basic and easy for some people. However, these skills are very important to have. By having these skills from the very start, your odds of getting a job are high. And this is all thanks to your employability skills.
With how crucial it is, it is very important to develop these skills. Especially when you are on an employment search.
But how do we develop these skills? How can we improve our employability skills?
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
Developing employability skills may take time however it is not impossible. Especially if you already possess them in the first place. Here are some ways on how you can improve your employability skills so you can ace your next job interview!
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PRACTICE MAKES IT BETTER.
Most of the time, people already have these skills. But the only thing that they need to do is practice these skills. Showing these skills daily, and not only for interviews, might help you develop these even in your personal life. Being able to use these skills daily will help you develop and improve them over time. You can use these naturally in the workplace. Since you already practised having these skills as part of your personal life and not just at work. In this case, you can use these skills smoothly without trying too hard. As usual, practice makes everything better --- even these employability skills!
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DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LEARN NEW THINGS.
Sometimes, you acquire these skills by trying new things you haven't tried before. By trying new things, these skills may spark something inside you that you have no idea you have all along. You can gain experiences that will help you improve or discover these skills. Not restricting yourself in terms of experience, and by trying new things, you are exposing yourself to personal development. By being open to trying new things, you are also expanding your odds of developing these skills. So, do not be afraid to learn new things and discover these employability skills.
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SEEK FEEDBACK AND CONTINUE LEARNING.
Learning never stops. Despite you acquiring these employability skills already, you can still improve by seeking feedback about how to be better. Ask for feedback everywhere! From your family, friends, colleagues, superiors, and everyone you know that will help you improve your employability skills. You should not limit yourself. Expand your horizons for more because every day is a new day for a learning opportunity. Your skills are developing as you keep on growing not only as a worker but as a person in general.
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TAKE ONLINE COURSES.
Lastly, taking courses online is something that might help you develop your skills. Especially your employability skills! Nowadays, everything is accessible through the internet. You can do anything online, even enrolling in a course that will improve your skills!
Here at the College of Contract Management, we are offering online courses that you can use to develop and improve any skills that you want to have, from technical skills to employability skills.
By taking courses online, you are maximising your time for professional growth. You are learning and at the same time, you are still free to embark on other things. Since you are not taking the course in a physical set-up. This will give you more time without compromising your journey in self-improvement in terms of employability skills.
BOOST YOUR EMPLOYABILITY WITH THE COLLEGE OF CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
By having employability skills, this will boost your chances of being employed. But it is also very important that you equip yourself with the necessary skills. Especially in the job that you're applying for.
Don’t worry because we, at the College of Contract Management, will help you! We can aid in improving your employability skills. And of course, also, in getting you prepared with the skills needed for your next job!
We offer postgraduate courses, degree courses, diploma courses, CPD courses, and even personal development courses. We offer a wide range of options for these courses from Accounting & Finance, Business, Construction, Design, Engineering, and many more.
College of Contract Management not only offers online courses. Most importantly, we are also giving you access to job opportunities that you might encounter in the future. As you can see on our website about job opportunities, graduates from the College of Contract Management have a wide variety of skills. This makes them successful professionals. Thus, we can guarantee you that a lot of job opportunities are waiting for you once you graduate.
So, what are you waiting for? Start by enrolling at the College of Contract Management now!
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER?
Having employability skills and developing them will boost your job prospects. Knowing your strengths in terms of these skills will help you ace your interview. And luckily, through these skills, you will land your dream job!
Here in the CCM UK, we encourage the improvement of people willing to expand their knowledge and improve their skills. We also like to cater to anyone willing to learn, regardless of where they are. So, we are available online around the world with just one click away.
If you are interested, click on our website to learn more about our programs. Start your journey to pursuing job prospects and career success today!
We, at College of Contract Management, wish you good luck in your next job interview!
