Essential Skills for Employment

The National Association of Colleges and Employers developed a list of essential skills employers look for in an
employee. This list of career-readiness skills was developed through extensive research among employers in
the United States (details about the research are available here – Employer Survey Results).
You should research specifics within your own region and industry but these general skills are widely desired
and will help you be more marketable in your career and job search throughout the world.

8 Essential Skills
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Oral/Written Communications
 Use sound reasoning to analyze issues, make  Clearly and effectively articulate thoughts and
decisions, and overcome problems express ideas:
 Obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and  In writing and in speaking
data for reasoning and analyzing  To persons inside and outside the organization
 Bonus: demonstrate originality and inventiveness  Create, edit and communicate effective and clear
memos, letters, and technical reports.

Teamwork/Collaboration Digital Technology

 Build collaborative relationships with colleagues
and customers of diverse cultures, races, ages,
genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints
 Work within a team structure
 Negotiate and manage conflict
 Use existing digital technologies ethically and
efficiently - to solve problems, complete tasks, and
accomplish goals
 Adapt quickly and effectively to new and emerging
technologies

Leadership Career Management

 Leverage the strengths of others to achieve
common goals
 Use interpersonal skills to coach and develop
others
 Assess and manage his/her emotions and those of
others
 Use empathetic skills to guide and motivate
 Organize, prioritize, and delegate work
 Identify and articulate one's skills, strengths,
knowledge, and experiences relevant to the
position desired and career goals
 Identify areas necessary for professional growth.
 Navigate and explore job options
 Understand and take the steps necessary to pursue
opportunities
 Self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace

Professionalism/Work Ethic Global/Intercultural Fluency

 Demonstrate personal accountability and effective  Value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures,
work habits (punctuality, working productively with races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and
others, and time workload management) religions
 Understand the impact of non-verbal  Demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity,
communication on professional work image and the ability to interact respectfully with all
 Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior people
 Act responsibly with the interests of the larger  Understand and respect individuals’ differences
community in mind
 Learn from mistakes

Essential Skills adapted from competencies provided courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, www.naceweb.org