Skills, Attitude, and

Qualities to Get and

Employability Skills Keep a Job.
Today’s Objective

• An understanding of what employability skills are

• Why they are important
• What skills you already have
• Ideas on how to evidence your skills in a job
application or interview
• Ideas about how you can increase your
employability skills
 A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all
labor market participants should possess to
ensure they have the capability of being
Defining effective in the workplace – to the benefit of
themselves, their employer and the wider
employability economy.’
Skills
CBI, 2010
 Knowledge in a specific career.

Defining Examples:
employability
skills • An EMT knows CPR and other life
saving techniques
• A chemist knows the scientific method
• A musician knows scales and arpeggios
 Basic Academic skills

Reading

Defining Writing

employability Oral Communication

skills
Science

Math

Listening
 It also includes life skills
1. Decision Making - 2. Problem Solving -
Shows you know how to Shows leadership role to
evaluate options. find a positive solution.

Defining 3. Goal Setting - Shows 4. Critical Thinking -

you know how to set up a Shows you know how to
Employability plan to achieve specific be objective and think
Skills goals. logically

5. Communicating
Effectively - Shows you
know how to work with
others.
 (Myth) Once a career is chosen,
then the person is stuck with it.
Why are
employability
skills (Truth) Most people change
important? careers at least 5-7 times in their
lives. Skills developed in one job
can be used in different lines of
work or industries.
 Why are
employability
skills important?
Employers look for
them!
 Why are
employability
skills
important?
Most people don’t have them OR
don’t know how to show they
have them
The upside
• Most job-seekers possess these skills to some extent.

• Job-seekers with weaknesses in these areas can

improve their skills through training and personal
development.

• Once you understand the skills and characteristics that

most employers seek, you can tailor your job search
communications (your resume, cover letter, etc) to
showcase how well your background aligns with their
requirements.
 Communication Skills

Teamwork Skills

Self-Motivated/Ability to work with little or no supervision

Problem-Solving/Decision-Making, Reasoning/Creativity skills

Dedication/Hardworking/Work Ethic
Most sought Planning/Organizing Skills
after by Dependability/Reliability/Responsibility

Employers Adaptability

Availability/Flexibility

Honesty/Integrity/Morality—Character Counts!

Computer/Technical Skills

Interpersonal Abilities
 Self Presentation Skills
Multi Tasking Skills
Positive Attitude/Motivation/Energetic
Self-Confidence
Most sought Leadership/Management Skills

after by Multicultural Sensitivity/Awareness

Loyalty
Employers Professionalism
Willingness to Learn
Customer Service Skills
Common Sense
 1. Positive Attitude - Do not criticize others

2. Cooperative - Shows respect for employer

Employability 3. Accepting and using Feedback - Shows you want to

learn and are willing to improve.
Characteristics
4. Flexibility - Accept change and adapt to new
situation

5. Leadership - Able to make decisions and solve

problems. Shows others respect and people want to
work with you.
 Conflict Resolution - Look for
ways to reduce conflict with Set Academic Goals - Create a
siblings and communicate more plan to achieve.

How to Build effectively with parents.

Employability
Skills? Be Active in a Club – Beauty of
Color, Team Sports, 4-H,
Participate In Some Form of
Community Service - Dedicate
Student Government, Chorus your time and energy toward
and more. improving the community.
 Set goals for academic achievement

Set goals for volunteering

Thinking
Set goals for researching different
about your types of careers.
Career Set goals for building skills and
abilities
Set goals for earning and saving
money
 Ability to Meet Deadlines

Transferable College is an abundance of deadlines. If meeting

skills learned deadlines is an important skill in the job you seek,
by all means exploit it in your resume and your
in the cover letter.

classroom
 Ability to multi task

Transferable Dislike when your instructors require

skills learned simultaneous major papers and projects due at
once? Multi-tasking is increasingly valued in the
in the workplace, and your resume/cover letter gives
you the chance to boast of your ability to juggle
classroom many projects at once.
 Ability to achieve goals

Transferable Your good grades are proof of that skill, so boast

skills learned about them if they're exemplary. You may have
met other goals while in school, too, such as
in the graduating early. Any goal you've met while in
school is potential skill/ability to add to your
classroom cover-letter and/resume.
 Ability to adapt

Transferable Your college years will probably gave you your

skills learned first opportunity to make adult decisions and act
independently. How will you handle stumbling
in the blocks and disappointments along the way? The
way you rise above difficulties can provide solid
classroom examples.
 Writing skills
Transferable
skills learned Jobs that require good writing skills are a lot more
common than you probably think they are. If you
in the demonstrated your ability to write well in high
school, you can highlight that skill.
classroom
 Research skills

Transferable How many people who've been out in the "real

world" have research skills that are as fresh and
skills learned recent as yours? How many know as much as you
in the do about, say, conducting research on the
Internet? Probably not many, so for jobs where
classroom this ability may be helpful, be sure to emphasize
your research skills.
 A map that can show you a
way to reach your goals.

First, write a statement

Planning for a describing your ultimate career
career goal.
Example: I will be a Journalist
in Atlanta or New Orleans by
the time I am 30 years old.
 Include a timeline, for example:
• Get an “A” in Creative Writing class this
semester
Planning for a • Volunteer to write on a school newsletter
• Start a Blog about Food and culture
career • Research Colleges and Universities that offer
Journalism degrees by the end of this year.
 Goals and/or resources can change so
remain flexible and be ready to
implement your plan “B.”
Giving up one thing to get something else

Planning for a
career Focus on things that are most important

Create your own opportunities