Employability Skills might not be a phrase you have heard before, but it is currently a very important factor for all people looking to either begin working, change career or return to working after a break. The term applies to the skills that you hold and have noted on your CV that make you more appealing to a potential employer.
It’s not just qualifications that employers look for in their new employees anymore, they want to see that you are a well rounded individual who is motivated and prepared to learn new skills as and when needed. So this means holding skills such as communication and time management, rather than just your traditional GCSEs or A-Levels.
Employability Skills cover things down to the simplest of factors such as how to write a good CV that makes your potential employers notice you before you have even got your foot through the door for an interview. With the current turbulent times that the world is going through, more and more people are finding themselves in a position where they need to find work and so it’s more vital than ever that you manage to stand out from the crowd to get the chance of a new job.
Before making yourself available on the job market, it’s always worth taking a moment to review your CV and skill set. Sometimes, it can help to get a friend or family member to look over your CV and make comments on how you come across, ask them to be critical and point out areas of your CV where they feel you could improve on what you have written. Remember, most potential employers (or recruitment agencies) will only spend on average 30 seconds scanning your CV for keywords, skills and experience.
Try if you can, to look at things from an employers side when choosing and deciding on which Employability Skills to complete, for example, if you are new to the job market and have little or no experience, then try and do courses in things such as Office Administration or Customer Service, so that when your potential employer scans your CV, they will see those key words and read further. By doing the courses without them being a requirement of your job or previous employer, you are showing a willingness and drive that a lot of employers like to see in new employees.
No matter how long you have been looking for work or already working, there is always room for improvement and always room for more Employability Skills to be on your CV.