Employability

People simply weren’t able to either articulate or demonstrate the skills they had that would enable them to be a good employee. It wasn’t necessarily that they didn’t have the skills but more about being able to understanding the skills and experience they had and how to bring it to bear in an interview situation.

The much taken for granted abilities of being able to work in a team, communicate clearly, listen well, be interested and keen to learn, take criticism, think critically, solve problems, read, write, do maths, while having a basic knowledge of technology.

These employability skills are the enabler of our increasingly complex and interconnected workplace. They are not and will never be a substitute for specific knowledge and technical skills, but expertise is of limited value if you cannot communicate or work with others.

When I used to sit on Graduate recruitment panels I used to see people making basic mistakes in spelling and calculations while being assessed. I then found myself making judgements about people on the basis of could I work with them and would they work in my team. Would I want to invest my time effort and energy in developing them? Their qualifications got them through the door, their employability skills were however key in securing them an opportunity!

The reality is that you are likely going to spend eight hours working with colleagues, customers or suppliers dealing with issues, solving problems and making things happen. It is the ability to do this piece which is as important as your overall ability.