Top Skills To Show Off To Employers

According to recent reports, the most important skills that employers are looking for when recruiting new members of staff fall into 5 areas.

 

• Verbal Communication
• Teamwork
• Commercial Awareness
• Analysing & Investigating
• Initiative & Self-Motivation

Verbal communication

When asked about skills and strengths, people often relate these to work experience only. However, many skills and strengths are used in interests outside of work. These are called “transferrable” or “adaptive” skills rather than “work-related” ones. A lot of skills can be acquired, developed and improved to help you get that dream job. You might also be surprised to know that you probably have some of these skills already!

This is about being clear, concise and focused to get the right message across using verbal communication. Have you recently been in a meeting where you’ve had to share and discuss ideas? Ever given a presentation inside or outside of work? These are all ways of showing what verbal communication skills you have and which could be utilised into your new workplace.

Teamwork

Are you part of a sports team or other club? Being part of a club will help you develop skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership. This is an important adaptive skill that many employers are looking for. To really stand out to potential recruiters, you need to have the ability to manage and delegate to others and take on responsibility. Try to think of good examples you can mention in an interview.

Commercial Awareness

This is about knowing how a business or industry works and what makes a company tick. You need to show that you have an understanding of what the business wants to achieve through its products and services, and how it competes in its marketplace. Examples of already having this skill are: organising events, doing some marketing/promotion for a company/group, having an interest in current affairs or reading the financial pages of a newspaper.

Analysing & Investigating

Have you done any course projects, dissertations or essays? You will have used skills such as research, planning and organising if you have. You might have had to analyse some data as part of an experiment or debate and discuss a particular subject topic. These are all excellent examples you can put on your CV if you can’t find any work related experience.

Initiative/Self-Motivation

Have you ever used your initiative at work or in your personal life? This could be introducing a new system, facing a new challenge, forming a new idea. All of these are excellent examples you could use in a job interview. How do you motivate yourself at work? Do you meet pressing deadlines? Do you like being set targets? These are all self-motivation type skills that you may already possess.

When updating your CV, make sure you include some of these sought after skills to make you stand out from the crowd. Remember, if you cannot recognise your owns skills and strengths, then how can other people be expected to? You need to sell yourself and make the interviewer want you back for more!

We can give you lots of help and advice with writing your CV. We have access to lots of information we can share with you to help you find a new job or career. Give us a call and find out how!