There’s a lot more to getting a job than just having a degree or
qualifications. Employers want somebody who will be beneficial to the
company in more than just one way and so the more skills you have, the
better your chance at sealing the deal and getting that job. And it’s
never too late to increase your skill set and develop yourself as a
potential employee.
With this in mind, we discuss 10 skills that will help you to get a job easily.
10. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and
rationally and includes the ability to engage in reflective and
independent thinking. Having a logical approach to problem solving an be
crucial in saving time and reaching the optimum solution to a problem.
If you think that you lack logic and organised problem solving skills
then the first step you need to take is to realise that although some
lucky people are naturally better than others,
critical thinking is a learnable and developable skill.
9. Active Listening
The ability to listen is another desirable skill that employers look
for. And not just sitting there with a smile on your face but actively
paying attention, understanding what the person is trying to explain,
and the ability to retain and recall the stuff that you hear.
Listening is also crucial in forming appropriate questions and fully
understanding exactly what needs to be done. People with a limitted
attention span are hardly the sort you want at a meeting table.
8. Computer and electronic skills
We are living in an increasingly digital world. Gone are the days of
filing cabinets and handwritten records; whatever occupation you find
yourself in there’s a huge chance you’re going to be working with some
electronic equipment or computer. Having a skill level in computers
above the average person you’ll find yourself in better stead to get the
job.
Office software is also widely used across all disciplines of work and so having a little extra knowledge in
programs such as Excel and Word is definitely something you want to flaunt.
7. Judgement and Decision Making
Having a good ability to judge a situation is critical for forward
thinking. It’s a skill that improves with experience and one you’re sure
to learn if you ever make a mistake. However you can speed the learning
curve by knowing where gaps in your knowledge are so that you can learn
and improve more efficiently, which will also make you a better
decision maker as you will have more knowledge to base the decision
upon.
It’s good to know what you know and to recognise when you are not
sure in something to check it with somebody who would know. The
experience of others is crucial to your learning and allows you to
develop quicker and better, which in turn offers development for the
company too.
6. Time Management
Time management is something employers will definitely be looking
for. A person with good time management will often get more work done
and able to work better under heavy pressure than those who don’t keep
track of the ticking hands.
A punctual person is one who is never late and is good at meeting
deadlines and without good time management you can find yourself under
even more pressure than necessary. You know what they say, time is
money.
5. Team Work Skills
Chances are you’re going to be working with other people and so you
need to be able to understand other people well. Good team working
skills requires a lot of sub-skills such as patience, respect, listening
and interpersonal skills.
Nobody wants a person on the team who is difficult to work with; just
one person can disrupt the workflow of everyone in the company.
4. Communication Skills
Another vital skill. You need to be able to explain yourself clearly
and quickly; this applies to both verbal and written communication. Bad
communication in a company can lead to a plethora of mistakes, but the
opposite will save time and result in less mishaps.
Listening also falls under this category, as well as verbal, writing and thinking.
3. Commercial Awareness
We’re sorry Marxists but we do live in a capitalist world. Business
is driven by profit and in order to achieve profit you need commercial
awareness. It’s also vital to be able to relate to and adopt the
company’s vision and targets.
Relative work experience is great to demonstrate this however a
strong interest and ability to demonstrate knowledge relating to the
product or service will also go down well.
2. Monitoring
You need to be able to reflect on the past to allow you to improve as
you go forward. This requires a degree of honesty to oneself to be able
to recognise your own flaws and weaknesses and to work on them. No
company wants to employ someone who repeats the same mistake over and
over again.
1. Sales and Marketing
Actually, even if you are not specialised in business or marketing,
you should the principles of marketing and selling products and
services. This involves the marketing methods and tactics, product
display, sales strategies along with control systems and promotions.
This is a very critical skill that needs good negotiations skill.
