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What employers are looking for 
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Many employers report that students have trouble with grammar, can’t write, and lack presentation skills. Poor communication skills are often evident in the interview, where students are unable to articulate. While communication skills are lacking, it is ironic that communication skills top the list of employer’s most desired skills.
Consider the following top skills and focus on those you need to develop to be competitive in the job market:
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Evaluate your communication skills – do your friends always understand your explanations and notes? You need verbal communication skills for speaking; facilitating meetings; explaining ideas and information; using diplomacy and tact; negotiating; responding to questions and managing conflict situations. Written communication skills are needed for report writing; editing documents and letters; developing information for the organization. Practice to communicate clearly and effectively through emails, reports, essays, letters and presentations.
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Prioritizing – performing tasks in order of their importance
You need to be able to
- Manage your time and activities
- Co-ordinate, plan and organize
- Manage multiple priorities or new and changing situations
- Remain productive and effective during changing, new or difficult situations
- Asses, take risks and overcome obstacles
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Leadership and management skills – persuading people to participate in your plans and share your goals
These skills include setting clear goals and communicating them; delegate and assign tasks and responsibilities; evaluating performance; coordinating, planning and organizing; influencing and motivating others; making and implementing decisions; strategic planning; taking responsibility for actions; managing finances and budgets; providing feedback and facilitate growth and development.
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You are a part of the information age and computer skills are a basic fact of life for most employees. More and more jobs are demanding that employers become familiar with computer applications.
Enhance your computer know-how to improve your employability now and for the future. Ensure that you know Windows, PowerPoint, desktop publishing and how to prepare spreadsheets. Without the knowledge necessary to make simple presentations, spreadsheets, etc., a job seeker is likely to be passed over.
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Interpersonal relationships – getting along with others and fostering teamwork
Would you be able to facilitate good relations among your colleagues?
In the work situation you will:
- Manage interpersonal conflict
- Resolve concerns, questions and disagreements
- Motivate and encourage staff members
- Train and orientate staff members
- Develop relationships with individuals and within groups
- Build consensus and agreement
- Generate interest and enthusiasm about ideas and decisions
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Can you do several things simultaneously? Do you function well in difficult situations? Do you remain calm, tactful and professional even when facing deadlines? Can you maintain perspective and objectivity, manage complex situations, focus on relevant issues and be quick to understand and interpret information?
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Adaptability, flexibility and creativity
These skills are necessary for adjusting to changing situations and conditions, learning new information, applying knowledge, anticipating and resolving problems, generating ideas, remaining productive and effective during new or difficult situations.
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Problem solving, analytical and critical thinking
You need these skills to
- Identify and define situations and needs
- Analyze and assess options, methods and procedures
- Investigate causes and reasons behind issues and problems
- Research information, ideas and options
- Troubleshoot solutions
- Determine alternative resources, materials and ideas
- Maintain perspective and objectivity
- Focus and concentrate on relevant issues
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Apart from the skills mentioned, employers are also looking for the following personal characteristics:
- A positive attitude, enthusiasm, optimism
- Integrity, honesty, ethics and trustworthiness
- Self-motivation, self-reliance, drive and the ability to take initiative
- Maturity, responsibility, stability and dependability
- Self-confidence, self-awareness and self-insight
- Dedication, perseverance, tenacity
- Professionalism, etiquette and cultural awareness
- Intelligence, curiosity, inquisitiveness and a willingness to learn
- Wit and a sense of humour
- Sociable, friendly and easy to get along with
- Life balance, effective stress management, a sense of perspective
- Compassion, kindness, sensitivity and empathy
- Openness and acceptance of differences
- Sense of adventure and tolerance for risk
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Information adapted from the LAURIER Career Centre website (http://www.mylaurier.ca/career/students/info/home.htm) and Janet Garber’s ‘I need a job, now what?!’
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