The job market has become highly competitive over the years. The fact that universities in places like the United Kingdom are producing over 300 000 graduates per year makes job hunting even more daunting for most. Whether you are a fresh graduate or someone looking for a career change, in these times, being more employable is more than vital.
To be more employable means to be more attractive to employers. The Institute of Employment Studies 1998 states that, “Employability is the capability of getting and keeping satisfactory work.” Nowadays having a degree alone is not enough to impress employers because there are so many people out there with the same qualifications. You need to be outstanding and possess certain skills that set you apart from the rest of the job hunters
Here is a guide on how to become more employable:
Know what skills employers are looking for
When you know exactly what someone is looking for it makes it easier to make yourself attractive to them. Several surveys have been conducted to find out what skills employers value most when hiring. The following twelve where at the top of the list of the University of Central England’s Employer Satisfaction Survey:
- Willingness to learn
- Commitment
- Dependability/reliability
- Self-motivation
- Team work
- Communication skills (oral)
- Co-operation
- Communication skills (written)
- Drive/energy
- Self-management
- Desire to achieve/motivation
- Problem-solving ability
Identify the skills you don’t have and work on acquiring them
Now that you know the skills that are required, you have to identify the skills you have and don’t have. The next step will be to acquire what you don’t already have. You may not possess all the skill listed above, but you can do some research about the type of job you are looking for and see which skills are listed more frequently and work harder on obtaining those.
Obtaining the skills does not have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are various affordable online resources that can help you polish your skills. Some of them can even be free.
Clean up your online reputation
In this Digital age we live in, a majority of employers now use social networks as part of their background checking process. It is wise to ensure that your online reputation is squeaky clean to avoid missing out on great job opportunities because of an inappropriate photo or comment. You can also register yourself on professional networking sites such as Linkedin to show professionalism.
Get some work experience
Work experience in the field you are applying into is always an added bonus. Work experience does not always have to be paid, you can start off by volunteering or signing up for an unpaid internship. It shows your willingness to learn and a commitment to your choice of career as well as self-motivation. These are all very attractive features to prospective employers. Another way to break into your chosen field may be to apply for temp jobs. If you do well enough you may end up landing yourself a permanent position.
Tatenda Makayi works for the recruitment Pretoria division of one of the most popular HR companies in South Africa.
