Have you ever wondered what the top 10 skills employers want are? Ever wanted to know what they are looking for as they grill you in the interview? There are certain competencies and behaviours that employers will look for in potential employees, and you will need to succeed in your career. You will develop these skills over time as you gain more and more experience.
Here are our top 10 skills employers want:
1. Communication
Do you have good listening, verbal and written communication? Communication is, possibly, the most important skill in the workplace. You need to be able to express yourself clearly, and understand your colleagues.
2. Flexibility
Are you adaptable? In order to be flexible you need to be willing to try something new and accept change in the workplace. Flexibility is also about being someone your employer can rely on.
3. Teamwork
Can you work confidently in a group? In most companies, it is important that you are able to work effectively with your colleagues. You will need to have the ability to work confidently and effectively, and know how to bring out the best in people.
4. Problem solving
Are you able to solve problems quickly and effectively? You will need to be able to gather the facts, use your creativity, reasoning and experience to reach a resolution.
5. Personal organisation
Are you good at managing your time? You need to have the ability to manage your own time and workload effectively by prioritising different projects and meeting deadlines.
6. Leadership
Can you demonstrate that you could potentially be a good leader? You need to be able to motivate others, set deadlines, assign and delegate tasks, and, most importantly, lead by example.
7. Negotiation
Do you find yourself regularly persuading people, and bringing them around to your way of thinking? Discussing, influencing and convincing others in order to reach an agreement is an important skill in business. The ability to change people’s minds is a powerful one.
8. Strong values
Do you have good work values? Someone with strong values at work are motivated, dependable, honest and self-confident with a positive can-do attitude and integrity.
9. Work under pressure
Can you keep calm under pressure? You will need to keep calm in a crisis without becoming overwhelmed or stressed.
10. Computer literate
Are you familiar with basic computer software? In today’s world, employers expect potential employees to be proficient with basic computer skills and programmes such as PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.
