Looking for a job? Cultivating these skills will impress employers

CAPE TOWN – Whether you’re just entering the working world, or whether you’re on the hunt for new employment opportunities, it’s important to note the key skills employers are looking for.

The world keeps changing and technology keeps improving, and to stay ahead of the curve, many businesses are rethinking the kinds of skills they need to keep their organisations running efficiently.

Dr Veronique Genniker, Trust Director at global education group Pearson South Africa, said graduates should make sure that they have the relevant, work-readiness skills that will make potential employers take notice.

“In addition to all the hard skills that you have learned during your studies, you should also cultivate the soft skills that employers value and need, in this rapidly changing world of work,” said Genniker.

She said employers seek creative and critical thinkers, who are able to solve complex problems and more.

“It is imperative to have a growth mindset underpinned with a culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion to enable you to engage daily with complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management and emotional intelligence which are now highly sought after by employers,” she said.

Genniker says having the above skills shows potential employers that workers are aware of the rapidly changing nature of work and that they would be a value-add to their organisations from day one.

The best way to develop these skills before joining the workforce, Genniker says, is to gain practical experience either through internships or work-readiness programmes, which can help set job-seekers apart from other candidates.

“It is also important to look for initiatives by companies and other stakeholders that focus on developing future work skills. Businesses and educational institutions often work with schools and universities to get students involved in programmes that develop future-ready skills. Apply for many programmes that help students develop high-level critical thinking, future scenario building and innovation,” says Genniker.

Students and those already employed should never stop looking for opportunities to reskill and upskill, according to Genniker.

“The world is changing rapidly and – more than ever before – skilled professionals have to adapt if they want to remain relevant. This means that lifelong learning and skills development is going to be the norm for individuals who want to build sustainable or change careers.

“Embrace this growth mindset, diversity, equity and inclusive culture, learn as much as you can throughout your career and add to your skillset every day of your working life – do this and you’ll go far, and most importantly even enjoy your job,” says Genniker.