Employability Skills: What They Really Are

We shall consider the factors that make people to be unemployed. We shall also contrast it with factors that can make you hunted for in the labour market. We shall dwell more on developing employability skills.

What is employability?

Employability has been defined as "the capability of getting and keeping satisfactory work".

It is not just getting a 'work' but getting a satisfactory one and keeping the work for a lifetime or very long period in time. Employability is not in isolation on its own, there are skills attached that accompany your being employable.

WHAT ARE EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS?

Employability skills have been defined as:

"A set of achievements, understandings and personal attributes that make individuals more likely to gain employment and to be successful in their chosen occupations". 

I want you to take note of those three key words very closely; achievements, understandings and personal attributes. These are the three major things that employers need to see in their prospective employees. If you lack these, your employer will find it difficult to depend on you because you are just empty, having little or nothing to offer. But when you have these set of skills, congratulations, because you'll be wanted by almost employer.

Now your achievement may include the activities you have championed, like if you're the captain of your football team for a certain year(s), it would have given you leadership qualities, fast reasoning and always being careful because you're an image.

Your understanding must be pronounced without a word said. That could be possible with the way you react, the way you answer questions, the way you attend to issues, always analysing before taking the next step, etc. You must show high degree of understanding especially between two parties.

Your personal attributes is another essential element that employers seek from their prospects. Your character should be able to speak for you. The way you present yourself should send a welcoming and positive message to your employer. There should be no element of doubt traced in you because employers seek for who they can trust and trust duties in their hands.

You can also refer to employability skills as “A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer and the wider economy.” 

You may also see these skills referred to as transferable skills (because skills developed in one area of your life can be transferred to other areas) or personal skills. In the context of your career planning and development, they are called career management skills.

Other factors that may influence employability;

1. Knowledge and abilities relating to a particular job;

2. The ability to identify suitable job opportunities;

3. Self-presentation (on applications and at interviews)

4. External factors such as the job market and personal circumstances.

So far, we have established some vital points. Now we shall look at the place of degree in our career and job hunting

A DEGREE IS NOT ENOUGH

You can't rely on your degree alone to automatically open doors after you graduate. It will certainly unlock doors - in other words, it will make you eligible to apply for jobs that specify "must be a graduate” and the subject or class of your degree may also be important to certain employers. However good your degree class, however relevant your subject to the career that you'll be applying for, it is likely that you will be competing for this job with a number of other graduates who are equally well-qualified academically.

Your degree is very important but its importance has a limit and that's the lesson I want you to draw. If you don't have any skill but a degree alone, you'll soon regret even going to school in the first place.

So you have to accompany your degree with vital skills, side by side with your academics or any other time. But note that employers will employ a skillful graduate that made 2¹ or 2² or even 3rd class than to employ a skill-less 1st class graduate.

Once your degree has unlocked the door, you'll need the right mix of skills, abilities and personal qualities in order to turn the handle and give the door the push that will open it to you.

In conclusion, to enhance your chances of excelling in the labour market as an employee, there are set skills you should have. These skills in combination with your academic degrees will increase your chances of being employed.

Written By Ogadinma, Onyekachi Reformer
For: First Concept