Employability skills

Image of workerWhat skills are employers looking for when recruiting new employees? What skills and personal attributes would give you the best chance of a job and a successful career in an enterprise?

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Employability Skills for the Future site highlights a range of ‘employability’ skills as important not only to gain a job, but to progress within an organisation.

There are two facets to employability skills: ‘generic’ skills and ‘personal’ attributes (for example, loyalty, enthusiasm, motivation and sense of humour). The key generic skills identified, and how they contribute to the enterprise, are:

  • Communication - productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers;

  • Team work - productive working relationships and outcomes;

  • Problem-solving - productive enterprise outcomes;

  • Initiative/enterprise - innovative ideas and outcomes;

  • Planning and organisation - long-term and short-term strategic planning for the enterprise;

  • Self-management - employee satisfaction and growth;

  • Learning - improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes;

  • Technology - more effective work practices.

CMYOpportunity is a career guidance tool developed by Chandler Macleod worked and the Australian Government that provides students with an analysis of their personality and strengths, then guides them towards their most suitable career options.

Even before you start work you can start developing employability skills by gaining work experience, undertaking pre-vocational courses, sport and extracurricular activities.

Employability Skills Research