Have you got what they’ll be looking for?
Anyone who doesn’t know that the job market for young people is tough has been living under a rock.
But there are ways to make yourself more appealing to potential employers and boost your chances in the job market.
We’re going to take a look at what employers want to see in their employees – 10 skills employers look for when assessing job applicants.
A great ATAR isn’t enough
Getting a good ATAR does count, but it’s just one part of the puzzle.
Your marks tell potential employers that you’re a good learner, but they don’t give any indication of your other attributes. And those attributes, like flexibility, teamwork, and determination, can mean a lot more to your future employer than your ATAR.
Employers wants to know that you’ll work hard, learn fast, and fit into their team. So you need to show them you have those skills.
Core skills help you stand out from the crowd
The job market is competitive, and there are lots of people applying for every job.
Which means employers will look at what work experience or voluntary jobs you’ve done, what other skills you have to offer then assess you on a number of qualities they think are important to their team / business / brand before deciding if you should get the job.
Having a range of skills and being able to prove you have them, could help you stand out above the other candidates and make it easier employers to choose you.
10 of the key skills employers look for
The skills required to do each job will vary, but in general these are the ones that could help you stand out the most:
Communication
Flexibility
Determination
Team Work
Ability to Learn
Problem Solving
Loyalty
Resilience
Self-discipline
Tech Skills
We’ve got plenty of resources on our website that explain in more detail what these skills are, why they’re important in the workplace, how to gain or improve on them, as well as how to highlight your skills to employers when you’re applying for jobs.
To get you started you can even do a quick 10-minute skills test that’ll let you know what areas you’re already strong in and others where you may need to some work (it’s free for Study Work Grow Standard + Ponder Program members, you’ll just need your school code to set up a student account).