What skills are employers looking for...
Of course employers look for appropriately qualified staff, nobody would want to see a doctor that didn’t have the right training and qualifications! However, personal skills are also really important, recent research with employers identifies the following:
| Skill | Examples of how to develop these skills |
| Motivation and flexibility | Senior Student, active listener, reading buddy, maths buddy, mentor for younger students |
| Enthusiasm and ability to learn | Attending school trips and educational visits, taster days, summer schools, learning a new sport or hobby |
| Verbal and written communication | Amateur dramatics, young enterprise, music performance, organising a dance group,fundraising, Youth parliament, school council, setting up own website |
| Ability to work in a team | Playing in a band, member of a sports team, Duke of Edinburgh award, voluntary and part time work |
| Planning, organisation and problem solving | Member of club or society, project work, voluntary or part time work, organising house events, talent shows |
| Self Presentation | School council, amateur dramatics, Work experience, part time work or voluntary work |
| Honesty and integrity | School council, part time work, senior student, team captain and other positions of responsibility |
Qualities Employers look for:
May 2011 - A survey of 1,000 employers by Reed has found that the qualities employers value mosthighly in staff are commitment, honesty, trustworthiness, adaptability, accountability and loyalty.
96% of those asked said they would recruit someone with the right attitude but who lacked all the desired skills over an applicant with all the right skills and the wrong attitude.