1.2: Build the Skills Employers Need

In addition to the benefits of obtaining a college or university credential, you will also build new skills that will help you obtain a job, retain the position, and be successful in growing your career. Specific jobs may require specific hard skills, such as a Web Designer who needs hard skills in using software in order to build websites. Beyond hard skills, soft skills are required in order for you to communicate, work in teams, and manage yourself professionally in the workplace. Soft skills are considered transferable skills and are often considered employability skills. Employability skills  are the skills you need to enter, stay in, and progress in the world of work, whether you work on your own or as part of a team. Some of the most important employability skills you will need are the ability to work well with others, be a productive team member, and communicate well with others. Did you know that 90% of projects require team participation as opposed to individual responsibility, and 31% of companies say that miscommunication about project objectives is the number one reason why projects fail?^[1]

The Conference Board of Canada provides the Employability Skills Toolkit for download. The Toolkit is a guide to the skills needed to adapt and succeed in the world of work. It includes explanations and descriptions of these skills and ways to build them. The Toolkit includes key information about how to become job-ready and exercises to practice and apply what you have learned. These activities encourage thinking about which skills you have, which skills you may need to work on, and how you can improve them. The updated version of the Toolkit also includes information on how to prepare for and succeed in the future of work. You’ll find new content on digital skills and social and emotional skills to help you understand some of the skills that are in high demand by employers. Given the impacts of technology and automation on the working world, this version of the Toolkit also includes a new section on how to develop a change-ready, lifelong learning mindset, which is essential to help you navigate job transitions.^[2]

Employability skills fall into four broad categories as shown in Figure 1.1.

According to a blog post by Matt Gavin at Harvard Business School Online, every professional should know the following business fundamentals:^[3]

• Analytics. The demand for professionals with a keen understanding of business analytics and data science is on the rise.
• Financial accounting. No matter your profession, understanding the meaning behind the numbers on financial statements can be a boon to your career.
• Economics. Beyond an in-depth knowledge of your industry’s market demands, studying economics can equip you with the necessary skills to craft a successful business strategy and help your firm succeed against competitors.
• Leadership. The ability to lead and mobilize others is vital for all professionals.
• Negotiation. Knowledge of effective bargaining tactics can help you resolve conflicts that are otherwise deadlocked and equip you with the skills needed to maximize value in agreements.
• Strategy. An understanding of strategy formulation and execution can help professionals across all industries, making it easier for their organizations to meet business goals and adapt to new challenges and opportunities.
• Global business. Many of today’s largest and most successful organizations, such as Apple and Walmart, are multinational corporations conducting business worldwide. In an age of globalization, it’s highly beneficial for today’s professionals to broaden their knowledge of international business.

Communication Skills

The communication skills identified by the Conference Board of Canada include the following.^[4]

• Read and understand information presented in different ways (e.g., words, graphs, charts, diagrams).
• Write and speak so others can pay attention and understand.
• Listen and ask questions to understand and appreciate the points of view of others.
• Share information using different technologies (e.g., phone calls, e-mail, social media, the Internet).
• Use relevant knowledge and skills to explain or clarify ideas.

Teamwork Skills

In every job, you will be required to work with people. In college and university, you often work with your peers on group projects. Interacting with colleagues, managers, customers, and suppliers is part of everyday communication.

The teamwork skills identified by the Conference Board of Canada, Work with Others, include the following:^[5]

• Understand and work within the roles of a group.
• Make sure that a team’s purpose and aims are clear.
• Respect and support the thoughts, opinions, and contributions of others.
• Recognize and respect people’s diversity and perspectives.
• Accept and provide feedback in a useful and kind manner.
• Add to a team by sharing information and skills.
• Lead or support when it’s appropriate.
• Understand the role of conflict in a group in reaching solutions.
• Manage and settle conflicts.

The teamwork skills identified by the Conference Board of Canada, Participate in Projects and Tasks, include the following:

• Design or carry out a project with well-defined outcomes.
• Develop a plan, ask for feedback, and apply it.
• Work to shared standards of quality.
• Choose and use the right tools for a task or project.
• Adapt to changing information and conditions.
• Keep an eye on the success of a project or task throughout and find ways to improve.

Media Attributions

“Figure 1.1: Conference Board of Canada: Four Categories of Employability Skills is adapted from Chapter 1: Habits for Business Success in Business Fundamentals, 1st Edition, © Kerri Sheilds, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA.

Image Descriptions

Figure 1.1

• Blue square – “Fundamental Skills: These form the basis of your employability skills.”
• Purple square – “Social and Emotional Skills: These include your ability to read and manage emotions and build relationships.”
• Green square – “Personal Management Skills: These are your personal skills, attitudes, and behaviours.”
• Dark orange square – “Teamwork Skills: These are the skills you need to contribute productively to a group.”

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