The top skills employers in the south west are looking for and how you can develop these over the festive season.
What skills are local employers looking for? In the recent Local Sector Skills Statements 2019 produced by Skills West, communication skills featured in the top three most desirable skills listed by employers across eight separate sectors in the south west.
Here are four key skills employers are looking for, matched with the festive events where you can develop and Ho! Ho! Hone! these skills:
1. Communication skills & festive gatherings: stuck at a Christmas party talking to a boring relative? Use the opportunity to practice your active listening skills. Businesses value employees who can communicate clearly in the workplace, can listen effectively and speak appropriately to a wide variety of people.
2. Team work & cooking Christmas dinner: are you cooking the Christmas dinner this year? What better opportunity is there than this to work as part of a team, under pressure, to deliver an output to a fixed deadline? Being able to work as part of a team is so important; successful and productive businesses are built on a diverse, cohesive team of people, working collaboratively.
3. Emotional intelligence & decorating the Christmas tree: Are you a fan of multi coloured flashing lights and baubles or do you prefer tasteful white lights and wooden reindeer? Emotional intelligence is understanding your values and learning how to manage your personality to be effective in the workplace. Take some time over the festive period to think about what motivates you and how you can articulate that, to find an employer that matches your values.
4. Resilience & opening your Christmas gifts: are you the recipient of yet another pair of NOVELTY SOCKS this Yuletide? Resilience is our ability to bounce back when things don’t go our way. Learning to manage our emotions and reactions to situations is another key life skill that employers are looking for. Also, one that is particularly invaluable throughout the job application process.
And don’t forget that this festive period to give yourself the gift of work experience. The Careers Service run two internship schemes supporting students and graduates, enabling you to gain quality paid work experience from SMEs in the UK, including charities, social enterprises and start-ups. Find out more about our schemes.