Employability Skills: What You Need to Succeed
By: Jessica Marquez, MBA
State Specialist in Urban Community
Resource Development
Employability skills are the non-technical, transferable skills that make you ready for work. They help you communicate, solve problems, work in teams, and adapt to changing environments. These soft skills that employers often look for first – because they tell them how well you can work, not just what you can do.
Intrapersonal/Personal: positive attitude, reliability, taking initiative, adaptability, flexibility
Interpersonal/Social: communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, empathy
Cognitive: critical-thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, time management, planning and organizing
Digital: ability to use common digital tools, finding and evaluating information
Professional: work ethics, professionalism, willingness to grow and learn from others
Employers value soft skills (human skills) because they can't always be automated.
Work-based learning (internships or job shadowing) help students apply and grow these skills in a real-world context.
Building these skills can increase your chances of being hired and succeeding on the job.
Listening - use direct eye contact, ask clarifying questions, focus on the speaker
Adaptability - take on new challenges, learn from others, seek feedback, set goals
Collaboration - communicate clearly, build trust, provide and receive feedback, be a team player
Critical thinking - find solutions to problems, think of new ways to complete tasks, ask questions
Leadership - taking initiative, seeking mentorship, continuous learning, developmental intelligence/empathy for others
Organization - prioritize tasks, develop routines, manage your time, delegate, set realistic expectations/goals
Reliability - be on time, stay organized, follow procedures, take accountability, follow through