10 skills that make every graduate employable
Employers place a lot of emphasis on finding candidates with the right skills and competencies for their organisations. Depending on the career sector and profession you choose to work in, there could be very specific skills, abilities and knowledge needed to do the job. In today’s edition, we present 10 skills that can help every graduate get that dream job they are aiming for.
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing, a popular tactic to drive sales and generate significant online revenue, is rapidly rising as a must-have skill due to the decline of traditional advertising and social media. . The skill is extremely beneficial to both brands and affiliate marketers, as the new push towards less traditional marketing tactics has paid off.
Affiliate marketing leverages company partnerships or influencers that are hyper-targeted to a particular audience.
2. Language skills
More and more jobs these days are looking for candidates who are bilingual. In many industries, being bilingual not only includes full proficiency in everyday conversation and business situations but near-native fluency in technical matters related to the job. Even being proficient in another language can make you stand out among those who only speak English.
The asset demonstrates proof that you harbour essential soft skills and a willingness to grow. Learning and mastering a second language may be a time-consuming process but is ultimately one that pays off; any international organisation working on a global platform is looking for employees that possess this very skill. If nothing else it is a valued life skill as well.
3. Blockchain
Blockchain is the core technology used in developing a cryptocurrency, that acts as the underlying system for such currencies and dealing with them. You can invest wisely if you know how blockchain works. Similarly, learning blockchain will help you understand and shortlist ICOs better.
For any graduate looking to enter a technological field, understanding this new and upcoming tech is a must. It has topped the Linkedin 2020 skills list and is the most in-demand skill in the US, the UK, and Australia as of 2021.
4. Decision Making
Within any work environment, decision-making skills are crucial in a number of situations. Whether the role is customer-facing or back-office, decisions have to be made (and not only by managers). Whether it’s a question of deciding which candidate to hire, which consultant to use, or what business plan to execute, having the capacity to make the best decision is critical for organisations.
Remember that the critical skill in decision-making is not learning techniques, but knowing how and when to apply the basic principles and constantly reevaluating and improving your methods.
5. Digital Skills
There is no industry today that is not digital to some extent. If you aim to be employed in the 21st century then possessing even basic computing skills is extremely important. Digital skills which may include SEO, affiliate marketing, WordPress etc are necessary for any graduate or job seeker in today’s day and age.
6. Networking
You may think of yourself as a pretty adept networker already. After all you’ve been able to develop a healthy following on various social media platforms. However, whilst that does help, your accounts have been well managed; building up a professional network is a different animal.
Far too many graduates leave university without being able to communicate on a business level with people of varying degrees of seniority. It may sound obvious, but it’s a professional skill that a surprising number of people simply don’t possess. Once you do manage to nurture your networking skills, take advantage of every opportunity – especially if your peers are still buried in their smartphones/tablets.
7.Communication
Not only do employers want to know that you understand the difference between speaking to senior staff, colleagues and clients, but communication is your only tool in the interview room. There is no place for nerves in a job interview and the more comfortable you are with communicating the better you will be able to express yourself in front of potential employers. Seek out opportunities to communicate with as wide a variety of people at work as you possibly can.
If you want to succeed in your professional (and personal) life, you need to be able to effectively communicate with others. To be a good communicator, one must learn to:
- listen
- empathize
- draw logical conclusions
- build rapport
- adapt language to your audience
- act accordingly upon the information you gather
8.Complex Problem Solving
The ability to take on a complicated problem and work on solving it has always been a high valued asset. It is not just about the solution – it is the process of figuring it out.
Think of a time when you took on a complicated problem and worked to resolve it: what happened? What did you do? It may be a problem presented by a customer or client, or perhaps a challenge facing your team. Think about specific examples, and find ways to share them on your resume and in your interviews.
9. Creativity
Creativity is the skill of the future – and it’s not limited to artistic fields or the creative team in an organisation. Creativity involves stepping outside the mundane to devise novel solutions to complex problems faced in your work environment.
In the workplace, creativity happens any time an employee thinks of a novel way to solve a problem — whether it’s improving the customer experience in some way or streamlining a cumbersome internal process.
According to the World Economic Forum, creativity will be the third-most-important skill for employees by 2020. With the modern style of working adapting and changing daily to meet the current challenges, creativity is one of the most sought after skills that can polish any graduate’s resume and make them stand out.
10. Fundraising
Effective fundraising is a critical part of successful political campaigns, charitable organizations, community organizations, entrepreneurship, and even scientific research. Virtually any endeavour that needs money needs to engage in fundraising can benefit from hiring a professional fundraiser.
What became very clear to me is that the experience of working in public fundraising can help develop exceptional interpersonal skills. The experience and skill is a perfect example of how well you can put forth your organisation and its cause. Fundraising is a skill valued highly even in the corporate sector.
