Have you never even had a part time job? If this is you then you might be thinking ‘No one will employ me because I haven’t got any work skills’. Don’t give up though…If you're worried about your employability skills read on. There are plenty of ways that you can impress a future boss without having to have been employed before. The important thing is to remember that the skills and attitudes that employers want their employees to have can be gained and evidenced without having had a job.What skills are employers looking for?
The ability to spell and write in an appropriate way. In most job roles, you will need to write and respond to e mails, even if you don’t have to write an actual letter to go by snail-mail. Often you will need to produce written reports too. They’re not looking for Shakespeare, just employees who know the basics like how to sign off an e mail or letter politely and how to write in a formal way.
Basic numeracy – again, unless you are going for a job which involves high-end mathematical knowledge, your employer will just want you to be able to use your numerical skills in an everyday manner.
Organizational skills refer to the ability to organise yourself more often than not – unless you’re in a management position you won’t need to organise other people. You do need to be able to manage your time and prioritise jobs though.
Decent computer skills – again, unless you’re going for a job that requires you to use specific and specialist software, your employer will be happy if you can use basic software like Word and perhaps PowerPoint and Excel.
Communication skills – these are really important, employers will want someone who understands the difference between communicating with a friend and communicating with a client or work colleague. Add to this the ability to answer the phone properly and send a decent e mail and you’ll be covered.
How can you show a potential employer that you are capable of these things if you haven’t had a job already?You will be developing skills all the time – you’re just not thinking about it probably. If you’ve studied for a GCSE, BTEC, NVQ or A-level then guess what?...you’ve written essays and reports all of which can show that you are capable of written communication – so if you had any particularly positive feedback on one of these dig it out and shout about it.If you’ve given a presentation ever at school (and who hasn’t?) then you have evidence that you can communicate with a specific audience – plus use a computer if you used presentation software.And if you have ever completed a project (by the deadline), organised an event or booked a holiday then clearly you have some organizational skills.Don't forget, your gap year can offer a great opportunity to develop your skills too.So, don’t give up…consider all the skills that you already have that make you work ready!
