6 Must-Have Skills to Make Your Job Application Shine Bright!

Getting a job can be tough, especially as technology changes the way we work. Employers are now looking for more than just good grades or qualifications. According to a major five-year study by the National Foundation for Educational Research, there are six key skills that will help people get and keep jobs in the future. These skills are called transferable skills because you can use them in many different jobs. With the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, up to three million jobs could disappear by 2035, making these skills even more important.

The first skill is organisation and planning. When you leave school, you might find that work is less structured, and you have to decide what to do on your own. Christian Townsley, who co-founded the North Bar group, says he looks for people who can stay calm and organised, especially when things get busy. He gives job seekers trial shifts to see how they handle customers and work with the team. As people move up in their jobs, they need to take on more responsibilities, like ordering supplies, planning marketing, and managing social media. Being able to organise and prioritise tasks is essential.

Problem-solving and decision-making are also highly valued. Employers want workers who can react quickly to problems and make good choices. Maria Aderonmu, who works in strategy at Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, says her experience in a university debating society helped her learn to think on her feet. Her boss, India Chaplin, says young people should think about times they solved problems at school or in a team and use those examples in job interviews. Employers are interested in how you approach challenges, even if you have not faced the exact same situation before.

Communication is another key skill. Jake Readman, a general manager at North Bar, says being able to talk clearly and resolve conflicts is important in a busy workplace. He encourages people to be confident and show initiative. El Cousins, a job seeker, prefers to hand in her CV in person so employers can get a sense of her personality. This personal touch helped her get a job offer.

Teamwork and collaboration are essential in many workplaces. At Barbour, a clothing company, HR director Lynn Bassett says they look for people who can work well with others, even if they do not have all the technical skills. Addie Pattas, a fashion student on placement at Barbour, says teamwork is a big part of her job, especially when repairing jackets. She has to communicate with different departments to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Creativity is also important, not just in jobs like fashion but in all kinds of work. Employers want people who can think differently and come up with new solutions when things do not go as planned. At Barbour, interviewers ask candidates to talk about a time when they had to fix a problem in a creative way.

The final skill is being able to evaluate information and data. In today’s world, many jobs require you to look at data and decide what is important. India Chaplin says that just having data is not enough; you need to use your judgement to understand what it means and share the right information with your team. For example, engineers might need to look at weather forecasts and decide what is important for their work.

These six skills—organisation, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, creativity, and data evaluation—are what employers are looking for. Jude Hillary, who led the research, says these skills will help people find and keep jobs, even as technology changes the workplace. Schools and colleges are being encouraged to teach these skills, not just focus on academic learning. The government is also looking at ways to help more young people get ready for work, such as starting technical education earlier and offering more work experience.

If you are looking for a job, think about how you can show these skills to employers. Use examples from school, clubs, or other experiences to show that you can organise, solve problems, communicate, work in a team, think creatively, and understand information. These skills will help you stand out and succeed in the changing world of work.