There is no one definition of employability, but the common one states that it is the ability to get employment and stay employed. It also refers to being ale to get alternative employment if necessary.
The current economic climate brought challenges and job security is not something that employees should realistically expect. Therefore, having knowledge, skills and abilities has become a high priority.
Jobs are always changing as well as the organisations. We must, therefore realise that investing in ourselves is imperative. We can this way stay employable.
Employability is not something that employee addresses alone. The employer needs to support the employee to develop their skills, knowledge and abilities. Even governments see this as important as it is likely that the country will stay competitive in the works trade market. If a country have no effective level of knowledge, skills and abilities it will start to struggle and compete with other countries to progress further.
The UK also recognise that people and their skills are the key drivers of productivity.
For any one of us the employability depends on many factors. The knowledge, skills and abilities we have, but also on the quality of our knowledge, skills and abilities. We also need to invest in keeping those and developing them further. These also need to be relevant and possible to demonstrate to the employer that we have it.
The skills, knowledge and abilities are the assets and main building blocks. It is important not to focus only on one organisation. The skills need to be applied more widely.
We also must be aware of what we already possess and have a plan on how to develop it further. We should be aware of what the marketplace wants that includes the requirements of relevant profession.
We must be also willing to step forward and the part in projects as well as face difficult challenges. We have the freedom of deciding on what level of employability we want.
We need to be realistic about our ambitions, as not everyone can have the most senior job in the organisation. We are to aim to something that is achievable, rather than aiming for the very top and being disappointed. It is, however, important to think big and still focusing on the development of our skills.
Employers are looking for people to interact with customers, solve technical problems, work in teams on various projects and be effective as quickly as possible. We must ensure that the skills we develop are attractive to whom you want to work for. Survey suggest that team working, oral communication, flexibility, adaptability, customer focus and the problem solving are the qualities must sought by the recruiters.
Cognitive skills - critical thinking, analysis and synthesis. We need to be able to evaluate statements in terms of evidence, check the logic of an argument, define terms and make generalisations.
Problem solving and decision making skills - qualitative and quantitative. You need to be able to identify, assess and solve business problems.
Research and investigative skills - you need to be able to resolve business and management issues both individually as well as a team.
Information technology skills - you need to be able to use a range of business applications.
Numeracy skills - data analysis and interpretation.
Communication skills - oral and written and using different media.
Interpersonal skills - presentation, talking and listening, negotiation.
Team working skills - we need to be able to contribute to team projects.
Learning skills - you need to be motivated to learn and reflect in different contexts.
Self-awareness - sensitivity and openness to others with emotional intelligence.
Organisations play a key role in increasing the skill level of their workforce. This is the key to improving productivity and economic growth. To ensure sustainable and effective talent, businesses need to understand their current and future business needs.
Communication, team-working and problem solving are the transferable skills in modern workplaces. These skills apply to all jobs.
There is also never a point in which you can sit back and say that you have reached the end of your quest for employability. Standards are always changing and therefore you need to continuously improve your knowledge, skills and abilities.
To do this, you need to reflect on your learning and abilities and plan activities to develop further.
We need to be able to assess our gaps and plan for improvements. This can be difficult to do. Sometimes we do not want to admit our weaknesses, and others are too modest to acknowledge their strengths. There is a need to reflect on what has been learned from particular experience. It is important to be honest and identify our weaknesses.
We also need to put the plans in action. Some of them might be long term objectives like a course or study.
Summarising, employability is the necessity to have relevant knowledge, skills and abilities. It is not just about getting the next job.
Bibliography:
CIPD, 2021, Skills development in the UK workplace, https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/skills/skills-factsheet#gref (accessed 31/10/2021)
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