Employability Skills

All employers want workers with employability skills. Employability skills are basic skills that you need to get a job, keep a job, and do well at a job.

Employers look for workers who can get along and communicate with others. They look for workers who know how to listen and are eager to learn. They look for workers who know how to listen and are eager to learn. They look for who show respect for themselves and for others. They also look for workers who have good character. Character is a person’s ethics and behavior.

Responsibility is Working Hard and Setting High Standards for Yourself.

Responsibility is one of the most important employability skills. Responsibility is working hard and setting high standards for yourself. Responsible workers work hard. They take their jobs seriously. They do their share of the work.

Finish What You Start

On the job, you must finish what you start. Work on each task until it is done. You may have to leave one task for a while to do another task that is more important. Come back and finish what you started, though. Show responsibility by finishing your tasks.

You are part of a team. Other people depend on you. Your company can only be successful if all the tasks get finished. The company will not make money if tasks are left unfinished.

Work Fast, But Do a Good Job

Do your job tasks as quickly as you can. However, do not try for just speed. If you try to do things too fast, you may make mistakes. The work may be sloppy. Work as fast as you can, but do a good job.

Sometimes you may have too much to do at one time. If you cannot do something on time, tell your boss right away. Ask which task you should put first.

The Work Ethic

The work ethic is the belief that work has value. Some people do not have a strong work ethic. The do not take pride in what they do.

People with a strong work ethic know that their skills and efforts have value. They take pride in their work. They work for more that just a paycheck. People who have a strong work ethic do a good job.

Work Well Without Supervision

Some people work hard only when the boss is around. They do little when the boss is not looking. These workers do not last long on the job.

Not working during your work hours is like stealing from your employer. It will make your coworkers dislike you. It might cause your employer to fire you.

Initiative

Employers like workers who take initiative. Taking initiative means doing work without being told. Workers with initiative do not need as many directions. They do not need to be watched as carefully. This saves employers time and money.

Workers with initiative are sometimes called self-starters. You may see this word in job listings.

At work, you may see task that need to be done. Do them if you know how. Do not wait to be told to do them.

Punctuality

Punctuality means being on time. Find out what time you need to be at work each day. If you start at 8:00, come in 10 minutes early. Call you supervisor is you cannot come to work on time. You should be late only if there is an emergency.

Time Management

Valuable employees make the most of their time through time management. Time management is using time to reach your goals.

Make a list of all the tasks you need to do. Write down how long each task will take. Write down when each task is due. Plan when you will start and finish each task.

Honesty

Be honest in your work. Do not steal time by working less than your shift. Do not cover up your mistakes. Speak up when something goes wrong so that it can be fixed as soon as possible.

Do not take even small items from your company. Deal honestly with your coworkers so they will trust you.

Loyalty

There may be some things you do not like about the company you work for. After all, no company is perfect. As long as you work there, be loyal to the company. Loyalty means being on the side of something or someone. Part of being loyal is keeping secrets. On some jobs, you may be told things in confidence. This means that you must not tell other people about them. Do not even tell your friends or family.

Moving Ahead In Your Career

If you do your job well and show character, you may get a raise or promotion. A raise is an increase in pay. A raise is a reward for doing an excellent job. A promotion is a move to a job with more responsibility and higher pay. For example, a salesperson might become an assistant manager.

 Earn a Raise or Promotion with a Good Work Record

Your employer may give you a raise or promotion if you have a good work record. Employers promote workers who have good employability skills. They promote workers who show responsibility and initiative. They promote workers who come to work on time. They promote workers who get along with others.

Seniority is Not Enough

Seniority means being on the job a long time. But having seniority is not the only reason an employer may promote you. You have to be an excellent worker, too.

Feedback

Feedback is information about how well you are doing your job. Feedback helps you do your job better. When you start a new job, you will probably get a lot of feedback. Your boss and coworkers will watch to see how you are doing. They want to know if you can do your job and if you are following the rules and procedures.

Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism is a comment about something you can do better. It’s meant to help you do your job better. Some workers do not pay attention to constructive criticism. They keep doing things the wrong way. They do not learn or improve.

It is important to be receptive, or open other people’s opinions. Coworkers and supervisors will give you criticism. They need to help you do your job. They need to tell you how to do things better.

The opposite of receptive is defensive. Being defensive means being closed to other people’s opinions. Some defensive people get angry, other defensive people refuse to listen.

Criticism is not the same as an insult. An insult is a comment about you as a person. Criticism is a comment about your behavior. You can change your behavior and become a better worker.

At work, you may receive a performance review. It is a meeting where your boss tells you how ell you have been doing your job.