5 ways to make yourself instantly more employable
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01/06/2021
Apart from the core skills, there’s a lot that is required by employers. The employability skills which are required by a prospective employer aren’t limited to a particular extent. For instance, they encompass extra-curricular activities as well as core skills.
1. Think about the skills you will need to achieve your future career goal
If you really are to move closer to reaching your professional goals, it’s crucial to subjectively take stock of your current skillset, and then make concrete plans to plug any gaps you may have. The start of a new year is a great time to do this. It’s vital to appreciate the difference between skills and competencies, the former being specific learned abilities, and the latter being knowledge and behaviours that contribute to your success in a job. By understanding the differences between the two, you’ll gain a better awareness of which areas you need to focus on to reach your career goals. Remember that a commitment to lifelong learning doesn’t just enhance your CV and LinkedIn profile – it is also something you can showcase in a job interview. This will only strengthen your appeal to hiring managers and recruiters.
2. Focus on self-awareness to improve the way you’re perceived
If you are self-aware, you understand yourself better than anyone else on the planet does. You know your strengths and weaknesses, but also accept that you’re only human. Crucially, you understand how other people perceive you. Remember that the more self-aware you are, the better-placed you will be to adjust your behaviour and work on your personal brand. Modifying the way you operate in line with a strong awareness of what you presently already do well and what you might still need to improve about yourself, will help you to improve how you are perceived by others including in a job interview. It will help you to understand what your values are and how you want others to perceive you. Acknowledging your own strengths and weaknesses can also help you to identify the right job opportunities – rather than spending time on a job application that isn’t right for you in the here and now.
3. Be prepared to be brave and take some risks
Contrary to the popular perception that the best way to build a career is always to take the most obvious and incremental steps, taking a few calculated professional risks could actually go a long way to making yourself more employable in 2020 and beyond. It’s also important not to take a gamble just for the sake of it; the wisdom of taking a particular risk will differ in each case, in light of your own particular priorities, circumstances and ambitions. So, you should always do your research, carefully consider exactly what opportunities a particular career move could bring you, and ensure that whatever decision you do make is well-reasoned.
4. Consider what you’re looking for in a new role and new employer
Put some real thought into what it is you’re looking for in a new opportunity. The more comprehensive your understanding is of precisely what you are seeking in a new job and employer, the better you will be able to target your job search, so that you can be sure of only exploring the most relevant opportunities.
5. Keep positive and stay motivated when searching for a new job
A bright outlook and positive attitude will greatly aid in improving how recruiters, hiring managers and interviewers perceive you – thereby potentially bringing you one step closer to that much-desired job offer. Whatever you aspire to achieve in your career in 2020, the steps above will help improve your employability, and ultimately ensure your professional dreams become a reality this year.
Some of the important traits that you would need to focus are delegation of functions, giving timely and honest feedback, being fair in your dealings, being self-confident, speak in positive tone, and possess the necessary skills and knowledge. Though there may be many skills that are considered more employable, the above are the most important that needs to be developed or maintained to allow one to be employable.
