Employability skills.

Employability refers to a person's capability for gaining and maintaining employment.

Employability depends on various factors like: your knowledge, skills and attitudes, how you use this assets and how you present them to employers.

Job specification along with good technical understanding and subject knowledge often outline a set of individual skills that are required from an employees. The skills are supposed to equip the employees to carry out the role at the best of their ability.

Searching through the internet I came across a list of 10employability skills, created by a range of UK- based companies,  which are most frequently cited in job specifications. The list provided with short description explaining what the skills mean.

Analyzing the list I was trying to assess my employability skills.

11. Communication and interpersonal skills.

What that means?

It is the ability to express your thoughts in a clear way through written and spoken means. To listen and relate to other people.

As a member of waiting staff I strongly relay on communication and interpersonal skills at my current work. My job requires constant communication with my supervisor and my co-workers as well as with customers.

22.    Problem solving.

Is the ability to establish problem by identifying the key issues. Analyzing it by breaking it down into smaller parts and find a solution.

The problem solving ability is practiced by me in my work on the college`s projects. I start from identifying and researching the problem to find a solution. Then I try to map out the way to execute the project  by preparing an action plan.

33.  Using your initiative and being self motivated.

Having new ideas and not waiting to be told to do things.

Knowing well the nature of my job I am able to make my own decisions and take actions. I am comfortable to  decide about my actions at work. I tend to be active and I feel strong personal drive to not to wait to be told to do things.

44.     Working under pressure and to deadlines.

Be able to handle the stress which comes with deadlines.

I do my best to plan my work out , which helps me to give enough time to complete a task.

Unfortunately I am not good at sticking to my plan- this poses problems and causing stress.

55.       Organizational skills.

Being organized. Being able to plan work and monitor progress.

Despite paying more attention to plan my work I still often fail to keep to my plan, the reason for that is lack of self- discipline in monitoring my progress.

66.       Team working.

To work well with other people from different disciplines, backgrounds and expertise to accomplish a task.

Team work is essential in my current job. I often work with people from different departments . I really enjoy team work and I find myself as an valuable member of my team.

77.       Ability to learn and adapt.

To be able to learn from own mistakes .

I think I have the ability to learn from my own mistakes. I always read and analyze the feedback from my tutors. I always try to use the advice in my next work.

88.       Numeracy

The ability to use data and mathematics to support evidence or support a point.

Writing my dissertation when I was at the University I had to analyze graphs and tables to find the information needed.

99.       Valuing diversity and difference.

Being aware what the diversity can bring. Being able to recognize different values. Understand and being considerate of different needs of different individuals.

Working with different people I have noticed that every individual bring some different values to the team. Different people have different levels of knowledge and ability- recognizing individual needs and abilities is important for team work.

110.   Negotiation skills.

Being able to express your own requirements in an unemotional, clear way taking into consideration people`s feelings.

In most situation I feel comfortable to express my requirements.