essential skills for employment and education

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10 essential workplace skills for success

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What are workplace skills?

10 examples of workplace skills, 6 ways to improve workplace skills, how to include workplace skills in job applications, turning imagination into reality.

Imagine walking into an interview feeling confident and prepared. You're armed with technical knowledge, people skills, and everything in between — in other words, you're the complete package, with a diverse skill set that makes you the ideal candidate. 

This isn't a far-fetched dream. In fact, it's an attainable reality when you perfect essential skills for the workplace. Understanding and developing these skills boosts your employability and prepares you for long-term career success. 

You don't have to be a fortune teller to predict that the job market will ask you to bring a mix of skills to the table. Certain ones will always be in demand, whether you're just starting your career or a seasoned professional looking to pivot. Keeping up with in-demand skills makes you a strong candidate who stands out in a crowded job market.

Workplace skills go beyond the bullet points on a resume. They’re the less-tangible attributes that translate to efficiency, dependability, and effectiveness on the job. Think of them as your toolbox for navigating challenges and optimizing productivity. 

Employers don't just look at what you know — they're keen to see how you apply it. A balanced blend of technical knowledge and interpersonal skills demonstrates your ability to tackle specific tasks in addition to the unanticipated hurdles that inevitably pop up in any job.

A worker’s skills comprise both hard and soft skills , from technical abilities to effective communication. These talents are crucial because they impact performance and team dynamics, shaping the overall work environment. Employers value a well-rounded skill set, as it demonstrates adaptability and problem-solving capabilities.

Contrary to popular belief, 75% of long-term career success depends on developing soft skills rather than technical skills. This means if you’re short on soft skills, you should work on developing them ASAP. 

Check out this list of employee skill examples to pinpoint where you thrive and where you could improve:

1. Communication

Communication is about articulating your ideas and understanding others by practicing active listening and reading body language . Good communication is key in any work environment to mitigate costly misunderstandings and ensure everyone's on the same page. When applying for a job, incorporate examples demonstrating your knack for clear and effective dialogue.

Today, communication also extends to written outputs like emails and Slack messages. Your writing skills must be sharp to convey your thoughts clearly and efficiently. A misspoken word or poorly written email can throw a wrench into projects and relationships. 

After brushing up on this skill, ensure your LinkedIn profile and other professional social media profiles showcase your strong written communication skills with clean, concise copy.

2. Management

Management doesn't mean just being the boss — it's also about handling resources wisely and meeting goals efficiently. 

This umbrella skill includes time management , project management, and even conflict resolution . Show employers you can steer the ship through stormy waters and keep your team on course. Point to past roles where your management made a tangible difference, like completing a project ahead of schedule or under budget.

Critical management skills also involve adaptability and decision-making . The work environment is always changing, and how you adapt your management style can make all the difference. 

3. Self-regulation

In a professional setting, emotional stability is vital. Self-regulation, including emotional intelligence and self-awareness , helps you keep a cool head when tensions rise. It also allows you to approach problems rationally rather than impulsively. 

Furthermore, self-regulation contributes to better self-management and even career path planning. Knowing your emotional triggers allows you to position yourself in roles and projects where you'll excel. It’s an often overlooked component of professional growth and career development .

Showcase this skill by citing instances where your level-headedness positively impacted outcomes or resolved conflicts.

4. Teamwork

The phrase " team player " might sound cliché, but teamwork skills remain an invaluable part of professional life. 

It's all about synergizing with team members to achieve common goals. Good teamwork skills lift the morale and efficiency of the entire workforce. To highlight teamwork on your job application, give examples of projects that succeeded thanks to your collaborative efforts.

Remember: the ability to collaborate doesn't just help you. It makes your entire team more effective, and when team members mesh well, the entire company benefits, not just individual contributors. Leaders often look for employees who can elevate the team’s collective workforce skills and competencies. 

5. Collaboration

This skill goes hand in hand with teamwork but focuses more on cross-functional cooperation. Collaboration fuels innovation and creativity, adding significant value to any project.

Effective collaboration demands excellent communication and emotional intelligence. When collaborating across departments, it's essential to understand the language and priorities of other teams. Your adaptability and active listening skills play a significant role in breaking down silos and promoting a culture of collaboration at work .

In your application, use examples that showcase your ability to work cohesively with different departments or new skill sets to achieve bigger and better outcomes.

6. Problem-solving

Being a problem solver doesn't just make you valuable — it makes you indispensable . When challenges arise, your ability to provide practical solutions is a non-negotiable for many companies.

Plus, being a great problem solver often requires solid analytical skills. The ability to assess a problem from multiple perspectives helps ensure your solutions are well-rounded and effective. A variety of industries, including healthcare and technology, place a high value on this multifaceted approach to problem-solving.

Show off your problem-solving prowess by detailing situations where your innovative approaches overcame obstacles or streamlined processes.

7. Effective feedback

Feedback contributes to a culture of continuous improvement . Employers seek out this skill because it enhances both individual and collective performance.

Feedback loops also play a crucial role in effective project management. When everyone on the team is open to giving and receiving constructive input, projects often meet or even exceed expectations. 

When showcasing this skill, remember to mention how your ability to handle feedback positively affected project outcomes. Highlight workforce development examples where your constructive feedback led to notable improvements or where you acted on feedback to enhance your own skills.

8. Critical thinking

This skill empowers you to assess situations from multiple angles and avoid snap judgments. Good critical thinking leads to better decision-making and reduces the risk of costly errors.

In a rapidly changing job market, critical thinking skills are always in demand. Your ability to adapt and think on your feet can set you apart from the competition. From conflict resolution to effective problem-solving, strong critical thinking skills are a must-have in almost any career path. 

In your application, pinpoint times when your analytical skills were instrumental in making well-informed decisions.

9. Digital skills

In many roles, being tech-savvy is a must. Whether it's mastering Microsoft Office or knowing how to use the Adobe Creative Suite, these skills amplify your employability. Be sure to list certifications or experiences that prove your digital competency when applying for jobs.

Keep in mind that digital skills extend beyond software knowledge. They also encompass digital communications, such as work-related social media accounts and web-based meetings. Employers highly value this versatility, as it enhances your ability to fit into modern work environments.

10. Technology

Hard skills like coding or specialized knowledge in healthcare have clear-cut value: they showcase your ability to handle the specific demands of your role. But don't just list these skills on your resume — provide examples demonstrating your expertise and efficiency in employing them.

Technology is constantly evolving, so your willingness and ability to learn new skills, tools, or platforms makes you an even more valuable asset. Every additional skill boosts your competitive edge and prepares you for future advancements in your field, making you a long-term asset to any organization.

Each skill brings advantages to the workplace, making you more employable and capable. While some might be more tailored to specific industries or roles, most are universally beneficial, giving you a leg up in any job market.

If you’re looking to boost your office skills but don't know where to start, here's your cheat sheet to level up your abilities at work:

1. Set weekly and monthly goals

Evaluate your current skills and identify what could use some polishing. Maybe your time management skills could be better, or your technical skills need a refresher. Once you’ve made this list, set realistic goals for each week and month to improve them. These targets act like a GPS, keeping you on the right path and ensuring you continually upskill .

2. Prioritize your tasks

When you're swamped with work and everything seems urgent, stop, take a breath, and calmly list out your tasks. Identify what will really move the needle for you or your team. 

This approach hones your decision-making skills and amplifies your time management. On average, it takes around 23 minutes for workers to get back on task after an interruption, so prioritizing your work and remaining focused is key. Learning how to prioritize tasks leads to better results and less stress.

3. Avoid multitasking

Despite its allure, multitasking often undermines quality and performance. Focusing on one task at a time lets you bring your full problem-solving and critical-thinking skills to the table. Channel your energy into one thing and do it well.

4. Give and ask for feedback

Feedback isn't something to fear — it's an opportunity to grow. Knowing where you shine and where you can improve enhances your self-awareness and sets the stage for targeted self-improvement. 

Employees who receive consistent, meaningful feedback from their manager are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged than those who receive feedback once a year or less. The next time someone offers feedback, take it as a chance to evolve your skills in the workplace.

5. Standardize processes

You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel. Standardizing how you handle routine tasks can be a game-changer for efficiency and focus. It allows you to allocate your mental resources to more complex tasks requiring full attention, bolstering your project management skills.

6. Be optimistic

A positive outlook can elevate your mood and work wonders in a work environment. 

Optimism infuses you with resilience and enhances your emotional intelligence. Believe it or not, your positivity can be infectious, boosting team morale and even fostering better communication skills among your team members.

Once you've honed your skills, it's time to make them shine on your job application. 

Fortunately, showing potential employers what you bring to the table doesn't have to be complicated. Here's how to put your best foot forward:

• Tailor your skills to the role: Treat each job application like a unique opportunity. Tailor your resume to emphasize the skills most relevant to the job you're seeking. Ditch the generic approach and match your skills to the job description to grab the attention of hiring managers. This approach demonstrates you're serious about this particular role.
• Provide quantifiable accomplishments: Telling isn't selling. Use cold, hard numbers to validate your skills. Instead of merely stating you're good at project management, point out that you led a team to complete projects 20% under budget and two weeks ahead of schedule. Stats like these prove your prowess and make you more memorable to employers.
• Use the STAR method in interviews: If you make it to the interview stage, you'll need to discuss your skills in real time. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) to frame your experiences. This technique is an organizational skill that helps you break down complex scenarios into digestible chunks to leave a lasting impression on the interviewer.
• Incorporate skills into your cover letter: Your cover letter is another opportunity to showcase your skills. Integrate relevant skills naturally throughout the letter and discuss a project where your problem-solving skills or teamwork made a difference. A well-crafted cover letter gives employers a taste of what you bring to the table, making you a more compelling candidate.

Ticking these boxes elevates your entire application and gives you a competitive edge. Tailoring your approach and providing real-world proof of your skills show employers that you mean business. And in a saturated job market, standing out for all the right reasons is more crucial than ever.

Mastering diverse workplace skills sets you on a rewarding career path. From communication and management to adaptability and critical thinking, these skills don't just meet job market demands — they make you a formidable professional. 

Remember that confident candidate walking into the interview? That's you, ready to conquer the world.

Thrive in your workplace

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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5 Essential Soft Skills to Develop in Any Job

• Marlo Lyons

You don’t have to be in your dream job to advance your career.

If you’ve been laid off, you might find yourself working in a job outside your industry — for example, in transportation, health care, social assistance, accommodation, food service, etc. — to support yourself and your family. Even if that job’s responsibilities seem far afield from your chosen career path, this is an opportunity to develop or elevate skills that are needed in any industry. The author discusses five soft skills to focus on during your time outside your chosen field — teamwork, influencing without authority, effective communication, problem solving, and leadership — and how to position them on your resume.

Being laid off is a shock — even if you see it coming. If you’re eligible for severance pay, you might feel okay for a while, but there may come a point when you need to take a job outside of your profession to pay the bills (maybe in retail, food service, or hospitality). But landing a job outside of your industry can still move your career forward.

• Marlo Lyons is a career, executive, and team coach, as well as the award-winning author of Wanted – A New Career: The Definitive Playbook for Transitioning to a New Career or Finding Your Dream Job . You can reach her at marlolyonscoaching.com .

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One day, everyone will build the essential skills to succeed

Essential Skills

Essential skills unlock learning in the classroom, boosting academic outcomes, perseverance and self belief. They halve the likelihood of being out of work, and increase earnings across a lifetime. They even boost wellbeing and life satisfaction.

But access to these skills isn’t fair. And where they are missed, it undermines social mobility, productivity and wellbeing.

We think everyone, at every stage of their lives, should have the opportunities to build them.

Our Approach

The product of five years’ cutting-edge research and design, the Skills Builder Universal Framework makes it possible for everyone to teach, learn, and measure essential skills.

The Framework breaks each of the eight skills down into a sequence of steps, supporting an individual's personal development from absolute beginner through to mastery. It takes soft skills and puts rigour behind them.

In the workplace, the Skills Builder Universal Framework can be used to support personal and professional development as well as improve leadership skills of both individuals and their teams. Businesses can also use the Framework in their recruitment practices, as well as in outreach and work experience programmes.

Skills Builder Partnership is a global group of businesses, education institutions, and impact organisations.

We are all committed to using the Skills Builder approach to transform how the world builds essential skills.

Work with us

The Partnership is growing quickly. Join us to benefit from expert support in building and assessing essential skills in your organisation – whether you are a business, education institution or impact organisation.

Free tools and resources

You can get started right away with our free tools and resources to build essential skills.

Skills Builder Benchmark For individuals to reflect and self-assess their essential skills, and get insights and guidance‍

Skills Builder Launchpad For individuals to build their essential skills step-by-step through engaging short modules

Skills Builder Hub For educators to assess and teach learners essential skills through short lessons and projects

Skills Builder Homezone For parents and carers to work with their children to build and practice their essential skills

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The Skills You Need Guide to Self-Employment and Running Your Own Business

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Employability Skills: The Skills You Need to Get a Job

For many people today, a career for life is no longer an option. Most people will hold jobs with a variety of employers and move across different employment sectors through their working life.

We therefore all need to be flexible in our working patterns and be prepared to change jobs and/or sectors if we believe there are better opportunities elsewhere.

For this, we need to understand that we all have a set of transferable skills or employability skills. These are skills that are not specific to one particular career path but are useful across all employment sectors.

What are Employability Skills?

Employers are often looking for skills that go beyond qualifications and experience.

Your education and experience may make you eligible to apply for a job but, to be successful in most roles, you will need skills that you are likely to develop over time. Some will be specific to the job, but the vast majority will be so-called ‘soft skills’ that can be used in any job or employment sectors. These soft skills are ‘employability skills’ : they are what makes you employable.

As a general rule, employers are willing to teach someone the job-specific skills required, such as how to operate particular pieces of machinery, or use particular computer packages that are very specific to that role or company. However, they usually want to see that you already have the other ‘soft skills’ before hiring, because they are much harder to teach.

The building blocks of any career

Employability or ‘soft skills’ are the building blocks of your career. The media frequently run stories on how these skills are lacking in school-leavers, graduates and/or those already in employment. Organisations spend a lot of time and money training staff, not in job specific areas but in general and basic skills.

In times of high unemployment, employers have more choice of applicants and will favour those with well-rounded employability skills.

Most of us start to develop these skills early on in life, but we may not be aware that we are doing so.

Remember, though, that mastering these skills is a long-term process: there are few people who could—or would—ever claim that their soft skills could not be improved.

Being able to apply for a job in the right way, and shine at interview—in other words, get a job—is not a key employability skill.

Creating a strong CV or résumé, writing a good covering letter, and interviewing well, are how you will show off your employability skills to potential employers. They are, however, not generally regarded as ‘soft skills’, and are not covered on this page.

You can find out more about these skills from our pages on:

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide to Getting a Job

Develop the skills you need to get that job.

This eBook is essential reading for potential job-seekers. Not only does it cover identifying your skills but also the mechanics of applying for a job, writing a CV or resume and attending interviews.

The most important employability skills are in the areas of:

Getting along with and working well with other people , such as communication skills and other interpersonal skills;

Being reliable and dependable : doing what you say you will by the deadline you have agreed, and turning up when you are meant to be there; and

A willingness to learn new skills , whether those are job-specific or more general.

The rest of this page looks at these three areas in turn and highlights specific pages that may be helpful in developing these skill areas.

1. Working Well with Other People

The skills required to work well with other people are known as interpersonal skills .

Good interpersonal skills allow you to participate effectively as a member of a team, satisfy customers’ and clients’ expectations, negotiate, make decisions and solve problems with other people, and generally work effectively with other employees. Well-honed interpersonal skills allow us to empathise and build rapport with colleagues and clients, leading to a better and less stressful working environment.

There are a range of areas covered by interpersonal skills, including:

Communication skills - these are the skills required to transmit or receive messages accurately to and from other people by speaking or in writing, without misunderstandings. These skills include:

Verbal Communication – or the words that we use, whether face-to-face or in writing. The balance between face-to-face and in writing is likely to vary in different jobs, but few, if any, will not want at least some of each type of communication;

Non-Verbal Communication –  or what we communicate without words, for example through body language, tone of voice, or even emojis; and

Listening – how we take in and then interpret the verbal and non-verbal messages sent by others, including in writing.

Emotional intelligence – or the ability to recognise, understand and manage your own and others’ emotions, and use them positively to achieve the desired outcomes.

Team-working – the ability to work with others in groups and teams, both formal and informal. Not everyone is required to work in a close-knit team—despite the language used in many organisations—but the ability to function well in a group is a vital skill in most jobs.

Negotiation, persuasion and influencing skills – these skills all relate to finding mutually agreeable solutions to problems or situations, whether by persuading others that your solution is best, or finding a better alternative by sharing ideas.

Conflict resolution and mediation – or the skills required to resolve disagreements in a positive way, whether your own disagreements or those involving other people. These skills are often underrated until there is a problem.

Problem-solving and decision-making – or the skills needed to work effectively with others to identify, define and solve problems, including making decisions about the best course of action. Of course, it is also possible to make decisions and solve problems on your own, but being required to do so with others adds an extra dimension to the situation.

Not all of these areas will be required at all times in every job. However, you can be reasonably certain that you are likely to need them at some point in your career, and many of them will be needed every day.

If you are not sure whether you need to work on your interpersonal skills, or which particular areas to target, you may find it helpful to take our Interpersonal Skills Self-Assessment to discover your strengths and weaknesses in this area. This will allow you to focus on particular areas that need further development.

The Skills You Need Guide to Interpersonal Skills eBooks.

Develop your interpersonal skills with our series of eBooks. Learn about and improve your communication skills, tackle conflict resolution, mediate in difficult situations, and develop your emotional intelligence.

2. Being Reliable and Dependable

Being reliable and dependable means, basically, doing what you say that you will do. It also, however, means being able to look around and see what needs doing—and then do it.

This sounds simple, but it requires a wide range of skills, mostly personal rather than interpersonal.

First of all, doing what you say you will do means being organised , and managing your time effectively . You need to know how long things will take, and that you have the time to do them to the required standard. You also need to be able to identify what to do first, so that if anything is missed, it is less important. Our page on time management explains how you can do this.

Being reliable also means being trustworthy and conscientious . For example, this might mean not leaving work (too often) when things still need doing. Trustworthiness and conscientiousness are both parts of self-regulation or self-management , which in turn is an important part of emotional intelligence . Self-regulation means that you have the self-discipline to do things that you may not want to do, but which you know are necessary.

Being reliable does not, however, mean that you have to do everything yourself. Sometimes, it may mean asking for help when you see that you are not going to be able to meet a deadline otherwise.

The final element of being reliable is using your initiative to identify where work needs doing, and getting on and doing it . Daniel Goleman, who developed the concept of emotional intelligence, identified initiative as a key part of self-motivation . He defined it as ‘readiness to act on opportunities’. To develop your ability to use your initiative, you may find it helpful to work on some techniques for creative thinking , which are also helpful in addressing the final area: a willingness to learn.

3. A Willingness to Learn

A willingness to learn means being open to new ideas and experiences, and always looking to improve your skills and knowledge.

Sometimes this is referred to as personal development , but that term is also used for a more formal process, of goal-setting, action and reflection. Whether you choose to make your learning process formal or informal, there is no question that the modern world requires all of us to continually update and revise our skills.

Change is a constant in most workplaces, and the most valuable employees are those who embrace personal change , and recognise that it offers more opportunities than threats. Employers generally want people who are resilient , adaptable and flexible—another key part of self-regulation and emotional intelligence.

A Final Thought

There are, inevitably, a wide range of skills that could be useful to employers. Each of us also has our own personal range of skills, and we therefore can each make a unique contribution to any organisation. Learning to recognise and use your skills appropriately is essential.

An open mind, and a willingness to embrace new ideas, is probably one of the most useful attributes that you can bring to any organisation.

Continue to: Managing Your Online Presence Interview Skills

See also: Commercial Awareness Customer Service Skills 12 Skills Every Professional Needs to Succeed in the Modern Workplace

PROVIDING LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY, SUPPORT & RESOURCES TO ONTARIO PUBLIC COLLEGES DELIVERING ACADEMIC UPGRADING PROGRAMS

“Academic Upgrading filled me with a confidence I didn’t think possible.” — Cristi, Algonquin College upgrading student

SKILLSMARKER (formerly Essential Skills for Employment and Education — ESEE) is a web application created to assess and build an individual’s skills in reading, writing, numeracy, problem-solving, listening and digital competency — foundational skills upon which other skills are built.

Teachers, employers and training organizations are using SKILLSMARKER to identify and address skill gaps, compare skill levels to occupational requirements and customize training materials. Since SKILLSMARKER was launched in 2012 more than 350,000 assessments have been completed.

SKILLSMARKER has a number of features for those requiring support, including a built-in vocabulary builder that provides written and audio definitions of some words and phrases.

SKILLSMARKER has supports for those who are deaf and hard of hearing, including 186 American Sign Language (ASL) videos.

Skills are measured on the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) 0-500 point scale and Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC’s) 5-level scale. The assessments are also aligned with the Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF).

Each time a client completes an assessment, a customized result report is generated. It provides test scores and a description of the types of tasks the client can likely do, or not do, based on their results. SKILLSMARKER generates an individualized Learning Activities plan that provides trainers and clients with useful learning resources available online and free-of-charge. SKILLSMARKER also allows test administrators to group clients into cohorts for reporting and evaluation.

Recently, the SKILLSMARKER platform was modified by building in a unique, front-end client sorting system. Through the use of a locator pre-test, the system can now automatically stream clients to the assessment version best suited to their abilities or, in cases where clients demonstrate very low skills, document their exemption. The SKILLSMARKER web application is managed by the CSC. For more information, visit: https://en.esee.essentialskillsgroup.com/

SKILLSMARKER for Ontario’s Tradespeople, also known as Essential Skills for Ontario’s Tradespeople (ESOT) is a web application developed to help people in Ontario seeking apprenticeships. Using SKILLSMARKER for Ontario’s Tradespeople, clients can: • research essential skills for 53 Red Seal trades; • take online assessments to see how their skills measure up; and • build their skills with customized learning plans using free online learning materials. Studies show that apprentices are eight times more likely to succeed in the trades if they have the essential skills they need. SKILLSMARKER helps them build those skills. The SKILLSMARKER for Ontario’s Tradespeople web application is managed by the CSC. For more information, visit: https://en.esot.essentialskillsgroup.com/

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The 10 Essential Skills for Career Success: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking to excel in your career and stand out among your peers? In today’s competitive job market, possessing the right skills is essential for career success. While technical expertise and knowledge are undoubtedly important, employers also value a set of essential skills known as soft skills. These skills are transferable across industries and play a crucial role in building professional relationships, problem-solving, and adapting to changing work environments.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the 10 essential skills for career success, drawing insights from various reputable sources. We’ll delve into each skill, providing practical tips and real-life examples to help you understand their importance and how to develop them. So, let’s dive in!

Adaptability and Resilience: Thriving Amidst Change

In today’s dynamic work environment, adaptability and resilience are paramount. Employers seek individuals who can effectively navigate unexpected challenges, change course, and maintain a positive attitude. Adaptable professionals can easily adjust to new circumstances, embrace innovation, and remain productive during times of uncertainty.

Real-life example: Imagine you’re working on a project, and due to unforeseen circumstances, the scope changes drastically. Instead of becoming overwhelmed, an adaptable professional would quickly adjust their plans, gather the necessary resources, and lead the team to successfully meet the new project requirements.

Read more: 10 Skills You Need to Succeed in Any Career

Decisiveness: Making Well-Reasoned Choices

In a world filled with varying opinions, the ability to make prompt and well-reasoned decisions is highly valued. Employers appreciate individuals who can analyze information, evaluate options, and confidently make choices when time is of the essence. Decisive professionals can navigate complex situations efficiently and drive progress.

Real-life example: Suppose you’re a manager faced with an urgent issue that requires immediate action. Your ability to gather relevant data, consult with team members, and make a quick, informed decision will not only solve the problem but also demonstrate your decisive nature and leadership skills.

Read more: 10 Essential Skills You’ll Need for Career Success

Problem Solving: Identifying and Resolving Challenges

Problem-solving skills are universally sought-after in the workplace. Whether you’re working independently or as part of a team, the ability to approach problems with a logical mindset, evaluate various perspectives, and propose effective solutions is invaluable. Problem solvers are known for their critical thinking abilities and their knack for overcoming obstacles.

Real-life example: Consider a scenario where a team is struggling to meet a project deadline. A skilled problem solver would assess the root causes of the delays, brainstorm potential solutions, and implement strategies to streamline the workflow, ensuring the project is completed successfully.

Read more: Essential Career Skills Help You Find Jobs

Communication: Effective Expression and Active Listening

Strong communication skills are essential in any professional setting. Effective communication encompasses both verbal and written expression, active listening, and conflict resolution. Employers value professionals who can articulate their ideas clearly, collaborate with colleagues, and build positive relationships with clients and stakeholders.

Real-life example: Suppose you’re a sales representative presenting a new product to a potential client. Your ability to convey key information persuasively, actively listen to the client’s needs, and address any concerns will not only showcase your communication skills but also enhance your chances of closing the deal successfully.

Read more: 10 Essential Skills for Career Development

Teamwork: Collaborating Towards Collective Goals

In today’s collaborative work environments, the ability to work effectively as part of a team is highly prized. Teamwork involves respecting diverse perspectives, actively contributing to group discussions, and fostering a harmonious working environment. Employers seek professionals who can collaborate seamlessly, leverage each team member’s strengths, and achieve shared objectives.

Real-life example: Imagine you’re part of a cross-functional team tasked with launching a new product. By actively participating in team meetings, sharing ideas, and supporting your colleagues, you contribute to a cohesive and efficient working environment, leading to a successful product launch.

Read more: 10 Essential Skills

Initiative: Taking Charge and Going Beyond

Initiative refers to the proactive approach of taking responsibility for tasks and seeking solutions independently. Professionals who demonstrate initiative exhibit self-motivation, resourcefulness, and a willingness to go the extra mile. Employers value individuals who take ownership of their work, identify opportunities for improvement, and contribute to the overall success of the organization.

Real-life example: Imagine you’re working in a customer service role, and you notice a recurring issue that causes customer dissatisfaction. Instead of waiting for instructions, a proactive professional would take the initiative to investigate the problem, propose a solution, and implement it, ultimately improving customer satisfaction and showcasing their initiative.

Read more: 10 Essential Skills for Career Success

Leadership: Guiding and Inspiring Others

Leadership skills are valuable at all levels of an organization, not just in managerial positions. Leadership involves guiding and inspiring others, setting a positive example, and facilitating the achievement of common goals. Employers recognize individuals who can motivate their team, make sound decisions, and effectively communicate a vision.

Real-life example: Suppose you’re an entry-level employee leading a small project team. By displaying strong leadership qualities, such as providing clear direction, empowering team members, and fostering a supportive work environment, you inspire your colleagues to perform at their best and achieve remarkable results.

Read more: The 7 Essential Skills for Career Success

Time Management: Optimizing Productivity and Efficiency

In today’s fast-paced work environments, effective time management is crucial. Professionals who can prioritize tasks, set realistic deadlines, and manage their time efficiently are highly valued. Time management skills enable individuals to stay organized, meet deadlines, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Real-life example: Imagine you have multiple projects with tight deadlines. By using time management techniques such as creating a schedule, breaking tasks into manageable chunks, and setting aside dedicated time for each project, you can optimize your productivity and ensure timely completion of all assignments.

Critical Thinking: Analyzing and Evaluating Information

Critical thinking involves analyzing information, questioning assumptions, and making informed decisions. It enables professionals to evaluate complex situations, consider multiple perspectives, and identify the most effective solutions. Employers value individuals who can think critically, solve problems creatively, and make well-informed choices.

Real-life example: Suppose you’re a marketing analyst tasked with evaluating the success of a recent advertising campaign. By critically analyzing data, identifying patterns and trends, and drawing meaningful insights, you can provide valuable recommendations for improving future marketing strategies.

Read more: 10 Skills for Career Success

Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and Managing Emotions

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and empathize with others. Professionals with high emotional intelligence can effectively navigate interpersonal relationships, display empathy, and communicate with sensitivity. Employers appreciate individuals who can handle stress, resolve conflicts, and foster a positive work environment.

Real-life example: Imagine you’re a team leader faced with a conflict between two team members. By leveraging your emotional intelligence, you can listen actively, understand each person’s perspective, and facilitate a constructive conversation that leads to a resolution, maintaining team harmony.

In today’s competitive job market, possessing the right skills is crucial for career success. In this comprehensive guide, we explored the 10 essential skills that can significantly impact your professional growth. From adaptability and resilience to emotional intelligence and critical thinking, each skill plays a vital role in building a successful career.

Remember, these skills can be developed and honed over time through practice, self-reflection, and continuous learning. By investing in your personal and professional development, you can position yourself as a valuable asset to any organization and increase your chances of achieving long-term career success.

So, what are you waiting for? Start cultivating these essential skills today and unlock your full potential!

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Chapter 6: Workplace Essential Skills

6.1 Introduction to Workplace Essential Skills

What is an essential employability skill? According to Skills/Compétencies Canada (2021), essential skills are those skills necessary to “carry out activities or job functions involving ideas, things, and/or people”. These are skills you can develop throughout your whole life. If you are worried that you are weak in one of these area, don’t worry! You can acquire or further develop essential skills through practice, training, and education (Skills/Compétencies Canada, 2021).  The nine essential skills are:

• Verbal communication
• Document Use
• Collaboration with others
• Digital use
• Critical thinking
• Continuous learning

Not only are these skills essential for success at work, but they are necessary skills in an education setting and in life as these nine skills provide the foundation of all other learning. To some degree, these nine skills are used in nearly every job and industry.

To get started, start with a self-assessment. A number of websites have free self-assessment activities for these skills. Skills/Compétencies Canada has a free, online assessment tool that you can take here as well as download as an app for your phone, and WorkSafeBC has an employability skills self-assessment .

In this chapter, you will learn a little bit about each of the nine skills, what each one means, what the role they play at work, and why they are important for your work integrated learning experience.

Reading, Writing, and Verbal Communication

It is important to be able to read accurately and quickly in the workplace. There are many different documents, all with different purposes, audiences, and strategies for understanding. You might engage with invoices, customer requests, emails, instructions, schedules, and financial documents. Each of these types will require attention to specific pieces of information. You need to know how to look to find the information you need. For example, when the photocopier is jammed and an important client is waiting for their documents, you will need to navigate the photocopier manual quickly, going directly to the page you need. You can’t read the manual from beginning to end. In contrast, some documents do need to be read more closely. For example, if you have received a large order of supplies, you will want to read carefully to ensure that you have received everything you ordered.

Case Study: Samira Checks an Invoice

Samira has received an order of office supplies and needs to ensure the invoice is correct before she submits it for payment. Let’s look at it together.

Looking at the invoice above, answer the following questions.

How to Improve Your Reading

Here are a few of tips to help you improve your reading skills:

• Read regularly and with a purpose. As you read, think about the information you need to find. Reading is a skill that you can improve by doing more of it. If you are a reluctant reader, find something that you enjoy reading and it will get easier.
• Look for document design. Read similar items to those you encounter at work and look at how and where things are laid out. These are clues you can use later..
• Limit distractions while you read. If you are reading on paper, uUse a ruler or piece of paper to move down the page line by line. This is helpful for quite complex reading. On your computer, close other windows, turn off notifications, and increase the font size.
• Take notes. If you are reading something complicated or that you need to completely understand, it can be helpful to make notes or highlight words or sections. Really engage with the material and ask questions or reflect on what you are reading. Keep a dictionary handy to look up unfamiliar words (Jordan, 2020).
• Slow down. Reading quickly is not always best, if you need to fully comprehend the material.
• Skim or scan for information. If it isn’t critical that you understand the full document but are searching for specific information, it can be helpful to simply scan the document.
• Listen instead. See if the book is available as an audio book. For work documents, you can have the computer read them to you using a built-in screen reader.

In most jobs, you will need to do a variety of writing tasks. Remember, your writing may be the first or only contact with a client, and you will want to set a good first impression by writing clearly, concisely, and professionally. Since not all writing will be the same; , you might be asked to send an email a client, take a message for a staff member, or write a piece of the company’s website; ensure you understand the appropriate audience and purpose as discussed in Chapter XX. Using proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling shows professionalism, as do proofreading and editing. Using these skills in your resume and cover letter will demonstrate to potential employers your professional writing proficiency.

How to Improve Your Writing

Here are a few of tips to help you improve your writing skills:

• Use the features in your word processor. Pay attention to the spelling and grammar errors that most word processing programs automatically underline. You can also adjust your word processing program to catch other errors. You can also consider using other writing support software like Grammarly.
• Know your weaknesses as a writer and check for them. If you tend to make a common error or have trouble with a particular piece of punctuation, grammar, or spelling, use the Find feature to help you scan the document for that specific error. For example, if commas are troublesome for you, search all the commas and ensure they are used correctly.
• Ask for feedback. Your coworkers, supervisor, and instructors can all give you feedback on your writing strengths and challenges. If you want a broader context for writing, consider taking a course in business writing.
• Read and write regularly. Read good writing and ask yourself what you like about it. Then, try to emulate it! The more you write with a purpose and goals, the better you will get.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication in a professional environment includes “any type of interaction that makes use of spoken words” including answering the phone, personal discussions, staff meetings, presentations, and informal conversations (Inc., 2020).

Case Study: Samira’s Phone Etiquette

In Samira’s position, she is usually the first person to greet the clients either over the phone or in person. She has a nice smile and a clear voice. It seemed like a bit of a mouthful to say “Good Morning, Perez, Patel, and Erickson Accounting” but now that she’s familiar with it, it’s actually quite easy. She slows down and takes her time. She keeps a notepad by her phone and has a sticky note with key questions to ask customers to complete a basic invoice.

Demonstrating strong verbal communication skills, including “speaking clearly, confidently, and with poise” means you will be seen as confident and someone able to build rapport (Hawkins, 2021).

Characteristics of an effective verbal communicator at work are:

• Active listening.
• Adaptability. This is the ability to adapt your communication style to support the situation. Some situations allow for a relaxed, informal style such as talking with co-workers, others, such as a client who has financial concerns will require a more solemn, professional tone.
• Confidence and assertive.
• Constructive feedback both giving and receiving.
• Emotional intelligence.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Interpretation of body language. This will help you understand how someone is feeling but we aware of cultural differences which can lead to incorrect assumptions.
• Open-mindedness. Open-mindedness is the willingness to consider new or different ideas or opinions that are different from our own (Cambridge Dictionary, 2021).
• Patience. Patience guides our ability to listen to and to deliver a message that is fully understood. This can sometimes take time depending on the information divide between parties.
• Simplifying the complex.
• Storytelling. It is understood that storytelling “enables the listener to convert the ideas presented in the story into [their] own ideas and experiences …mak[ing] the content … more personal and relatable” (Nandy, 2017).

We discussed communication at length in Chapter 9 Effective Communication , so here we will focus on one common example of verbal communication skills: making work presentations.

Media Attributions

• “Figure 6.1 Sample invoice” by Deb Nielsen, Emily Ballantyne, Faatimah Murad and Melissa Fournier is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 licence .
• “Figure 6.2 Effective verbal communicator word cloud” by Deb Nielsen, Emily Ballantyne, Faatimah Murad and Melissa Fournier is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 licence .

Getting Ready for Work-Integrated Learning Copyright © 2022 by Deb Nielsen; Emily Ballantyne; Faatimah Murad; and Melissa Fournier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Employability Skills Framework

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Employability Skills are general skills that are necessary for success in the labor market at all employment levels and in all sectors. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 includes employability skills as a key component of workplace preparation activities for education and training programs.

The Employability Skills Framework describes a set of nine key skills, organized in three broad categories: Applied Knowledge, Effective Relationships, and Workplace Skills.

The Employability Skills Framework was developed in 2012 with funding from the U.S. Department of Education to advance a unifying set of employability skills that span the workforce development and education sectors. Framework development was guided by career and technical education, adult education, workforce development, and business stakeholders. The resources below were designed to support implementation of the Employability Skills Framework across education and training programs.

Source Matrix Illustrates how the Employability Skills Framework aligns with selected employability skills resources, including the sources used to develop the framework.

Instruction Planning Tool Provides a tool for reflecting on the extent to which employability skills are currently integrated into education and training programs and identifying opportunities to further emphasize skills where there are gaps.

Interviewing for Employability Skills Provides a list of sample interview questions aligned to the Employability Skills Framework for use by employers and educators to help job candidates describe their employability skills in an employment interview.

Assessment Selection Tool Describes criteria for selecting an employability skill assessment and provides a worksheet for comparing assessment resources to the selection criteria.

Using the Resources

To get started, view the Overview of the Employability Skills Framework Resources for examples of how different audiences (educators, employers, and administrators) can use these resources to integrate employability skills into education and training settings.

101 Essential Skills to Put on a Resume in 2024 [For Most Jobs]

Listing skills on your resume is fairly easy. 

Listing the right skills in the right way is a little bit trickier.  

Are you mentioning the right skills for the job, or are you boring the HR manager with irrelevant information? 

The hiring manager for the software development team couldn’t care less about your expertise in marketing. What they’re dying to know, though, is your skill level in Python and how you get along with the team.

In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the process of putting skills on your resume from start to finish. We’ll explain how to identify the right skills and how to list them in a way that catches the hiring manager’s attention!

Here’s what you’re going to learn:

Hard Skills Vs Soft Skills - What’s the Difference?

• Why Should You List Your Skills on a Resume? 
• 8 Best Skills to Put on a Resume 
• How to List Skills on a Resume 
• 120+ Skills to Put on Your Resume (For 10+ Fields)

New to resume-making? Give our resumes 101 video a watch before diving into the article!

Skills are divided into hard skills and soft skills .

To create an effective job application, catch the hiring manager’s attention, and land your next job, you should mention both hard and soft skills in your resume.

But what exactly is the difference?

Hard skills involve the technical knowledge or know-how one can gain through experience, training, or education. For example: 

• Machinery skills. E.g., operating a road roller, pallet-stalker, forklift, etc.
• Software skills. Depending on the field, you need to know how to use different software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite for graphic designers or the Ableton Live Suite if you’re a DJ.
• Tools. Say you’re a digital marketer . You’ll need to know how to use tools like Stethoscope, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and the sorts.
• Multilingualism. The more customers you can communicate with, the more valuable you are as an employee. Some sought-after languages today include German, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic.
• Computer skills . If you’re a web developer, your hard skills will likely include coding languages such as Python, C++, etc. Even if you’re not though, most jobs will require that you have at least some basic computer knowledge in MS Office and G-Suite, emailing and presentations, etc.
• Techniques. E.g. frequency analysis, Crystallization.
• Mathematics. Many professions, such as accounting and finance, require mathematical skills.
• Data analysis. Businesses are always looking for professionals who can gather and analyze data for various stakeholders, which makes data analysis a very in-demand hard skill.

…and just about any field-specific skill. While hard skills are essential to complete tasks in about any job, they’re also teachable and easily measurable.

Soft skills , on the other hand, are attributes and habits that describe how you work individually or with others. They are typically not job-specific but rather transferable skills that indirectly help you adapt to the work environment and company culture. 

Some examples of the most in-demand soft skills include: 

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Organization
• Adaptability

Like hard skills, you can also learn how to develop soft skills, although it’s significantly harder. 

While you can acquire computer skills through a technical course, you’ll need to work much harder to develop, say, your communication skills. 

In the workplace, for example, you’d need to practice active listening , learn how to notice nonverbal cues, and practice your oral communication skills as much as possible.

What’s the Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills

Here are the two main differences between hard skills and soft skills: 

• How you obtain them. You can obtain hard skills through work experience , education, training, and certification. Soft skills, on the other hand, can be gained through life experience, both on and off work.
• How you use them. You apply hard skills directly to the job, whereas soft skills come into play indirectly and may often complement your hard skills. For example, you may be a communicative marketer or an office manager with great leadership qualities.

Why Should You List Skills on Your Resume?

The skills section is one of the 3 most important resume sections , with the other two being work experience and education sections. 

If written correctly, the skills section looks something like this:

By now, you’re probably thinking “ how hard can this be, right? All I have to do is list all my skills and call it a day! ”

Well, not exactly. The process of putting skills on your resume is a bit more nuanced than that, and we’re going to tell you why.

Most companies nowadays use Applicant Tracking Systems to help them go through the hundreds and thousands of resumes they receive every day.

This software scans your resume for keywords relevant to the job you’re applying for, and if it doesn’t find them, the software automatically rejects the resume.

Say, for example, the job you’re applying to requires an Expert level in Java. If you haven’t mentioned Java as a skill on your resume, your resume can automatically get discarded.

In fact, 70%+ of resumes are rejected at this stage, never having even been seen by an HR professional. 

And, even if the company doesn’t use an ATS, there’s a good chance that the HR manager is going to skim through your resume looking for the right skill set.

So, whether you’re doing this for the ATS or the HR, it’s important to mention the right skills .

Below, we’re going to explain just how to do this in the best way possible. 

But first, let’s cover some of the best skills to mention in any resume, regardless of your profession. 

8 Best Skills to Put on a Resume

Every profession requires some role-specific hard skills if you want to do it properly. An accountant, for example, needs to know math to do their job right, just like a photographer needs to know how to use photo editing software like Photoshop. 

In most cases, it’s easy to identify such skills and understand whether you’re qualified enough for the job. 

The right soft skills for a job may be harder to point out, but they’re just as essential in today’s job market - 93% of employers say “ soft skills play a critical role in their decision about whom they want to hire. ” 

To give you an example, if you’re a project manager, you will need to have excellent organizational skills in addition to your project management skills. Or, if you’re a developer, you need to also be an apt problem solver. 

You can find lists of field-related, relevant soft and hard skills later in the article, but for now, here are the top soft and hard skills valued by hiring managers in most professions : 

#1. Communication skills

There are very few, if any, jobs out there that don’t require at least some level of communication skills.

Whether you’re a writer who needs to communicate a message to your readers, a marketing specialist who needs to communicate an advertising campaign to your client, or an office worker who must communicate with a colleague to complete a task, communication skills are vital. 

Communication is a multi-faceted skill that includes several skills, such as: 

• Oral and written communication
• Non-verbal communication
• Active Listening
• Presentation
• Public-speaking
• Negotiation

#2. Computer skills

By 2016, over 70% of US jobs required medium-to-high-level digital skills.  

This means that computer and technical skills are priceless assets even if your job isn’t centered around technology. As such, computer skills are almost always a great addition to any resume.

Here are some valuable computer skills for every professional: 

• Office suites (MS Office, iWork)
• Social media
• Database management
• Web (Internet savviness, basic HTML, CMS)
• Troubleshooting
• Equipment installation and configuration
• Fast Typing

#3. Management skills

Management skills are usually associated with management positions, but in reality, that’s not usually the case. Any type of professional can benefit from strong management skills. 

In a nutshell, management skills involve being able to effectively handle people, resources, and processes, including your time, plans, projects, and so on.

Here are some of the most in-demand management skills: 

• People management
• Project management
• Time management
• Risk management
• Action planning
• Conflict Resolution

#4. Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving means you’re able to identify problems successfully, find the root cause behind them, and come up with creative solutions.

Considering there isn’t a single job where you won’t face problems in one way or another, problem-solving skills are a great asset to have. When it comes to managerial, professional, and technical positions , problem-solving skills are essential. 

Problem-solving is a set of skills that includes: 

• Research skills
• Analytical skills
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making skills
• Attention to detail

#5. Organizational skills

Organizational skills are a set of soft skills that help you keep track of information, materials, and even your time in such a way that you can tackle short and long-term tasks efficiently.

Organizational skills are among the top skills recruiters are looking for in 2022, primarily because they help employees be more productive, save companies time and money, and facilitate a more positive work environment. 

Here is what organizational skills consist of: 

• Physical organization
• Prioritization
• Goal setting

#6. Leadership skills 

Leadership includes both the ability to manage and inspire others. Managers are not always great leaders, but leaders almost always make good managers. 

People who’re good at leading are emotionally intelligent, good communicators, and natural-born influencers. They can motivate others to reach their full potential and work together towards common goals. This makes leadership another great skill to have for many professions out there. 

Some important soft skills related to leadership include: 

• Relationship-building
• Strategic thinking

#7. Customer service skills

A big part of jobs out there involve dealing with customers. 

From customer support representatives to cashiers, customer service skills are a great asset to have in 2024. Particularly, that’s because it encompasses a number of other valuable skills, such as:

• Persuasion skills
• Product knowledge

#8. Interpersonal skills 

Interpersonal skills refer to how well you can understand and get along with other people. 

It goes without saying that they’re extremely useful for team-oriented or customer-facing roles, as a big chunk of the work involves communicating with other people.

Such skills, however, are also useful for roles where you don’t get to interact as much with people.

Take, for example, writers. To be a really good writer, you need to be able to:

• Understand and communicate with your audience
• Collaborate with your publishing team
• Understand what people are like

Just like most other transferable skills on our list, interpersonal skills are multi-faceted. Here is what they consist of: 

How to List Skills on a Resume (And Stand Out)

Now that you have a clear understanding of how important skills are - and how some are more relevant than others - let’s talk about how you should list them on your resume. 

There are several things you need to do to stand out: 

#1. Tailor Your Skills to the Job

Relevance is key; the customer service skills you acquired working as a server during college won’t come in too handy when you start work as, say, a data analyst . 

So, the first thing you should remember is to only list skills that are useful for the job you are applying for . To find out what these skills are, you should scan the job listing.

Job ads usually list a set of requirements or skills they expect a good candidate to have. Make sure you don’t leave any of those out on your resume.

For example, imagine you are applying for a line cook position in a restaurant:

• “Here at ‘ABCD’ we are committed to creating a one-of-a-kind experience for our guests . Our French restaurant is looking for a professional line cook for the summer season to work directly under the supervision of our chef. Responsibilities include prepping and cleaning food, creating and cooking meals, and cleaning up the working area . Impeccable attention to detail in food cooking and presentation is needed.”

The underlined bits in this job description are the role’s responsibilities. By paying a closer look, you can understand that ABCD is looking for someone who:

• Is committed to excellence and is highly professional
• Works well under supervision, and with others
• Can prep, clean, and cook food
• Pays great attention to detail in cooking and presentation

Based on this, some of the skills you should definitely mention in your resume can include teamwork, attention to detail, communication, food prepping, and culinary skills. 

As a given, you wouldn’t mention anything that isn’t directly related to the job. As a line cook, you’re not going to be using a lot of tech, so you wouldn’t include your computer skills in your resume (even though such skills are relevant for a ton of other jobs).

#2. Create a Skills Section

Once you’ve identified all the right skills to add to your resume, create a “Skills” section to list them under. This way, the hiring manager will be able to check whether you have the right skills more easily and the ATS software won’t disqualify your resume. 

Here’s what you should remember while making this section:

• Be specific. “Verbal and written communication” sounds significantly better than “communication.” 
• Sort your skills by relevance. Order your skills based on how critical they are for the role. More important skills go on top, and the nice-to-have ones go on the bottom.
• Don’t lie or exaggerate. It goes without saying that you should never, ever, lie about your skills. The employer will know you lied the moment you have to work on a task that requires that very skill.

#3. Match Each Skill With Your Proficiency Level

For each skill that you list on your resume, use the competencies proficiency scale to show your proficiency level:

• Beginner. You are just starting to learn or have not practiced the skill through experience (usually fresh graduates that only understand concepts through theories or classroom experience).
• Intermediate. You have applied the skill in practice, and require assistance with it on rare or special occasions. You still have room to grow.
• Advanced. You know your stuff! You don’t need help with the skill anymore. You can also teach beginners how to use it.
• Expert. You are a recognized authority on this skill, the go-to person if anyone has any questions. You have consistently proved to be excellent in this skill. You could even write a whole book about it!

#4. Back-Up Your Skills in Other Resume Sections

Listing your skills in a separate section will only get you so far. After all, everyone else is also doing exactly the same thing. 

To take your resume from good to great, you want your most critical skills to “pop” from the get-go and to prove to the hiring manager that you actually possess them.

Here is where the resume summary and work experience sections come in. 

The resume summary is a short, 2-3 sentence-long summary of your resume that, done right, shows hiring managers your strongest points as a candidate the moment they lay eyes on your resume. 

Positioned right under your contact information section , this is the first place where you can mention that you possess one or two of the most role-critical skills listed in the job description. 

Here’s how the resume summary of the line cook example we mentioned above would look in practice: 

• Detail-oriented line cook with over 5 years of experience prepping and cooking over 200 Mediterranean cuisine recipes. Collaborative professional who puts the needs of the team first. In my last position, was able to help the chef handle rush hour work of over 100 tables with 100% accuracy and approval rate from our customers. 

Once you’ve grabbed the hiring manager’s attention by including your top skills on your resume summary, it’s time to prove that you have them . 

The best way to do that? List some accomplishments in your work experience section and explain how utilizing a particular skill helped you achieve them. 

Here’s how that would look like in practice: 

• Prepped and helped cook food for over 500 customers in the past two years, receiving high praise and positive recommendations for the restaurant continuously. 
• Helped restaurant to receive positive reviews for 3 years in a row from Gastronomica magazine for attention to detail and food aesthetics and presentation.

#5. Put Transferable Skills to Use 

If you’re an entry-level candidate or if you’re switching careers , you should definitely put transferable skills to use. Transferable skills are not directly related to the job you are applying to but are still useful, as well as relevant to most jobs. 

Let’s say, for example, that you’re going for a career change from sales to copywriting. You can benefit from listing at least some of the skills acquired in sales in your copywriter resume , such as: 

• Written communication. Both roles involve communication via text. A salesperson needs to send cold emails, while a copywriter has to write newsletter emails.
• Persuasion. A copywriter needs to create copy that drives sales, while a salesperson needs to be persuasive in person.
• Computer skills. Both jobs require some degree of computer knowledge. For a salesperson, that’s using Customer Management Software, while for a copywriter, that’s publishing content online.

150+ Must-Have Skills (for Every Field)

Are you still not sure which skills to mention in your resume? We’ve got you covered.

We compiled a list of some of the most relevant skills on the market in 2024, for all sorts of different fields!

If you happen to possess some of these skills, make sure to mention them in your resume. If not, it’s never too late to learn something new!

#1. Soft Skills 

Soft skills are essential for just about any job out there. While they’re not necessarily critical to doing your job well, they ensure that you get along with your coworkers and foster a positive work environment.

When evaluating two candidates with equal hard skills, the hiring manager is always going to pick the one that has better soft skills.

So, it’s very important to mention your soft skills in your resume.

Here are some of the most in-demand soft skills today:

• Effective communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Conflict management
• Teamwork skills
• Stress management
• Productivity & Organization

#2. Marketing Skills

With new technologies developing faster than ever, it becomes essential to move beyond the basics of traditional marketing. Here are some of the most relevant marketing skills these days, including both cutting-edge online tools, as well as classic marketing skills:

• Data analysis
• Web analytics 
• Email marketing
• Web scraping
• CRO and A/B Testing
• Data visualization & pattern-finding through critical thinking
• Search Engine and Keyword Optimization
• Project/campaign management
• Social media and mobile marketing 
• Paid social media advertisements
• B2B Marketing
• The 4 P-s of Marketing
• Consumer Behavior Drivers
• Brand management
• Copywriting
• Storytelling

#3. Management Skills

As a manager , you need to have the right mix of soft and hard skills.

Below are the management skills needed to not only get the job but to also enhance employee and company productivity in the long run.

• Six Sigma techniques
• The McKinsey 7s Framework
• Porter’s Five Forces
• Emotional Intelligence
• Dealing with work-related stress
• Task delegation
• Technological savviness
• Business Development
• Strategic Management
• Negotiation 
• Proposal writing

#4. Sales Skills

The art of selling has stayed the same despite technological advancements. Humans still strive for contact with other humans. Despite channels of communication becoming digital, communication and empathetic skills take priority in the sales industry. 

A comprehensive must-have skill list for salespeople includes:

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Cold-calling
• Public speaking
• Lead generation
• Buyer-Responsive selling
• Buyer engagement
• Effective communication and sociability
• Social media/digital communication

#5. Design Skills

Today, knowing the basics of design does not suffice anymore. To get hired as a designer, you must know how to create killer branded content for the web and for social media channels. 

Some of the most important design skills for your resume are:

• Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
• Dreamweaver
• Infographics
• Photo Editing 
• Typography: spacing, line height, layout, choosing fonts
• Storyboarding
• Targeting and marketing through visual communications
• Logo creation
• Digital printing
• Integration of visual communication in social media platforms
• Attention to detail & aesthetics
• Interactive media design
• Color sense & theory
• Active listening

#6. Basic Technical Skills

These are skills that almost everyone working in an office should know. You can put these skills on your resume if you are applying as a secretary, office clerk, or any other type of office employee.

The basic technical office skills include:

• Microsoft Office Pack: Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, Outlook, Powerpoint
• Filing and paper management
• Bookkeeping through Excel or TurboTax
• Research and data analysis
• Basic knowledge of user interface communication
• Technical writing
• Cloud networking and file sharing

#7. Accounting & Finance Skills

Goodbye, filing by hand. Hello, countless platforms and apps. Accountants and financial specialists should familiarize themselves with these skills in order to have a successful career:

• Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
• Enterprise Resource Planning 
• Big Data Analysis & SQL
• Know Your Customers (KYC)
• Cognos Analytics (IBM)
• Visual Basic
• Accounting Software
• Revenue recognition
• Anti Money Laundering
• Clear communication
• General business knowledge
• Numerical competence

#8. Education Skills

How many times have you witnessed a 50-year-old honorary doctor with three PhDs struggle to play a YouTube video during undergrad or grad school? Teaching methods have evolved, and so have the required skills to be part of the education industry.

Some of the most essential educational skills are:

• Updated curriculum knowledge
• Research & Data analysis
• Educational platforms (software like Elearn)
• Technological & digital literacy

#9. Web Development Skills

It seems like there’s new technology popping up every other second now, a good enough reason for web developers to keep updating their skills. 

That said, if you are proficient in HTML, CSS, and Java, you pretty much have a leg up on the competition. All other skills on this list derive from or build upon the three basic programming languages. You can learn or improve your web development skills here.

• CSS preprocessors
• Graphic User Interfaces (GUI)
• Git/Version control (Github, GitLab)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Application Programming Interface (API)
• Adobe Photoshop, InDesign
• Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Testing/Debugging
• Responsive design principles

#10. Business Analytics

BAs are very in demand right now by businesses, and for a good reason! They perform an almost magical task of analyzing past and present data to give future predictions. To perform their magic, they need some analytical spells:

• SQL (a must) and Hive (optional)
• Programming language (R, Python, Scala, Matlab)
• STATA, SPSS, SAS 
• Data Mapping
• Entity Relationship Diagrams
• Big Data tools 
• Microsoft Visio
• Agile Business Analysis
• Machine learning 
• System Context Diagrams
• Business Process Modeling
• Technical and non-technical communication

#11. Nursing & Healthcare Skills

More than any other profession, healthcare professionals need to stay constantly updated with new technologies, medicine, and techniques. The skills nursing requires are countless and specific, but the most basic ones boil down to:

• Mathematics
• Patient care and assistance
• Paperwork/record-keeping abilities
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Physical endurance 
• Infection control
• Surgery preparation

Bonus Infographic: Skills to Put on a Resume

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have some questions about what skills you should put on your resume (and how)? Check out the answers below:

1. What kind of skills should I include in my resume?

Your resume should include a combination of two types of skills: hard skills and soft skills .

Hard skills involve job-specific skills that are acquired through education, training, or work experience, while soft skills involve personality traits that can be indirectly useful at the workplace and help you adapt to the company culture better.

Depending on your industry, some examples of hard skills you can list on your resume include copywriting, database management, graphic design, multilingualism, public speaking, SEO, etc.

Meanwhile, examples of soft skills are communication, creativity, leadership, teamwork, time management, conflict resolution, etc.  

2. What top skills do employers look for?

The top hard skills recruiters are on the lookout for include blockchain development, SEO, virtual reality development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, business analysis, Java development, affiliate marketing, UX design, machine learning, project management, video production and editing, sales, and business development. 

The top soft skills hiring managers are looking for , on the other hand, are creativity, collaboration, persuasion, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.

3. How can I identify my skills?

Some effective ways to identify your skills before adding them to your resume include:

• Consider your achievements. Did you ever get recognized for a specific achievement? What skills helped you do it? You are probably still skilled in those areas.   
• Ask friends and coworkers. Sometimes, it’s easier for others to recognize the strengths that you don't see. Colleagues can definitely be of help but if you’re fresh into the professional world, former professors and classmates can also give you some insight.

4. Where do skills go on a resume?

Skills go under a separate ‘Skills’ section on a resume, typically placed right below, or on the side, of the work experience section.

That said, you can further prove that you possess the skills you list in this section, by weaving the most relevant skills for the job in other resume sections, such as the resume summary and the work experience sections. 

5. How many skills to include in my resume?

The number of skills to add to your resume depends on the job you’re applying for, as well as your level of expertise and work history.

If you’re a seasoned professional with plenty of work-related skills, you should definitely include them in your resume. Also, if the job you’re applying for requires a number of skills you possess, it’s safe to include them all in your resume. 

As a rule of thumb, listing up to ten skills on your resume is typically a safe choice, as long as they don’t make your resume spill over to page 2 .

6. What are the best skills for a candidate with no experience?

Candidates with no experience and few job-specific skills can benefit from adding transferable skills to their resumes. These are skills that can be applied to many jobs across several industries.

Some examples of good skills for a no-experience resume include communication, organization, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, work ethic, and computer skills. 

7. What’s the best way to list skills on a resume in 2024?

To really impress with your skills in 2024, don’t just list some random skills under a separate section and call it a day! Instead, make them more credible by:

• Finding out more about the company culture.
• Tailoring your skills to the job description.
• Mentioning the most critical skills on your resume summary or resume objective .
• Using your achievements to explain exactly how you used your skills to your advantage.

Key Takeaways

Let’s sum up everything we’ve learned about putting skills in your resume:

• You must have a section in your resume devoted entirely to your skills. This helps you pass through applicant tracking systems and get noticed by the HR manager.
• The differences between hard skills and soft skills are in the way they are applied (directly vs. indirectly) and the way they are obtained (through education and practice vs. personality traits and experience)
• On your resume, list only skills that are relevant to the job, scan the job listing for must-have skills and list those (if you have them), pair each skill with a responding proficiency level, back up your skills with other resume sections, and mention transferable and universal skills.

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Ready to take the next step in your career? Visit the career center closest to you. Learn more .

6 essential skills you can start building today

April 30, 2020

While technical skills are what you do at work, essential skills are how you do it. Employers value these skills in their employees—often as much as technical skills. Developing these skills and helping employers to understand your expertise will help you to get a job and make you a superstar in your workplace.

Learn more about each essential skill below and start building them today by trying an essential skill building challenge.

Emotional Intelligence

Considering the feelings and perspectives of others to infuse empathy and thoughtfulness into all interactions. Working on your own self-awareness to approach situations with humility, kindness and patience.

Communication

Exchanging information, feelings and meaning in person or digitally through actions, words, body language, listening and writing to achieve understanding among people.

Creative & Critical Thinking

Using imagination and problem solving to apply knowledge or address challenges in new, exciting and innovative ways. Using reasonable and logical thought to prioritize, make decisions and achieve a desired outcome.

Collaboration

Building helpful, respectful and productive relationships with others to work toward a common goal. Using strategies that incorporate the ideas of many people to promote agreement or compromise. Listening to critique with openness and approaching conflict with an inclusive mindset. Leveraging a variety of skills, strengths and diverse backgrounds on a team

Dependability

Building trust with others by keeping your word. Managing your time by planning and controlling how your work time is spent to achieve goals. Meeting deadlines and producing quality work. Taking initiative and working independently to move things forward.

Resourcefulness

Relentlessly seeking solutions and opportunities. Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and knowing when to ask for help or lean on another person’s expertise. Being a lifelong learner who approaches problems and obstacles with perseverance, adaptability and a make-it-happen mentality.

Essential Skill Building Challenge

Tk-kindergarten.

Develop creative thinking from an early age by asking your students to play the part of a character in their favorite book. Ask them questions about why they did the things in the story and make up new stories for the same character.  Scholastic highlights great ways to encourage creative thinking from an early age. 

Distance learning requires students to be resourceful . Look around the house for supplies to make your own math manipulatives to model a classroom math problem, or recreate a painting you might see in a museum. You might also be able to find baking soda and vinegar and explore how to make a gas by mixing a liquid and a solid!

Middle School

Communication is more challenging now than ever. Make a list of all the ways you stay in touch with the people around you. Do you communicate differently with friends than family? How do you communicate with your teacher and classmates? What is the easiest form of communication for you? Do you think it’s the same for everyone? How do you think your communication will be different in the workplace? 

High School

Learning from home has a lot of parallels to working from home! Use Canva or a similar program to make an infographic on one of the essential skills above showing how you are developing those skills through distance learning, and how they are being used in the workplace as people work from home.

Lifelong learning is a key to staying relevant in today’s job market. Learn more about and expand your essential skills with on-demand videos , which provide actionable tips you can implement at home, during your job search and in the workplace.

The open source artwork and option to order prints of our Essential Skills Poster can be found here .

The Workforce Partnership is dedicated to providing San Diego Residents with the most up-to-date resources for finding a career.

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10 essential skills you’ll need for career success

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Your time at CU will help you develop all kinds of skills you’ll use throughout your career. Many of those skills will come from your academic experience, and others you can develop through experiences such as internships, study abroad and research projects—called transferable or soft skills.

Transferable skills are skills that will be developed and applicable in every profession. They are the foundation of professional success, and they happen to be the most desirable skills employers are searching for in potential candidates.

Whether you are completing an internship or working a part-time job this summer, use that time to develop these essential skills:

Communication

Communication includes listening, writing and speaking. Employers want to see you can articulate your thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively. Being a good listener means you strive to understand others’ emotions, build strong relationships and resolve conflict.

Problem solving

Challenges will arise in every job you have. You’ll want to have the ability to analyze issues, make sound decisions and overcome problems.

Many jobs require you to work effectively and respectfully with others, whether that be your coworkers or clients. Employers desire someone who brings out the best in others.

You can show initiative by proactively handling situations and finding answers to questions without direction. This shows employers that you are taking personal responsibility and developing as a leader.

Analytical, quantitative

Use thoughtful analysis to identify problems and make informed decisions. Assess the situation, ask crucial questions, consider possible solutions and plan a course of action.

Professionalism, work ethic

Employers want to see you demonstrate personal accountability for your actions and work habits. Be sure to show up on time, work productively with others and understand the impact of your non-verbal communication. Take responsibility and learn from your mistakes to show integrity and ethical behavior.

You can show leadership by using interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. Additionally, you can use empathic skills to motivate, organize, prioritize and delegate tasks.

Detail oriented

Work on completing tasks with thoroughness and accuracy. Double check your work to ensure there aren’t any errors. Employers like to see you have high standards in the quality of work you perform.

Digital technology

Employers typically provide training on job-specific software, but they expect you to be proficient with basic computer skills and learn new technical tools quickly.

Adaptability

Show that you can be flexible by adapting to situations when they arise. It’s important to employers that you are able to shift plans and adapt to new concepts in order to succeed.

Mastering these essential skills can lead to more job offers and, potentially, higher salaries. Many employers will even ask behavioral questions during an interview in order to gauge your ability to execute these skills.

Make the most of your summer job by seeking opportunities to further develop professionally and interpersonally. If you’re searching for opportunities to start developing these skills and getting hands-on experience in your desire career, stop by Career Services for a drop-in, or schedule an appointment.

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Building Essential Skills in the Workplace

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Building essential skills in the workplace [ PDF - 443 KB ]

Large print, braille, MP3 (audio), e-text and DAISY formats are available on demand by ordering online or calling 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232). If you use a teletypewriter ( TTY ), call 1-800-926-9105.

On this page

Introduction, why do employers invest in essential skills development for their employees, essential skills challenges and responses in five organizations, key findings from case studies, step-by-step process for developing essential skills.

Canadian organizations are becoming increasingly aware that they need to maximize the skills of their work force, in order to compete and grow, which often means enhancing or refreshing their employees’ essential skills.

Essential skills help people perform the tasks required by their occupation, provide people with a foundation for learning other skills, and enhance people’s ability to innovate and adapt to workplace change. Essential skills include:

• Reading text
• Document use
• Oral communication
• Working with others
• Thinking skills
• Computer use
• Continuous learning

The case studies presented examine outstanding workplace education programs and initiatives. They highlight best practices in developing essential skills in the workplace and provide an overview of benefits, outcomes and impacts of essential skills training. Learning partners include schools, colleges, universities, workplaces, communities and governments. A more detailed version of the case studies, as well as a more in-depth analysis of the methods used to develop, assess, implement and deliver education in the workplace, can be found on The Conference Board of Canada ’s Web site.

Also included in this publication is a 10-step guide to implementing essential skills learning programs in the workplace. It provides information and advice to employers and their learning partners on ways to address challenges.

Employers tend not to identify employees’ lack of essential skills as an immediate challenge to be addressed. Instead, they address business issues arising from their operating environment. These issues, which include low productivity, poor safety records and high error rates, may mask underlying essential skills challenges. However, essential skills challenges are often not identified specifically until employers begin to grapple with implementing solutions to address their business issues.

Once essential skills gaps have been identified and essential skills training has been developed and implemented, businesses often notice soft returns in addition to hard business results. The combination of improved essential skills and other softer benefits (including increased participation, improved morale, enhanced employee engagement and improved team performance) not only equips organizations to address future challenges, but also raises employers’ awareness of how to identify essential skills challenges and when to address essential skills head-on.

1. Teaching the skills that enable employees to manage change at Syncrude Canada Ltd.

Syncrude Canada Ltd. is located in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The company is the world's largest producer of crude oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada. Syncrude employs 14,000 people directly and indirectly across Canada and currently supplies 13 percent of the nation's petroleum requirements.

Essential skills challenge

Syncrude made a business decision to transform its management model and adopt a team-based management approach. The company realized that its work force was not ready for this change in operational style and that managers and staff would need to refresh their essential skills.

Organizational response

Management initially rolled out essential skills training for supervisors and subsequently included all employees as a result of the success of its Effective Reading in Context (ERIC) program.

Characteristics of target audience

Fort McMurray is a remote community that relies chiefly on the tar sands for employment. Syncrude and other petrochemical companies mining the tar sands have had to recruit large numbers of workers to the region, including Aboriginal workers and immigrants. The company also relies on groups of trades workers to build and maintain infrastructure. Given the nature of mining and refining oil sands, there is little tolerance for error—small mistakes can cause costly production delays and expensive repairs. Ensuring a common foundation in essential skills among all workers is a means of achieving safety and productivity targets.

Contribution to building a learning culture

Syncrude’s innovation was to recognize that managers are a key factor in successful essential skills training. Managers themselves may need to develop essential skills, not only to model effective behaviours in the workplace, but also to see the value of supporting essential skills training for their direct reports.

Benefits, outcomes and impacts: Return on essential skills training investment

Syncrude not only tracked the number of participants in its ERIC program, but also observed changes in behaviour that resulted from the training, especially behaviours that affect safety, productivity, adaptability and team performance. Syncrude also developed a Syncrude Applied Math (SAM) program for numeracy skills upgrading. Employees and new recruits who participate in ERIC and SAM typically achieve better results on the Test of Workplace essential skills (TOWES) and are more successful in trades certification exams than people who do not participate in these programs.

Ability to be used as a model

Syncrude has partnered with adult education experts at Keyano College in Fort McMurray to deliver its essential skills programs. While Syncrude owns the copyrights to ERIC and SAM , Keyano College manages and adapts these products and brokers sales of customized versions of them to third parties, from whom Keyano derives revenue.

Measuring the essential skills gap

Syncrude invests in one-on-one assessments of individuals’ essential skills. This personalized assessment ensures that trainers understand the actual skill needs of individual employees and can develop learning activities to meet each individual’s specific learning needs. Syncrude’s focus is not on measuring skill gaps and skill levels of individuals or of job categories within the work force as a whole. Instead, Syncrude prefers to take a developmental approach with each individual learner to help them master the essential skills needed to perform the tasks they have identified as problematic.

2. Shaping performance at BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc.

BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. employs 900 people and operates Canada’s first diamond mine. Management is committed to building a sustainable Aboriginal and northern work force. Its Workplace Learning Program benefits all workers who wish to upgrade their skills.

Billiton is committed to hiring a large number of Aboriginal workers as part of its mining agreement with the territorial government. The company cannot screen out employee candidates on the basis of essential skills, given the limited supply of workers available at its remote Yellowknife site.

Billiton has invested in a training-on-the-job approach in order to continue mining diamonds while addressing essential skills challenges. The company ended up designing a dual-track production schedule to accommodate workers who were needed for front-line production on given day and others who could be given release time to attend essential skills training.

Workers at the Ekati diamond mine site live, work, sleep and eat in close quarters with their co-workers in a remote, camp-style work environment for two to three weeks at a time. Shift work under these conditions can be very demanding and requires strong interpersonal communication and team skills.

Billiton schedules essential skills training as part of the daily roster of work assignments at the mine. Production dictates which categories and quantities of workers are required to meet operational and safety objectives on any given day, but essential skills training is recognized as a core operation for personnel who need essential skills training but are not required on a work team that day.

Billiton carefully tracks the hours of paid release time that it provides for essential skills training for its employees, as well as the employee turnover rate, which is significantly lower for employees participating in essential skills training than for those who do not. The company has also been proactive in gauging the softer impacts of essential skills training, such as workers’ greater comfort in speaking up at safety meetings and improved morale.

The flexibility of Billiton’s model is evident from the variety of ways in which its Workplace Learning Program is delivered. Workers participate in independent learning, in one-to-one tutoring and in small classes. Learning at the site ranges from core literacy to General Educational Development (GED) preparation and preapprenticeship training.

Billiton uses a customized version of the Test of Workplace essential skills (TOWES) to assess the essential skills of individual employees. The company addresses skill gaps as an operational issue, with employees’ development to a workplace standard as the desired outcome of essential skills training.

3. Essential skills for multi-skilling at National Silicates

The primary objective of National Silicates' workplace training program is to upgrade the skill levels of the plant operators and to enable them to be multi-skilled and competent in all areas of the plant’s operations. National Silicates is a small chemical company that is a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of the PQ Corporation. The PQ Corporation, in conjunction with its affiliates, is the world’s largest producer of sodium and potassium silicates, and operates in 18 countries on five continents.

National Silicates operates in a highly specialized environment requiring strong technical skills. To be competitive in the industry, it must update refining processes and employee skill sets on a regular basis.

National Silicates develops essential skills in order to recruit, build and retain a category of workers known as chemical process operators who are in short supply in the labour market, but whose skills are crucial to ensuring safety, productivity, competitiveness and growth of the industry.

National Silicates has shown a strong commitment to developing essential skills as part of its effort to meet quality standards and be competitive. The company’s belief in the value of developing these skills and its pragmatic understanding of the business imperative of “staying the course” on essential skills upgrading underscore the need to treat essential skills as “need to have” competencies in a competitive industry.

National Silicates’ Chemical Process Operators Program shows that employees who are properly trained are not only more comfortable in their roles but are also more engaged in contributing to safety and productivity in the workplace. The company found that employees who have the essential skills necessary to be effective in the workplace are an organization’s best asset and can draw on their skills and abilities to achieve aggressive performance targets. Significant outcomes and impacts of the company’s essential skills training program include a zero voluntary turnover rate, reduced overtime hours, reduced outside contractor hours, reduced plant down time, more versatile employees, improved efficiency, improved productivity, improved safety and an improved work environment.

National Silicates’ essential skills training program might easily be adapted for use by companies in other industry sectors facing shortages of skilled workers and skill gaps among members of the existing work force.

National Silicates identifies essential skills gaps and addresses them through training for current employees while they are pursuing apprenticeships as chemical process operators. The company also assesses potential new employees’ essential skills and encourages them to pursue essential skills upgrading while taking first-level training as chemical workers. For both groups, essential skills upgrading is instrumental to individuals’ progress in job-specific training.

4. Producing “Productivity Through People” at Minas Basin Pulp & Power Company Limited

Minas Basin Pulp & Power Company Limited is a family-owned and -operated company with 162 full-time employees. The company produces linerboard and coreboard from recycled material and is affiliated with other Nova Scotia companies that convert linerboard into cardboard boxes and coreboard into paper tubes.

Minas Basin Pulp & Power introduced a major technology change in the workplace and greatly expanded its operations, hiring many new workers. Experienced employees needed to refresh their essential skills to learn how to operate new equipment and a large number of new recruits needed to learn the business from the ground up.

Minas Basin Pulp & Power is an example of a company that invested heavily in its physical plant and in people to remain competitive. The company needed to improve the essential skills of its employees so that they could easily learn how to use state-of the-art technology.

Minas Basin Pulp & Power draws its workers from the local community. Like other companies in this situation, it found that the level of education it required for its employees lagged behind the skill levels needed for high performance in the workplace. Minas Basin Pulp & Power had to upgrade the skills of existing workers and then raise the educational requirement for new recruits to ensure they came equipped with the required essential skills.

The Minas Basin Pulp & Power story shows how upgrading essential skills has a multiplier effect by enabling workers to pick up new skills more quickly, to teach others more effectively and to contribute more deliberately to the business success of the organization.

Minas Basin Pulp & Power has carefully tracked the outcomes and impacts of its Workplace Education program. The company has reported unprecedented operating efficiencies, an all-time low absenteeism rate, and a 13-fold reduction in lost time due to accidents, which justify the company’s investments in essential skills development for its work force.

Minas Basin Pulp & Power identifies ongoing essential skills gaps through semi-annual performance reviews of its employees and by involving a training and development team that includes representatives from unions, management and employees. The team meets every two or three months to review progress on essential skills and set targets for the future.

5. Empowering employee-learners with essential skills at Durabelt Inc.

Durabelt Inc. is a small Prince Edward Island manufacturing company that produces belted chain conveyor belting and associated components for harvesting root vegetable crops. The company employs between 5 and 35 workers on a seasonal basis.

Durabelt produces customized industrial products for its consumer base of farmers. Depending on crop fortunes, farmers might choose to have old products overhauled or to place orders for new products to meet their specific requirements. Either way, Durabelt employees need to be able to constantly retool their manufacturing equipment to accommodate piecework orders. Essential skills are crucial for reading work orders and recalibrating machines. In practice, employees need to be adept not only at using their technical job specific skills, but also at applying those skills while managing their time, sequencing operations, working in and supporting teams, working safely and dealing with external customers.

Durabelt used essential skills training to help front-line workers manage their work and increase their productivity. The company could not afford to have production stalled while employees waited for a senior employee to read and interpret work orders, recalibrate machines and start production. Essential skills training would enable the person acting as the company’s millwright to optimize their time and ensure that employees were working all the time, not just when they were able to get the attention of the millwright.

Durabelt is a seasonal business and employees typically joined the firm without specifically preparing themselves academically for employment with the company. Durabelt now expects new recruits to have completed Grade 12. When the company started essential skills training, most employees were experienced but did not have that academic background and lacked certain essential skills.

Since Durabelt is a small organization, a concerted effort to refresh essential skills involved everyone, and the learning culture was apparent to all employees.

Durabelt tracked many impacts and benefits of essential skills training. Many related to positive changes in attitudes and behaviours that support performance in the workplace, success in the classroom and positive relationships at home. For Durabelt, enhanced employee self-confidence helps to ensure better working relationships and stronger productivity.

A challenge of making this model work in a larger organization might be engaging the entire work force—for example, getting input from everyone when rewriting work descriptions.

At Durabelt, organizational skill needs and gaps were identified by an independent third party, and skill development plans and activities were established for individual employees to ensure that the organization addressed its collective skill gaps at the individual level.

Employers invest in training when there is a hard business reason to do so—for example, because they want to reduce unacceptable loss of time due to accidents, excessive waste of materials or time lost because employees require too much supervision.

Essential skills training tends to be most effective when it is used to help employees improve their own ability to perform in the workplace. In other words, all training activities need to be evaluated according to how much they contribute to improving workplace performance (not just according to how employees feel about the training, but also in terms of what they learn, how their behaviour changes and how they improve in their jobs).

It is important to track benefits, outcomes and impacts. Benefits accrue to all stakeholders, including employers, employees, managers and customers. These benefits need to be recognized and communicated widely to maintain the momentum of essential skills interventions.

The kinds of outcomes that employers who invest in essential skills training tend to measure and manage include the following:

• skill gains (essential skills, or firm-specific, job-specific or technical skills)
• attitude change—for example, increased commitment to achieving individual, team and organizational goals
• increased engagement in the workplace
• knowledge acquisition and application—for example, enhanced employee understanding of the workplace

Some impacts that employers may want to measure include improved safety, increased productivity, increased retention, reduced absenteeism and reduced error rates. Evaluating the entire package of benefits, outcomes and impacts resulting from essential skills training is crucial to understanding the business case for investing in essential skills. A business case will typically include a combination of hard and soft returns that improve both individual and organizational performance.

Investing in essential skills training produces a whole range of soft returns in the workplace. Typically, investing in essential skills produces a ripple effect in this area. Soft returns accrue to individual employees and their managers, to teams, to organizations as a whole, and to the wider community in which individuals and organizations operate (including families). Employees become more engaged, more adaptable, and better able to learn and to succeed in other training.

The following step-by-step process for developing essential skills is based on the research summarized in the case studies.

1. Assess organizational skill needs

• Employers typically become aware of skill gaps when they observe employees having difficulty performing work tasks or when productivity needs to be increased
• Employers’ assessments of skill gaps are often contextualized to the work environment
• A key part of assessment is identifying which essential skills within job-specific skill sets need to be improved to enhance employee performance

2. Determine the skill gaps of individual employees

• Employers and trainers need to engage employees to assess individual skill needs
• Employers should carefully consider confidentiality of assessment data and the way they will use the results
• Employers need to be sensitive to employees’ anxieties related to assessment and learning
• Employers should link essential skills gap identification to performance reviews to identify training needs and skill performance on the job

3. Set essential skills targets for individual employees

• Employees need a specific action plan to address their own essential skills gaps
• Employees need to be able to visualize easier and more efficient job task performance as a result of upgrading their essential skills
• Employees who “personalize” their need for essential skills training are better able to track and celebrate their progress

4. Design appropriate training to meet individual and organizational essential skills targets

• Training materials are most effective when they are based on workplace tasks
• Employees need to enhance their essential skills in the context of the way they are expected to use them in their jobs
• Once key organizational targets are met, individual essential skills gaps can be addressed using materials or examples specific to the individual. For example, practice in reading a safety manual could be complemented by practice in reading a child’s school report

5. Schedule training

• Organizations need to build time into work schedules to accommodate necessary essential skills training
• A key decision is the time commitment required from the organization (paid release time) and from the employee (personal time)
• When essential skills training time is properly integrated into the work schedule, production can continue while individuals are enhancing their essential skills

6. Track individual performance

• Individuals improve their essential skills gradually, but often need to know how far they have progressed and how far they have to go to achieve their target
• Recognition for skill gains is a crucial part of a successful training plan
• Individuals need to be able to deliberately target their learning efforts to ensure effective use of training resources

7. Track organizational performance

• improved safety records
• enhanced productivity
• reduced absenteeism
• reduced error rates
• improved self-confidence
• better team performance
• improved workplace morale
• Organizations should also pay attention to newly emerging skill needs and gaps

8. Leverage essential skills gains

• When employees individually and collectively make essential skills gains, new operating procedures and performance targets may be within reach
• It is important to continuously find ways to leverage essential skills. They can be used to drive workplace innovation, to improve the quality of goods and services, and to generate new solutions for customers
• Continuously leveraging skill gains is part of the ongoing business case for enhancing, refreshing and redeploying essential skills for high performance

9. Market the benefits

• Essential skills programs and their benefits need to be constantly marketed to staff, managers and senior management
• Essential skills training improves a corporation’s attractiveness to external customers and to the communities in which i does business
• Raising the essential skills bar can help an organization to recruit better job candidates. An organization with a reputation for managing and developing essential skills becomes an “employer of choice” for job seekers

10. Build on success

• Organizations that have achieved success with essential skills training need to celebrate their achievements with their employees
• Applying for awards programs and continuing to network with other business leaders can help organizations make additional improvements in their work force. An organization with an established best practice in essential skills is well positioned to borrow ideas from others and adapt them for success in its workplace
• Because the market is ever changing and competitive, tapping into employees’ potential through essential skills is a never-ending proposition

Employers profiled in the case studies summarized above have all followed different paths in their journey toward investing in essential skills. That being said, each employer studied has made a very pragmatic decision to invest in the essential skills of its workers and to ensure that the organization and its work force derive maximum benefit from these investments. There was no evidence of employers taking a “leap of faith” when committing their scarce resources to essential skills training. Instead, employers, managers, trainers and employees demonstrated a strong-willed determination to make essential skills training work for them.

When individual employees, teams and organizations stay the course on their essential skills investments, they experience, both individually and collectively, a range of hard and soft returns. High performance on the part of both individuals and organizations depends on recognizing and fully leveraging this combination of hard and soft returns. While hard returns, such as increased productivity and improved workplace safety, are among the most preferred business outcomes, softer returns—such as improved morale, improved self-confidence levels and improved communication—are not to be underestimated.

It is becoming more apparent that doing nothing to enhance essential skills and employability attitudes is not an option in most workplaces. Pressure on wages from a shrinking labour force, challenges from competitors to improve quality and cut costs, and rising skill requirements for all workers make investment in essential skills not only imperative but also, increasingly, irresistible.

These case studies and 10-step guide were written by The Conference Board of Canada with financial support from Employment and Skills Development Canada. The views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of Employment and Skills Development Canada or of the Government of Canada.

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Workplace Essential Skills Videos On Demand

Workplace Essential Skills is an instructional media-based series which comprehensively addresses employment and workplace skills by featuring real people in job seeking and work situations. Students gain skills in finding jobs and succeeding at work through videos, instruction, enrichment activities, practice, and more.

KET’s multimedia work readiness curriculum ensures students can utilize reading, writing and math skills within an occupational setting as well as prepare students with life skills like attitude, professionalism, ethics, communication, and interpersonal relations.

All program videos can streamed below. Workbooks can be purchased here .

Planning To Work

Emphasizes career planning and the role of work in people’s lives.

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Matching Skills and Jobs

Tools to help you assess your own skills and then find a job that fits.

Applying for Jobs

Understanding and using application forms and processes.

Résumés, Tests, and Choices

Writing effective résumés and preparing for employment tests.

Interviewing

How to prepare for the job interview.

Ready for Work

Understanding and demonstrating work-readiness skills.

Workplace Safety

Developing safety-conscious attitudes and skills.

Learning at Work

Orientation and training phase strategies.

The Language of Work

Effective workplace speaking/listening strategies and skills.

Communicating with Co-Workers and Supervisors

Strategies for conflict resolution.

Working Together

Stresses the key personal skills and strategies needed for collaborating with colleagues and working in teams.

Communicating with Customers

How to develop excellent customer-service skills.

A Process for Writing

The importance of the writing process in the workplace.

Supplying Information: Directions, Forms, and Charts

Advice and practice exercises for developing accuracy and completeness.

Writing Memos and Letters

The importance of knowing the audience and purpose for your memos and letters and the appropriate formats to use in various circumstances.

Reading for a Purpose

Purposes and strategies for workplace reading.

Finding What You Need: Forms and Charts

The role and importance of accuracy; locating specifics.

Following Directions

The role and importance of following directions on the job.

Reading Reports and Manuals

Usage, organization, and comprehension skills for reports and manuals.

Number Sense

A variety of workplace uses for mathematics; developing number sense.

Solving Problems

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and mathematical reasoning skills are vital to employment.

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents

Workplace uses of ratio, rate, and proportion.

Measurements and Formulas

Different units of measurement and how and when to apply them.

Trends and Predictions: Graphs and Data

The role and importance of evaluation and the effective presentation of data.

Orientation

An introduction to the series and its accompanying workbooks.

See more resources for:

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The Most Important Skills For Today’s Employees

As an organization, you may ask yourself: what does it mean to be a professional? Is it simply someone who…

As an organization, you may ask yourself: what does it mean to be a professional? Is it simply someone who has a combination of academic preparation and specialized knowledge? Or is it more than that? Beyond knowledge and competencies, professionals—no matter what discipline—need essential skills for success.

Employability skills are essential skills that help people thrive in professional settings. These may include personal values and qualities that define them as a professional and set them apart. Also known as workplace skills, these important job skills help people perform daily tasks and navigate workplace environments efficiently.

Top Key Skills That Are Important For Employment

Develop the most important skill.

The list of important workplace skills consists of a combination of hard or technical skills and soft or foundational skills. These combined skills are also known as hybrid skills that help employees fulfill their responsibilities.

In addition to technical skills, let’s look at the most important skills required for employment and workplace success in detail:

Communication

One of the most important skills, communication includes verbal, non-verbal and written forms. It allows people to establish strong interpersonal relationships with internal and external stakeholders. It helps in understanding mission, vision, objectives and deadlines and getting everyone on the same page. ( cakesprices.com ) Communication skills include, but aren’t restricted to:

Crafting well-structured and engaging communication to inform and influence

Articulating the most important ideas with precision

Understanding the core objective and tailoring messages to the audience

Putting ideas together into a coherent narrative

Persuading and leaving lasting impressions on people

Whether it’s managing a team or time, people with strong management skills can make quick and effective decisions. They also have the ability to organize and prioritize tasks, allowing them to meet deadlines. In teamwork , management skills allow leaders to communicate common objectives, resolve conflicts and build relationships. Therefore, there are several interrelated essential skills that make up management skills. Some other important skills are:

Paying attention to detail

Having empathy and listening actively

Being punctual and prioritizing tasks

Having a self-starter attitude

Having the ability to establish trust and build relationships

Management and leadership skills have commonalities but they aren’t the same. Leadership qualities are important skills necessary for every successful professional. Whether the individual is an employee or a manager, such skills help them see the bigger picture. Leadership skills include:

Having a growth mindset that allows people to learn and move on from mistakes

Staying calm under pressure and being able to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously

Being accountable for one’s actions in addition to the team’s actions

Ability to set goals, plan and prioritize tasks and delegate responsibilities

Being flexible and open to diverse ideas, thoughts and perspectives

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving skills reflect an individual’s capacity to finding solutions, despite difficulties and setbacks. Making an objective analysis and arriving at logical conclusions are the basic tenets of effective problem-solving. Some common problem-solving skills are:

Dealing with complaints or critical feedback

Thinking on one’s feet and making quick decisions

Looking at multiple solutions logically before finalizing one

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills include the ability to interact, engage and build positive and lasting relationships with people. It enables employees to work well with coworkers, managers, clients, customers, vendors and others. It’s important for professional networking and managing career growth. Different types of interpersonal skills are:

Perceptiveness and emotional intelligence

Self-awareness and self-management

Stress management and enforcing boundaries

In short, these important skills not only help employees get the job done but bring more to the workplace by going beyond their job description. It makes them well-rounded professionals. 

From the list of essential workplace skills, it’s clear that communication is at the heart of everything. Whether it’s managing a team or building relationships outside of work, an employee needs to be a compelling communicator. If you want your employees to communicate with impact, try Harappa’s  Compelling Communication Program . It’s a  rich, blended and integrated online-first learning journey that delivers transformative behaviors. Well-designed learning solutions will help your workplace shine and demonstrate immediate change. Raise the bar at work with Harappa!

Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as What Are  Soft Skills , Best  Soft Skills For Resume  and Difference Between  Soft Skills And Hard Skills  that will help organizations tap into their employee's potential.

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10 Good Communication Skills In The Workplace (Guide 2024)

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Photo by rivage on Unsplash

Introduction

Effective communication skills are essential in the modern workplace, regardless of your job level or industry. The ability to communicate information clearly, concisely and with impact can make the difference between success and failure.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 10 key communication skills that can help you excel in your career. We’ll also discuss why communication skills are so important, the different types of communication, and how to highlight your communication abilities on your CV and in job interviews.

Why Communication Skills Are Important in the Workplace

Communication is one of the most sought-after skills by employers today. Strong communication abilities allow you to:

• Convey information, instructions and ideas effectively
• Build positive relationships with colleagues, managers and clients
• Collaborate productively on projects and solve problems efficiently
• Negotiate, persuade and influence others
• Provide excellent customer service
• Advance your career through effective self-promotion

When communication breaks down in the workplace, it can lead to misunderstandings, reduced productivity, low morale and even conflict. That’s why honing your communication skills is so crucial, no matter what your role or industry.

The 4 Types of Communication Skills

Effective communication is multi-faceted, involving a range of verbal, nonverbal, written and visual skills. The four main types of communication skills are:

Mastering each of these four communication skill types is essential for thriving in the modern workplace.

10 Good Communication Skills Examples for 2024

Here are 10 key communication skills that can help you excel in your career:

Developing these 10 communication skills takes time and practice, but the payoff can be significant for your career success. Regularly assess your communication strengths and weaknesses, and seek out opportunities to improve.

Which Jobs Require Strong Communication Skills?

Communication skills are crucial in virtually every job and industry. Some roles where excellent communication abilities are particularly important include:

• Customer service and sales positions
• Management and leadership roles
• Consultancy and advisory roles
• Public relations and marketing roles
• Teaching, training and coaching roles
• Creative roles like writing, journalism and public speaking

Even for highly technical or specialized jobs, the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and engaging way is invaluable. Strong communication skills can help you excel in your current role and open doors to new career opportunities.

Emphasizing Communication Skills on Your CV and in Interviews

When applying for jobs, it’s important to highlight your communication skills throughout your CV and in job interviews. Here are some tips:

On Your CV:

• Include communication-focused achievements and responsibilities in your work history
• Showcase written communication skills through well-structured, error-free writing
• List relevant communication-related skills and training (e.g. public speaking, negotiation, active listening)
• Provide examples of how you’ve used communication skills to benefit your employer

In Interviews:

• Prepare examples of times you’ve demonstrated strong communication abilities
• Use confident, clear and friendly body language and tone of voice
• Listen carefully to questions and respond concisely and directly
• Ask thoughtful questions that show your engagement and communication skills
• Emphasize your ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders

By emphasizing your communication prowess, you can demonstrate to employers that you have the essential skills to succeed in the role and contribute to the organization.

Effective communication skills are vital for career success in the modern workplace. By mastering the 10 communication skills outlined in this guide – including emotional intelligence, clarity, friendliness, confidence, empathy and more – you can set yourself up for professional advancement.

Remember that communication is a multi-faceted skill that can always be improved through regular practice and self-reflection. Consider taking a career test or psychometric test to better understand your communication strengths and development areas.

With commitment and the right strategies, you can become an exceptional communicator and unlock new opportunities for growth and success in your career.

Unlock success in job interviews: 5 essential skills to master

I n today's fiercely competitive job market, the ability to stand out in interviews has never been more crucial. According to statistics, an average corporate job posting attracts around 250 resumes, out of which only 2 percent of candidates are invited for an interview. However, by mastering essential interview skills, you can significantly increase your chances of securing the job you desire. While technical expertise remains important, employers increasingly value candidates with strong soft skills and effective communication abilities.

Beyond technical expertise, employers increasingly value candidates with strong soft skills and effective communication abilities. In fact, a survey conducted by LinkedIn revealed that 57 percent of leaders cited soft skills as the most desired attribute in candidates.

Additionally, a study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that communication skills consistently ranked among the top five qualities sought by employers.

Here are the key skills that, when practiced and honed, will empower you to crack your next interview successfully.

By focusing on these essential skills mentioned by Yogita Tulsaini, Director and co-founder at iXceed Solutions, candidate be well-equipped to impress potential employers and stand out from the competition.

1. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Effective communication skills are crucial in every aspect of our lives, and they play a significant role in the interview process.

Being able to articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely, actively listen to the interviewer, and ask insightful questions demonstrates your ability to communicate effectively.

Practice speaking confidently and maintaining good eye contact. Pay attention to your body language, as it can convey confidence and engagement.

2. ACTIVE LISTENING FOR DEEPER CONNECTIONS

Active listening is an often underrated skill, yet it plays a pivotal role in establishing rapport and understanding during interviews. By attentively listening to the interviewer's questions and comments, you demonstrate genuine interest and thoughtfulness in your responses.

Avoid interrupting and take a moment to comprehend the question or statement before offering your answer.

Develop active listening skills by engaging in conversations with friends, colleagues, or mentors, actively seeking to comprehend their perspectives and practicing reflective listening.

3. UNLEASHING PROBLEM-SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING

Employers highly value candidates who possess strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. Interviews often include scenarios that require quick thinking and efficient problem-solving.

Prepare by reflecting on past challenges you've faced and the strategies you employed to overcome them. Emphasize your analytical skills, creativity, and decision-making prowess.

Hone your critical thinking by engaging in puzzles, riddles, or hypothetical scenarios. Such exercises will sharpen your problem-solving acumen and enable you to navigate challenges with ease, leaving a lasting impression on interviewers.

4. EMBRACING ADAPTABILI TY AND FLEXIBILITY

In today's dynamic work environment, adaptability and flexibility are qualities that employers hold in high regard. They want to ensure you can navigate change and thrive in evolving circumstances.

Highlight your adaptability by showcasing instances where you adjusted your approach or thrived in diverse settings. Practice flexibility by actively seeking new experiences, volunteering for varied projects, or taking on different roles.

Such endeavors will not only broaden your skill set but also demonstrate your capacity to embrace change and excel in any work environment.

5. LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK

Employers value candidates who can lead teams, inspire others, and collaborate effectively. Highlight your leadership experiences, such as leading projects or mentoring others. Discuss how you've motivated and influenced team members to achieve collective goals.

Demonstrate your ability to work well in teams by providing examples of successful collaborations and effective communication within a group setting.

Leadership and teamwork skills show that you can contribute to the organisation's success and work harmoniously with others.

IN CONCLUSION

Mastering these key skills is essential for excelling in your job interviews. By developing effective communication and active listening abilities, honing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, showcasing adaptability and flexibility, demonstrating emotional intelligence, and investing time in thorough preparation and research.

No matter how challenging your interview may be, be sure you are well-prepared. Additionally, make an effort to contact the interviewer or hiring manager after the interview is over.

You may, for instance, send a brief text or email to thank them and express how helpful the interview process was. Additionally, remain proactive if you anticipate being selected for the following round.

You may always send a quick email to follow up if you haven't heard anything new. Keep your phrases formal and concise.

Collaborative Pianist-Temporary

• College of Fine Arts
• Professional Staff
• Opening at: May 14 2024 at 10:30 CDT

Job Summary:

The Collaborative Pianist is responsible for serving as an accompanist to select choirs, student performances, and private lesson instruction. This is a part-time position.

Duties & Essential Job Functions:

1. Provides regular and prompt attendance at scheduled rehearsals, lessons, performances, or similar events to perform collaborative pianist duties. 2. Prepares and performs at a high caliber that is reflective of TCU and the School of Music. 3. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Education & Experience:

• Bachelors Degree. • Demonstrated piano proficiency with excellent sight reading skills. • Experience in collaborating and performing with individuals and groups in a wide variety of musical styles and genres.

Preferred Education & Experience:

• Master’s degree. • Advanced musical and pianistic skills with 5 or more years of collaborative piano experience.

Required Licensure/Certification/Specialized Training:

Preferred licensure, certification, and/or specialized training:, knowledge, skills & abilities:.

• Skill in fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages student success. • Skill in collaborating with various instruments and groups. • Ability to work with a variety of campus constituents, with a sensitivity for diversity. • Ability to modify behavior & practices in response to new information, changing conditions, unexpected obstacles, or faculty/student needs. • Ability to present and express ideas and information clearly and concisely in a manner appropriate to the audience, whether oral or written, an effort to facilitate the open exchange of different musical ideas and information. • Ability to effectively analyze problems, determine solutions, and take decisive action with personal responsibility over this decision to achieve outcomes and goals. • Ability to manage multiple priorities & responsibilities effectively and efficiently. • Ability to accurately evaluate one’s own performance. • Ability to clearly, effectively, and professionally communicate with faculty, students and other support staff to successfully collaborate. • Ability to collaborate and perform with individuals and groups in a wide variety of musical styles and genres.

TCU Core Competencies:

University Core Competencies definitions may be found on the Human Resources website and in the staff performance management system.

Physical Requirements (With or Without Accommodations):

• Visual acuity to read information from computer screens, forms and other printed materials and information. • Able to speak (enunciate) clearly in conversation and general communication. • Hearing ability for verbal communication/conversation/responses via telephone, telephone systems, and face-to-face interactions. • Manual dexterity for typing, writing, standing and reaching, flexibility, body movement for bending, crouching, walking, and kneeling. • Lifting and moving objects and equipment up to 25 lbs.

Work Environment:

• Work is indoors and moderate and is subject to schedule changes and/or variable work hours. • This role is an on campus, in-person position. • There are no harmful environmental conditions present for this job. • The noise level in this work environment is usually moderate.

AA/EEO Statement:

As an AA/EEO employer, TCU recruits, hires, and promotes qualified persons in all job classifications without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ethnic origin, disability, genetic information, covered veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. 

TCU Annual Security Report & Fire Safety Report Notice of Availability

Texas Christian University is committed to assisting all members of the campus community in providing for their own safety and security. TCU’s Annual Security Report and Fire Safety Report is published in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy & Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This report includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by the University, and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The statements of policy contained within this report address institutional policies, procedures, and programs concerning campus security, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, emergency notifications and timely warning of crimes, sexual and interpersonal violence, and personal safety at TCU. Additionally, this report outlines fire safety systems, policies and procedures for on-campus housing facilities, as well as residence hall fire statistics. 

The Annual Security Report and Fire Safety Report can be found on the TCU Police Department website at https://police.tcu.edu/annual-security-report , or a paper copy of the report may be obtained by contacting the TCU Police Department at 817-257-7930, or via email at [email protected] .

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Title:  Project Engineer

Requisition Id:  2675 

This position is eligible for the Referral Incentives Program.  

Salary: Commensurate with experience and education 

Salary Grade: S12 

Job Location:  Commission Headquarters (JEFFE1) 

Closing Date: Until Filled

Our Culture: The Missouri Department of Conservation supports a culture of trusted professionals that are dedicated to our mission, responsible stewards, and believe in One MDC.  

To learn more about the job, feel free to contact the hiring supervisor- Barbara Li at [email protected] or at 573-522-4115 ext 3724.  We'd love to hear from you! 

Provide professional engineering services related to the Department’s infrastructure.

• Collaborate on multiple projects, providing engineering expertise and schedule adherence.
• Design various types of structures.
• Prepare plans and specifications, permit applications, contracts, estimates, etc.
• Oversee and/or perform inspections, reviews, change orders, bids, etc.
• Attend various meetings.
• Work with design technicians, and hire/supervise consultants.
• Act as a subject matter and building code expert to field staff.
• Assist construction maintenance superintendents and their staff, as requested.
• Develop scopes of work and prepare and negotiate contracts.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, quality control, and business standards.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, or related field.
• Four (4) years of relevant professional experience.
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of Missouri (or ability to obtain certification within the first year of employment).
• Must maintain a current, valid driver’s license.
• Site, transportation, hydraulic, hydrologic and structural design experience.
• Knowledge to prepare technical engineering reports, cost estimates and monthly contractors’ pay estimates for construction projects.
• Knowledge to prepare technical specifications.
• Ability to communicate and negotiate between engineers, contractors and contract superintendents.
• Ability to use standard business software (spreadsheet and word processing) and civil design software (AutoCad, Civil 3D, Revit, Hydrology or similar).
• Ability to define a problem, analyze relevant information, and develop solutions and solve problems.
• Ability to maintain focus and intensity, and remain optimistic and persistent even under adversity.
• Ability to develop and sustain cooperative working relationships with Department personnel, consulting engineers, geologist, planners and the general public.
• Ability to develop new insights into situations and apply innovative solutions that make improvements.
• Ability to make timely and effective decisions with available information or knowledge within own span of authority.
• Ability to establish comprehensive and realistic plans of action to accomplish activities and evaluate progress.
• Work is performed in a standard office environment.
• Remain in a stationary position 70% or more of the time.
• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery.
• Frequently communicate and exchange accurate information.
• Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less.
• Regularly lift up to 5 pounds, correctly lift up to 10 pounds.
• Concentrated attention is required at all times.
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; an employee will also perform other reasonably related job responsibilities as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required.  The Missouri Department of Conservation reserves the right to revise or change job duties as the need arises.  This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.  Management reserves the right to change job descriptions, job duties, functions, and requirements.

Exemption Status/Special Notes

This position has been determined to be Exempt according to the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Employees must agree to accept compensatory time in lieu of cash payments in accordance with the Department's Compensatory Time Off and Overtime Policy. 

Salaried and hourly employees are expected to use a mobile device-cellular phone for Department business, as needed. 

MDC promotes a Tobacco-Free (smoke and smokeless) working environment.

The Department of Conservation will only hire United States citizens and aliens authorized to work in the United States.  All new employees will be required to complete an "Employment Eligibility Verification" (Form I-9) and produce requested documentation after employment.

Candidates seeking initial employment or re-employment must submit to a drug screen following offer of employment.

All persons employed with the state of Missouri shall file all state income tax forms and pay all state income taxes owed.

Nearest Major Market: Jefferson City Nearest Secondary Market: Columbia Missouri

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