Employability

What makes you employable? Qualifications and an impressive CV? Not necessarily, attitude and personality are just as important to employers when it comes to finding the right person.

"You need to think about what makes you stand out from other people"

What does employability mean?

In a nutshell, it means finding and maintaining a job utilising all your skills – not just your ability to pass exams. "It's about making sure you fit in with an organisation," says Claire McCartney, an advisor at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). "It's not all about qualifications. You need to think about what makes you stand out from other people. Quite often this will be extra stuff you've done in your personal life that you may not think is that useful, such as taking on extra responsibilities at school."

According to the CIPD, employers have long-term doubts about the employability of young people leaving education, and competition will be stronger than ever this year. So what key skills do you need? When the Learning and Skills Network (LSN) and YouGov surveyed 1,137 employers in 2008, they said they wanted the following:

Reading and writing
Basic maths
Enthusiasm
Commitment
Communication skills
Good timekeeping

Reasons for turning down applications included poor literacy and numeracy, and poor attitudes.

How do I get these skills?

Take a long hard look at what you do in your spare time; you may already have most of these skills."You should take all your activities into account," says Ali Moran, an HR consultant at Workplace Law Group. For example, babysitting shows a responsible attitude, reliability and trustworthiness. Being in sports clubs could demonstrate leadership, organisation and being a team player," she says.

But don't panic if sport or babysitting's not your thing, the good news is that education providers are waking up to the need to teach professional skills. Some offer modules and schemes, such as Liverpool John Moores University's World of Work programme, and Glasgow Caledonian University's work-based learning project, Real WoRLD.

Will work experience help me?

Work experience is highly valued by employers. It shows enthusiasm, is a great way to investigate potential career choices, and you may get a good reference out of it, too.

"You need to do extra things to stand out," says Claire. "Try to get a summer work placement – even if it's just for two weeks – it can help you plan where you'd like your career to go."

The National Council for Work Experience issues a quality mark to employers who have shown they meet a national standard for providing work experience, and has a list of accredited companies. The Government has also just launched a new scheme, the Talent Pool, to match new graduates with short internships.

Vicki Martin, a 22-year-old job coach, chose to get work experience in film while studying at uni. "Work experience makes you stand on your own two feet," she says. "I helped with community-based projects and got the opportunity to talk to many different kinds of people, which is what I do now – supporting people with learning difficulties in their workplaces."

What about voluntary work?

Doing voluntary work will also enhance your CV. "It shows initiative and a willingness to get involved," says Ali. A good place to start is youth volunteering charity V, which focuses on encouraging 16 to 25-year-olds to volunteer. You can search for opportunities near where you live, or even apply for cash to start your own project.

You could also look into gap year schemes, such as The Year In Industry (YINI), which finds paid placements for university students before or during their degrees.

What if I want to earn while I learn?

Apprenticeships offer work-based learning combined with off-the-job training and are a good option for those wanting more employability experience. Young Apprentice of the Year 2009, 16-year-old Tashi French, became an apprentice while taking her GCSEs. "It boosted my confidence because you meet new people from different schools and you're in a new environment," she explains. "It's an adult environment, so you have to change the way you act."

Written by Anne Wollenberg

Ask the people around you – friends, relatives, teachers, lecturers – what they think are your best skills and qualities, and things which you could improve, e.g. timekeeping.
Think about doing some work experience or voluntary work to enhance your CV.
If you're applying to colleges or universities, ask how they'll help you become more employable. Is this covered in the course? Will they help you organise work experience?
Check out directgov's back to work and prospects for tips on how to sell yourself to potential employers.
If you're interested in doing an Apprenticeship, you can register your details with the National Apprenticeship Service and search for opportunities online.

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