8 answers
Linh Thuy
Student
Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
2
Questions
Asked
962 views
How to obtain better skills for real jobs?
Most recruiters feel that fresh graduates lack necessary skills for the job. So what is your opinion about this?
#entry-level #business #job #job-opportunities #JULY20
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8 answers
Linda Lazarus Castro
Business Analyst
16
Answers
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Linda’s Answer
Linh - the best way to get job skills is to look for summer internships or to volunteer at an organization where you may know someone who has the type of job or the skills you are looking to acquire - I hope this helps!
Linda
Linda
Elisabetta Marani
Global Environmental Sustainability Leader
16
Answers
Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Updated
Elisabetta’s Answer
Hi Lihn, I smiled as I read your question because I felt the same when I was applying to jobs, after graduating from university. I will keep my advice short and concise: you have to keep in mind that recruiters and employers know you are just starting your career and they will be interested in your personality and potential rather than your experience and skills. Employers will hire you because they see potential in you. So when you are interviewed, or as you are writing up you CV, make sure to show you are a quick learner, pro active, hard worker and have a good academic record. This will be enough for employers to consider you for entry-level positions. I'm sure most people would agree with me when I say most skills you learn on the job! Don't worry about experience, focus on what you can personally bring to a company, in terms of positive attitude and willingness to learn.
Whitney Rubega
Senior Associate
28
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Whitney’s Answer
One of the best skills you can have to prepare you for any job is to be a fast learner! In any job you have, there will be new skills that you need to acquire in order to be successful, regardless of the skill set you bring. While you can show that you are a fast learner with academic performance, there are also a variety of other ways to develop and demonstrate the ability to learn quickly. Picking up a new instrument, sport or hobby can also show that you are dedicated and open to learning!
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1790
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
You can get better skills by developing them on your own. Schools won't give you a lot of the skills that you need, but companies hiring entry-level positions usually know that already and expect you to come in having knowledge gaps. I'd recommend checking out websites that will allow you to upskill such as SkillShare or Coursera. Both of these sites can help you increase your proficiencies at your own pace in ways that you can advertise on your resume or on Linkedin.
LISA JOHNSON
Product Management
5
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
LISA’s Answer
I don't necessarily agree with that. Depending on your major, you may have a great skill set to bring into a workplace, but understand that every company operates differently. So, no matter what your technical skill level may be coming out of school, you're still going to have to learn how a specific company does things internally -- processes, project management methods, computer systems, etc.
You can start by reading job postings and pay close attention to preferred qualifications. The internet offers a lot of free sources of information, so do your research on key competencies, skills and qualifications and see what you can find. Being able to talk intelligently, even at a high level, with an interviewer may give you an edge over other candidates.
You can also use sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor to try and connect with people who work for a company you're interested in. See if you can get some advice from an "insider".
Linda's advice about getting an internship or volunteer job is also spot-on. Doing volunteer work is how I landed one of my previous jobs.
You can start by reading job postings and pay close attention to preferred qualifications. The internet offers a lot of free sources of information, so do your research on key competencies, skills and qualifications and see what you can find. Being able to talk intelligently, even at a high level, with an interviewer may give you an edge over other candidates.
You can also use sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor to try and connect with people who work for a company you're interested in. See if you can get some advice from an "insider".
Linda's advice about getting an internship or volunteer job is also spot-on. Doing volunteer work is how I landed one of my previous jobs.
Tejeswini Naik
Technician
5
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Tejeswini’s Answer
The value of these soft skills can be considered good news! No matter what students study in school or what path they take after high school, they can work to learn these skills to help them be successful in the workplace. These are the six skills your young adult will need no matter what their career path:
Communication
The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most essential skills for the workforce. No matter the job or field, communication is required both inside and outside an organization. Parents see the value, too! According to the NBC News State of Parenting Poll, sponsored by Pearson, 54% of parents said good social and communication skills are most important for their child’s future success (more important than grades). Pew research found the same; communication skills were the most important skills Americans say kids need to succeed in life.
“Communication is a big one,” Tchorzynski says. “A lot of students struggle with it because they are used to communicating electronically and they are challenged when having conversations face to face with somebody.”
Having communication skills that make your young adult career-ready means they can articulate thoughts clearly, express ideas through oral, written, and non-verbal cues, and listen to ultimately gain understanding. In addition, with the increasingly digital world, it is essential that they are able to share and deliver information through digital means. Having relationship skills and social awareness are two central components of effective communication. Young adults should understand how to be respectively assertive, think about themselves within the context of a greater organization, understand the social rules of the workplace, and know how to communicate within that structure.
Teamwork and collaboration
Most jobs will require some sort of teamwork and collaboration between employees. Young adults must have the ability to work in a team structure. When young people enter the workforce, they need to learn to think beyond themselves and their own desires, and toward the common goal of the company or organization they are working for. As a new employee in the workforce, young adults are rarely the bosses and need to learn to be team players. They must use their skills as something they offer to the company. In the early years of a career, teamwork is often demonstrated through hard work, commitment, and sacrifice. This means playing whatever role is needed to support the mission of the organization. It also means celebrating and supporting the successes of other employees. Teamwork requires employees to foster relationships with their bosses and coworkers and to be socially aware about the context of these relationships.
Professionalism
The shift from college or high school to the workforce can be a big adjustment for young people. The responsibility and self-management required to be successful at work can be totally different than environments young people are used to. The key to professionalism is forming good work habits. Being on time, responsible, and organized; these are all skills that are important in professional settings. Being on time is perhaps the simplest, yet most essential part to professionalism. “When you clock in for a job, and my job starts at 8, I am there and ready to work at 8, not walking through the door,” Tchorzynski says.
Young adults must be able to keep their work organized and be responsible for deadlines and projects assigned to them. Young people should be sure to communicate clearly with their bosses about these expectations. These basics are all part of learning to manage oneself and one’s time.
Self-management and initiative
Employers want workers who have leadership qualities. This does not mean that young adults will be a leader of the project or boss in the department, but it does mean they possess certain skills that show leadership potential. This means they have self-management and initiative. Self-management in the workplace includes the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize your work. This means having follow-through and discipline to stay on track with assignments and projects. Initiative is the ability to act or take charge to do things without being asked. This quality is highly sought after for employees as it shows a deep level of motivation and curiosity for the work they are doing. It’s also often extremely beneficial to a manager to be able to rely on employees to take initiative without waiting to be asked to do a task first. Finally, young adults should be able to self-evaluate their performance by assessing their actions, work, and projects against goals, timelines, and general work guidelines.
Critical and creative thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to make an evaluation of something by assessing, analyzing, and examining the issue or topic. It requires not just accepting what is, but looking further for other possibilities. Creative thinking, on the other hand, is a way of looking at problems or situations with a fresh perspective and suggesting new or nontraditional solutions and ideas. Critical and creative thinking go hand in hand, and both are required for the workforce today. Young adults need to be able to make decisions and solve problems using their creative and critical thinking skills. This may be examining data and providing an informed analysis to report to their boss or coming up with a creative solution to a project hurdle.
Global fluency and perspective
In today’s economy, workers need a broad understanding of the world around them. More and more employees are finding themselves interacting with people who are different from them. Having a global perspective means respecting diversity, and being open, inclusive, and sensitive to all people. People must be able to interact with and be respectful to people from different cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, political ideologies, and religions. Being globally fluent includes having digital skills, which are essential in today’s economy. However, this does not just mean having the technical skills, but also the knowledge of appropriate social media use, informal vs formal emails, and how to effectively communicate online.
Communication
The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most essential skills for the workforce. No matter the job or field, communication is required both inside and outside an organization. Parents see the value, too! According to the NBC News State of Parenting Poll, sponsored by Pearson, 54% of parents said good social and communication skills are most important for their child’s future success (more important than grades). Pew research found the same; communication skills were the most important skills Americans say kids need to succeed in life.
“Communication is a big one,” Tchorzynski says. “A lot of students struggle with it because they are used to communicating electronically and they are challenged when having conversations face to face with somebody.”
Having communication skills that make your young adult career-ready means they can articulate thoughts clearly, express ideas through oral, written, and non-verbal cues, and listen to ultimately gain understanding. In addition, with the increasingly digital world, it is essential that they are able to share and deliver information through digital means. Having relationship skills and social awareness are two central components of effective communication. Young adults should understand how to be respectively assertive, think about themselves within the context of a greater organization, understand the social rules of the workplace, and know how to communicate within that structure.
Teamwork and collaboration
Most jobs will require some sort of teamwork and collaboration between employees. Young adults must have the ability to work in a team structure. When young people enter the workforce, they need to learn to think beyond themselves and their own desires, and toward the common goal of the company or organization they are working for. As a new employee in the workforce, young adults are rarely the bosses and need to learn to be team players. They must use their skills as something they offer to the company. In the early years of a career, teamwork is often demonstrated through hard work, commitment, and sacrifice. This means playing whatever role is needed to support the mission of the organization. It also means celebrating and supporting the successes of other employees. Teamwork requires employees to foster relationships with their bosses and coworkers and to be socially aware about the context of these relationships.
Professionalism
The shift from college or high school to the workforce can be a big adjustment for young people. The responsibility and self-management required to be successful at work can be totally different than environments young people are used to. The key to professionalism is forming good work habits. Being on time, responsible, and organized; these are all skills that are important in professional settings. Being on time is perhaps the simplest, yet most essential part to professionalism. “When you clock in for a job, and my job starts at 8, I am there and ready to work at 8, not walking through the door,” Tchorzynski says.
Young adults must be able to keep their work organized and be responsible for deadlines and projects assigned to them. Young people should be sure to communicate clearly with their bosses about these expectations. These basics are all part of learning to manage oneself and one’s time.
Self-management and initiative
Employers want workers who have leadership qualities. This does not mean that young adults will be a leader of the project or boss in the department, but it does mean they possess certain skills that show leadership potential. This means they have self-management and initiative. Self-management in the workplace includes the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize your work. This means having follow-through and discipline to stay on track with assignments and projects. Initiative is the ability to act or take charge to do things without being asked. This quality is highly sought after for employees as it shows a deep level of motivation and curiosity for the work they are doing. It’s also often extremely beneficial to a manager to be able to rely on employees to take initiative without waiting to be asked to do a task first. Finally, young adults should be able to self-evaluate their performance by assessing their actions, work, and projects against goals, timelines, and general work guidelines.
Critical and creative thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to make an evaluation of something by assessing, analyzing, and examining the issue or topic. It requires not just accepting what is, but looking further for other possibilities. Creative thinking, on the other hand, is a way of looking at problems or situations with a fresh perspective and suggesting new or nontraditional solutions and ideas. Critical and creative thinking go hand in hand, and both are required for the workforce today. Young adults need to be able to make decisions and solve problems using their creative and critical thinking skills. This may be examining data and providing an informed analysis to report to their boss or coming up with a creative solution to a project hurdle.
Global fluency and perspective
In today’s economy, workers need a broad understanding of the world around them. More and more employees are finding themselves interacting with people who are different from them. Having a global perspective means respecting diversity, and being open, inclusive, and sensitive to all people. People must be able to interact with and be respectful to people from different cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, political ideologies, and religions. Being globally fluent includes having digital skills, which are essential in today’s economy. However, this does not just mean having the technical skills, but also the knowledge of appropriate social media use, informal vs formal emails, and how to effectively communicate online.
Michael Scudder
Account Manager
1
Answer
Groton, Connecticut
Updated
Michael’s Answer
I am not sure I agree with that. Throughout my career I have been in various roles where you needed to "pay your dues" or "start from the bottom". While I was in Higher Education for a time, I had several students who were looking for some experience come to me looking to develop specific skillsets or some form of professional development.
I think in a time where jobs are more competitive than ever before, it is important to actively seek out colleagues or other professionals to assist you with developing a skillset that you feel you'd like to work on. Look for an internship, or as some others have already said, seek out organizations that are aligned with what you are looking for.
Hope this helps!!
Michael
I think in a time where jobs are more competitive than ever before, it is important to actively seek out colleagues or other professionals to assist you with developing a skillset that you feel you'd like to work on. Look for an internship, or as some others have already said, seek out organizations that are aligned with what you are looking for.
Hope this helps!!
Michael
Scott Babcock
Customer Experience/Safety Engineering
12
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Scott’s Answer
I have worked with many new teammates over the years where it was their first real world job. And, most recruiters are both correct and wrong. It really depends on the job or tasks within the company your are working for. For example, if you have an accounting degree, chances are you can hit the ground running. However, if you are an account coordinator, almost every business process needs to be learned including soft and hard skills required to work with customers. It takes time to develop skills, nobody starts out with all the skills you need to be as effective as possible. I suggest you make sure you know the basics including excel, outlook and other similar productivity tools. I agree with the above, communication skills are critical. Learning how to contribute and make your points concisely and accurately is a major factor in your development. Be a student of people, learn how your verbal and non verbale comments are impacting your coworkers and it is most important that your are liked. People will be happy to assist you and move you along if you have a good attitude, absorb what they are teaching you and are generally likalbe. Best of luck!