What You Need... And What You Already Have

If you've made it this far in life, you already have some skills. Hey, you wouldn’t 't be reading this if you didn’t. But these days, just having the skills isn't enough. Now What Do Employers Really Want?

Imagine: Over 1,500 summer jobs are offered each year through the various employment centres just for students. Now add to that all of the jobs for five counties that are listed by these employment centres. Now think of the fact that government suggest that less than 20% of all jobs are listed in such centres.

How can YOU get one of those- or any other job in the area, for the matter? Manager of Human Resources for companies in the area will tell you that when reviewing resumes or doing interviews  "We're looking for evidence that these people have done something in their lives. We don't expect them to necessarily have a lot of formal work experience, but if they show us they've done volunteer work, it tells us that they are willing to work." Even more important than the resume is the screening interview that follows. "We expect applicants to come ready to tell us about their strengths. What we're really looking for is attitude-we are willing to train for skills.

We need staff who are flexible and willing to do anything because we have lots of different jobs." One Operations Manager describes the hiring process. "First we take a look at the resume to see that they played on athletic teams, worked on the drama production, belong to a service club, volunteered for a local charity or sung in the church choir?

Of course, job-specific skills are still important. But most employers are also keenly interested in personnel who can demonstrate broader skills, like the ability to work in a team-as revealed through participation in that service club or on that sports team-for example.

Employers' Most Wanted Skills List

What do employers want from you? They're looking for employees who:

• Take initiative. People who don't just do the work, but look for ways to do it better.
• Connect with others. People who are friendly and sociable
• Communicate. People who can clearly communicate their ideas verbally and in writing & who listen to and understand what others tell them
• Solve Problems. People who can think logically and critically and are able to come up with creative solutions to problems
• Give 100 per cent. People who are reliable and can be counted on to do their work carefully and complete
• Thrive on a team. People who are honest and who are flexible and can adapt to the styles of other team members
• Enjoy learning. People who are eager to learn new ideas and new skills as their jobs evolve
• Understand numbers. People who are competent in basic math skills
• Practice safe work. People who work carefully and keep the workplace safe for themselves and others.

Take another look at the "Most Wanted Skills List." For every skill, ask yourself if you already demonstrate these skills. If not, why not? To quote Larry the Cable Guy, “Git’er done”

For more information, please contact the EOTB's Executive Director, Denis Thibault: 613.932.0210 or denist@eotb-cfeo.on.ca