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This handout gives you some ideas about skills which are useful to employers and which might be part of what you can offer an employer. A companion page, "Suggested Courses to Develop Skills that Prospective Employers Want," lists courses that can help you develop occupationally-relevant skills.

1. Adaptability

Develop a habit of curiosity.

Think creatively.

Solve problems effectively and quickly.

Work well with those who are different from you.

2. Competence in Reading and Writing; Computational Skills

Reading skills:

Be able to extract the important ideas from written words as well as graphs and tables.

Be able to apply information to solve problems and answer questions.

Writing skills

Be able to communicate (orally) ideas clearly, concisely, accurately, and logically.

Be able to write introductory summaries and wrap-up statements.

Be able to document and illustrate ideas, including creating tables and graphs.

Computational skills

Be able to identify problems in data.

Be able to reason numerically.

Be able to apply/use data to solve problems (knowledge of statistics very useful here).

3. Communication Skills

Be able to communicate, orally, ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively.

Use "active" (versus passive) listening skills.

Be able to ascertain that you and another have a common understanding of the message.

Be curious enough to probe for critical information

Be sensitive enough to hear and relate to the emotions behind another's words.

4. Computer Skills

Be able to use a major word-processing program.

Be able to use a spread-sheet program.

Be able to use a data base management program.

Be able to use the internet and world wide web.

Be able to use e-mail.

5. Group Interactional Skills

Be able to solve problems in a group.

Be able to think creatively in a group.

Be able to judge and engage in appropriate behavior.

Be able to cope with undesirable behavior in others.

Be able to absorb/deal with stress.

Be able to deal with ambiguity.

Be able to inspire confidence in others.

Be able to share responsibility with others.

Be able to interact effectively with others.

Be able to negotiate from a "win-win" perspective.

6. Interpersonal Influence skills

Be able to achieve personal goals, as well as influence others and the larger organization.

Know how organization is structured, how it works, and why it works the way it does.

Know how, why, when, and by whom decisions are really made.

7. Knowing how to learn

Understand how you absorb and retain information.

Learn when you are most alert and use this time to learn.

Keep aware of external events and reflect on how those events affect you.

8. Self-management skills

Believe in your self-worth.

Take sole responsibility for setting your goals.

Generate internally the motivation to accomplish your goals.

Take actions that will best ensure your personal and career development.

Adapted from: Hall, V. and Wessel, J. (1989, December 3). As today's work world changes, so do the skills employers seek. The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution, p. 53S. (Part I)

Hall, V. and Wessel, J. (1989, December 10). Today's employees need skills once reserved only for "top brass." The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution, p. 39R. (Part II)

APA-style reference for this page:

Lloyd, M. A., & Kennedy, J. H. (1997, August 28). Skills employers seek. [Online]. Available: http://www.psywww.com/careers/skills.htm.

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