How to Boost your Employability
As the labour market becomes increasingly competitive, employers of all sectors (including ourselves) are looking for people who are flexible, able to work on their own initiative and have the ability to undertake varying tasks in ever changing environments.
As a board member of the employability academy at Swansea University, CIOTEK are involved in shaping what employability means in the academy and as such, would like to give our top tips on how you can boost your employability!
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Write a good CV
Employers see hundreds of CVs every week, most of which look the same. Make sure yours stands out from the crowd!
There is no right or wrong way to write a good CV. Depending on the sector you are looking in, and the job you are looking for, a well written CV will look different depending on who you are targeting. The key here is to understand who you are targeting and what type of person they are looking for to be able to tailor your CV accordingly.
It is also worth seeking advice and support from your local careers advisor, or programme at University if you are a student.
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Practice Interviewing
Interviews are scary. There is no shying away from that fact. But the key is preparation, preparation, preparation!
Practice interviewing with someone – a family member, a friend, or better yet, ask a local employer to interview you for practice!
Practice interviews are key for boosting your employability. Preparation for interviews will make you feel less nervous when you are in the real situation, and it will also make you feel more confident and thus, make you look more confident in your abilities to the employer.
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Identify your Skill Gaps
Self-awareness is key here. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses – the key is to know what your weaknesses are, and work on how you can improve on them. This will show ambition and drive for self-improvement and personal development, which will undoubtedly boost your employability.
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Work Placements
This is probably one of the best ways of boosting your employability – getting the work experience. This will be invaluable to you in terms of your personal development, your experience and your attractiveness to employers. Although getting work placements can be an extremely competitive process. Work placement applications are extremely high with students, making it hard to get a place. It is all the more important here that you take note of the 3 points above, to ensure you stand out from the crowd and make your mark on the employer.
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Shadowing
If you cannot find a work placement or this is simply not an option for you, shadowing is a great alterative. If you can find an employer who is willing for you to shadow them, this will give you a massive boost in terms of your confidence in your own abilities and your attractiveness to other employers.
By shadowing an employer (even better if it is an employer relevant to your career interests) you will get a real insight into the world of work you are looking to go into, which will be extremely valuable. It also may open up employment opportunities – maybe they will consider employing you if they are impressed? Maybe they know a business who is looking for someone exactly like you? This is very common!
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