What Employers Look For

Employers look for applicants who have:

• A range of  qualities – such as good communication skills, motivated, reliable and adaptable
• Job-specific skills – for example, a games designer needs creative design and technical skills, a doctor needs scientific, medical and technical skills. These are skills you develop once you are in employment.
• Qualifications – these are evidence of personal skills and functional skills

• Self-management: You can organise your time, show responsibility, cope with challenges and persevere when the going gets tough
• An independent enquirer: You can research information, work out what it means and use it to make well-thought out decisions
• A reflective learner: You can evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, judge how well you’ve done and make changes where necessary
• A creative thinker: You can find different ways to tackle a problem, come up with and develop new ideas
• An effective participator: You played a full part in the life of your school or college and the community and act responsibly
• A good team worker: You work confidently with others, take responsibility for your work and take account of others views

• English: Writing and communicating clearly and setting out information in a logical order
• Maths: Measuring, calculating, estimating quantities and recording data
• ICT: Operating a computer, using basic systems, learning new applications and using telephones and other technology to communicate