How important is it to be employable?
To my fellow lifelong learners:
While having a job is a necessary part of adulting it is not a guarantee. There are many aspects that go into finding, obtaining, and keeping a job that is affected by our own personalities, skills, and ambitions. Our personalities, skills, and ambitions differ from person to person and can even shift throughout our lifetime. Changes and transitions made at different points in our lifetime will shift priorities, change ambitions, and add new skills. I will be exploring the 7 characteristics that make you employable for any career you may obtain.
What are the 7 Characteristics of Employability?
In reading the 7 Characteristics of Employability by Jeff VanKooten (2013), I learned what makes a person employable. According to VanKooten, the 7 most important characteristics that attract employers to potential employees are being a contributing team member, being an effective communicator, being adaptable to change, having a positive and flexible attitude, being a continuous learner, self-confident, and having a willingness to take risks. Let's take a closer look at these characteristics.
Contributing Team Member
Vankooten discusses how "Business gurus have been advocating for effective teamwork for some time now." (VanKooten, 2013). In thinking of different job fields this seems to be a very needed aspect. You can't be in a position at a company and not interact with other employees. Jobs ranging from fast food to a Fortune 500 company all have some level of teamwork that is a necessity. If you cannot be a good team player and contribute to the good of the team and the company, then you most likely will not have a job for very long.
Effective Communication
Stemming from being a team player being able to effectively communicate will undoubtedly be a needed skill to possess. If you are not able to communicate clearly then your message will not be received. This will cause confusion and misunderstanding between you and your coworkers. Ensuring your communication is clear and concise will aid in making sure this doesn't happen.
Adaptability to Change
VanKooten states, "In careers, employability becomes enhanced when we can 'turn on a dime' and go in a different direction if need be and learn new skills." (VanKooten, 2013). I take this as meaning you need to be able to quickly change directions if the circumstances warrant it. Being a nurse in the ER, I have to do this often. With each patient, you go from minor injuries or illnesses to critically injured or ill patients. You can be treating a patient who is alert & oriented one minute and the very next they are crashing, and you need to be able to react accordingly to alert others and work to save the patient's life.
Positive and Flexible Attitudes
Being positive and flexible in a job goes a long way toward showing you are an employee worth the company's time and money. If you're positive and optimistic about your company's goals and ideas that will go a lot further than being pessimistic these ideas won't work type person. Being open to learning and not resistant to change will show your employers or potential employers that you have a good attitude toward life and your job.
Continuous Learning
Learning is a life-long journey. In life and in your career, you must always be looking for new learning opportunities to better yourself. Every day you should be learning something new, even if it's something small. Seeking out every opportunity you can within your company and outside in the community will show your employer your willingness to learn, change, and grow, making you a valuable asset to them.
Self-confidence
Self-confidence seems like something that comes easier to some more than others. I personally struggle with this, and it takes a lot of effort on my part to seem as though I am confident. It's important to overcome your anxiety and self-doubt to project the confidence that employers will want in an employee who will represent their company. It's hard to do sometimes but in those times getting told by someone that I seemed very confident boosts my level of self-confidence for the next time.
Willingness to Take Risks
According to VanKooten, "We can make all kinds of decisions but unless we act on them, they will never come to fruition." (VanKooten, 2013). Being able to jump at opportunities and take those risks, making those decisions come to fruition will make you a valuable asset to employers. Being able to be bold while not coming off as cocky or irresponsible goes a long way to building relationships with your company that could take you places.
What does all this mean?
Be the BEST you and encourage the same from everyone around you and you will be a better person for it, and your coworkers and companies you are employed by will be too.
Final Question
How can you take these characteristics and mold them in your life or job? What can you change to better your life and career?
Links
Vankooten, J. (2013, February 4). 7 characteristics of Employability. Jeff Vankooten. https://jeffvankooten.com/2013/02/06/7-characteristics-of-employability/
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