The skills employers want most and how to prove you have them

New research reveals the everyday skills that are most in demand. Here’s how to prove you’re the person for the job.

Communication, teamwork and critical thinking are among the most-sought skills by Australian employers – but successfully proving you have them in a job interview can be a skill in itself.

New research from employment marketplace SEEK reveals employers rate communication as the most valuable non-technical skill worth having.

It was rated number one by 13 per cent of surveyed hirers and considered among the top three skills by more than a third (36 per cent).

Other highly-regarded “soft” skills include teamwork and collaboration (32 per cent of employers put this in their top three), critical thinking and problem solving (28 per cent), attention to detail and thoroughness (27 per cent), and self-motivation and initiative (23 per cent).

SEEK head of customer insights and strategy Elyssia Clark says employers are increasingly open to hiring people who can show how their everyday skills make them a fit for a position.

More than half (58 per cent) of employers report they would hire someone without the right experience if they had the right skills.

Interview coach Kirsty Ferguson says it’s all about evidence. Picture: Supplied

Interview coach Kirsty Ferguson says the key to proving everyday skills in an interview setting is to provide evidence, not just opinions.

COMMUNICATION

To showcase communication, Ferguson recommends being an active listener during the interview.

She says jobseekers with office-based experience can talk about their ability to adapt to different colleagues’ communication styles.

Meanwhile, jobseekers without work experience can look for examples in extra-curricular activities, such as sports, music or debate.

“Even if you have a sick sibling or elderly parent, how you support that person shows how you communicate and interact with people,” she says.

TEAMWORK / COLLABORATION

“You could show how you delegated tasks with the people around you or if you used brainstorming to come up with ideas,” Ferguson says.

“(If asked about this skill,) champion other team members rather than trying to take the limelight for yourself.”

She gives the example of a tradesperson who offers to pick up workmates on the way to site, and a retail worker who makes themselves available for shifts to ensure the team is never short staffed.

“You don’t have to save the world – it’s everyday examples of everyday skills,” she says.

Think of lots of examples before the interview. Picture: iStock

CRITICAL THINKING / PROBLEM SOLVING

Ferguson says these are about identifying issues before they occur and analysing information.

“If you have had an idea at work that was left of field and put that forward to your boss, whether they take it on board is irrelevant, but you are showing your critical thinking skills,” she says.

“You can show in a job interview the ideas that your employer took on board, and choose examples that show how you impacted outcomes for the bottom line or colleagues or clients.”

She suggests someone without work experience might give an examples such as starting an online study group in the lead up to the HSC or suggesting extra weekly training sessions for their sporting team before the finals.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL / THOROUGHNESS

This skill can be demonstrated before the interview has even begun by following instructions when applying for the job, according to Ferguson.

“I recently spoke to a university lecturer who asked for cover letters but out of 40 applicants, only a third sent cover letters,” she says.

“It was a science-based role and immediately she knew the others didn’t have attention to detail.”

She also recommends asking someone to proof read your resume and researching the company, role and hiring team before the interview.

SELF MOTIVATION / INITIATIVE

“Whether you are a school leaver or have a degree in aeronautics, if you can show you can figure things out, that is a key hiring criteria,” Ferguson says.

“If a system failed at work or school and you found a solution and took it to management and said, ‘If this happened to me, this could happen to someone else, maybe we should have some training on it or amend our system’, you are showing initiative.

“If you are a tradie and you have dug a pit and the fencing people are not going to get there in time for the plumbing job so you stay and supervise, that’s showing initiative.”

Ferguson says the important thing about everyday skills is that they are not based on education or qualifications, but rather attitudes and personal attributes.

Actor Jon Heder says listening is one of his strongest everyday skills. Picture: Supplied

USE HIDDEN SKILLS TO TURN A PASSION INTO A PROFESSION

Hollywood actor Jon Heder, best known for his role in the 2004 cult classic Napoleon Dynamite, has joined SEEK’s campaign to help Aussies recognise their skills and the career opportunities they create.

“It just made sense because the character Napoleon is obsessed with the idea of skills – gotta have skills, girls only want boyfriends with skills,” he says.

“It’s a commodity that is very precious in his world.

“Everyone nowadays is discovering, during the pandemic, hidden talents they didn’t realise they have.”

Heder, who studied animation at college before his acting career took off, says there are lots of skills that are transferable between his career and the career he almost had.

He says the soft skills that have helped him the most over the years include listening, team work and communication.

“I love being on film sets and to me that is all about team work,” he says.

“We all work with everyone together in the same boat.

“Knowing how to listen and work with people has helped me in my career, and communication is the ultimate soft skill.”

As part of the SEEK campaign, the job site has launched the Australia’s Skills Superstar competition, giving Aussies the chance to win $89,003 – the average full-time yearly salary, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

To enter, search for your top skills on SEEK Career Advice and submit a video showing how your skills could kickstart a career or turn a passion into a profession.

Originally published as The skills employers want most and how to prove you have them