What are employability skills?

Employability skills are qualities that employers often look for when deciding whether or not a candidate is suitable for a role and also things you learn that enable you to perform certain tasks. They can be categorised into hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are things you can be taught, and can be improved on with practice (Playing football, computer skills, something you’re awarded a certificate or qualification in, speaking a second language).

Soft skills are harder to teach, and often come more naturally to some people than others. These are sometimes called transferable skills, employability skills or competencies (Being a good listener, problem solving, being reliable, being a good leader, ability to learn and adapt quickly, teamwork).

Why do employability skills matter?

The world of work changes very rapidly. Your future career will most likely involve many different job roles and employers, and even if you stay in the same job it is likely to change its nature over time. Therefore, employability skills are useful as they are transferable; you can adapt them to whichever situation you find yourself in. The unique mix of skills, abilities and personal qualities that you have, that will make you stand out from the crowd.