Skills You Will Master At College - Not From A Textbook!

On top of everything you will lean in the classroom, there are many skills you will be honing throughout your time at College that will help you on the road to employment after you graduate. Master the following competences and you will be much more attractive to potential employers.... 1.  Communication It is important that you are clear, concise and focused both verbally and in your written communications.  It is also important to listen.  You need to be able to convey your ideas effectively as well as listen and follow instructions correctly. 2. Organisation Employers want to know that you have the ability to prioritise your workload, that you are capable of managing your time well and that you can work efficiently and be productive ensuring that you are able to meet deadlines. 3. Team Work You should be able to prove that you can work well within a team, but also have the ability to delegate jobs to others as well as taking on responsibility yourself.  It is important that you have the right attitude to work effectively with others, and to contribute to a positive working environment to produce the best results. 4. Ability To Work Under Pressure It is important that you can prove that you can work well under pressure, and remain calm in stressful situations.

5.Confidence To expect your employer to have confidence in you, you should have confidence within yourself - and your abilities! Sell yourself but make sure you do not appear arrogant! You should also display confidence in your employer, the company and in your colleagues. 6. Problem Solving You should be able to demonstrate that you can adapt a logical approach to solving problems and resolving issues.  You should be able to demonstrate that you can approach problems from different angles, and think outside of the box! 7. Knowledgeable  When you go for an interview, your employer wants to see that you have a good understanding of the industry, as well as the business itself.  Do your research and make sure you go into the interview prepared!

8. Motivation and Ambition It is important that you demonstrate that you are self-motivated and ambitious.  Employers want to know that you are able to cope when challenges arise and that you have the get-up-and-go positive attitude that will reflect well on the business. 9. Initiative Employers want their staff to be able to demonstrate initiative, and have the ability to work without aid and direction.  You will be successful if you can prove that you can go over and above what is expected of you. 10. Ability to Network Throughout your college career, you will meet many people - and you never know who you might be working with or for in the future! Develop relationships with others in your industry and make sure you can speak confidently about your work.  Don't be afraid to approach people at functions or meetings, and always have a business card available.  Use social networking - particularly LinkedIn! Get yourself an account, keep it updated and network with professionals in your industry.

Try to think about which of these skills you are good at, and make a list of situations where you have demonstrated these abilities.  Employers will be impressed that you have considered what they are looking for in an employee and also that you are prepared for their interview!

Make the most of your time at University, and make sure that you get involved with as many extra-curricular activities as your schedule allows, to help you to develop these skills.