Top Ten Skills Employers Want

What are the top ten skills that employers want?

Based on a number of surveys on the skills required by graduates undertaken by Microsoft, Target Jobs, the BBC, Prospects, NACE and AGR and other organisations, here is our summary of the skills which were most often deemed important.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
1 Able to express your ideas clearly and confidently in speech
TEAMWORK

2 Work confidently within a group
COMMERCIAL AWARENESS 3
Understand the commercial realities affecting the organisation.

ANALYSING & INVESTIGATING

4
Gather information systematically to establish facts & principles. Problem solving.

INITIATIVE/SELF MOTIVATION 5 Able to act on initiative, identify opportunities & proactive in putting forward ideas & solutions
DRIVE 6 Determination to get things done. Make things happen & constantly looking for better ways of doing things.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
7
Able to express yourself clearly in writing

PLANNING & ORGANISING 8
Able to plan activities & carry them through effectively

FLEXIBILITY

9
Adapt successfully to changing situations & environments

TIME MANAGEMENT 10 Manage time effectively, prioritising tasks and able to work to deadlines.
Other skills that were also seen as important
GLOBAL SKILLS Able to speak and understand other languages. Appreciation of other cultures. See
Study and work placements outside the UK
Working Abroad
NEGOTIATING & PERSUADING

Able to influence and convince others, to discuss and reach agreement.
LEADERSHIP

Able to motivate and direct others
NUMERACY

Multiply & divide accurately, calculate percentages, use statistics & a calculator, interpret graphs & tables.

COMPUTING SKILLS Word-processing, using databases, spreadsheets, the Internet & email, designing web pages etc.
SELF AWARENESS Awareness of achievements, abilities, values & weaknesses & what you want out of life.
PERSONAL