Wealth creation and

Employability soft skills

for youth
By
TUNDE SOJINU

27/12/2017
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 Quote
• “Unemployability is a greater issue today than
unemployment.”
• unanymous

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Introduction
• Each year, Nigeria produces almost twice the
number of graduates produced on yearly basis
• Nigeria has one of the world’s largest most
graduates on yearly basis. However, when we look
at the employability, we are far behind.

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 ESSENTIAL SET SKILLS

ESSENTIAL SET SKILLS

Hands-on

CAREER
Employability Academic
(Core)
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 Contd..
• industry expectations- students’ level = employability
gap.

• This gap can be filled by imparting certain skills to

an individual. These skills are termed as
employability soft skills.

• These skills are generic across various sectors of

employment.

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 Employability Soft Skills are …

• Also known as:

• Key Competencies
• Generic skills
• Life skills

• DEMANDED by employers today

• ESSENTIAL for applying your technical skills in the

workplace

• Valuable in ALL areas of life!

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 What are employability skills?
• Employability soft skills are those basic skills
necessary for getting, keeping and doing well on a
job.

• Employability refers to a person's capability of

gaining initial employment, maintaining employment,
and obtaining new employment if required (Hillage
and Pollard, 1998).

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Skills Most Sought After by Employers

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 Skills required..
• Communications Skills (listening, verbal,
written).
By far, the one skill mentioned most often by
employers is the ability to listen, write, and speak
effectively.

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 Contd..
• Analytical/Research Skills.
Deals with your ability to assess a situation, seek
multiple perspectives, gather more information if
necessary, and identify key issues that need to be
addressed.

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 Contd….
• Flexibility/Adaptability/Managing Multiple
Priorities.
Deals with ability to manage multiple assignments
and tasks, set priorities, and adapt to changing
conditions and work assignments.

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 Contd…
• Interpersonal Abilities.
The ability to relate to your co-workers, inspire
others to participate, and mitigate conflict with co-
workers is essential given the amount of time
spent at work each day.

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 Contd…
Leadership/Management Skills.
• these skills deal with your ability to take charge ,
• manage your co-workers and lead the team.
• maintains a productive climate and
• confidently motivate, mobilize,
and coach employees to meet high performance
standards.

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Continued…
• Multicultural Sensitivity/Awareness.
There is possibly no bigger issue in
the workplace than diversity, and job-seekers must
demonstrate a sensitivity and awareness to other
people and cultures.

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• Planning/Organizing.
Deals with your ability to design, plan, organize,
and implement projects and tasks within an
allotted timeframe. Also involves goal-setting

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• Problem Solving/Reasoning/Creativity.
Involves the ability to find solutions to problems
using your creativity, reasoning, and past
experiences along with the available information
and resources.

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• Teamwork.
Because so many jobs involve working in one or
more work-groups, you must have the ability
to work with others in a professional manner while
attempting to achieve a common goal.

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 Personal Values Employers Seek in
Employees
• Honesty/Integrity/Morality.

Employers probably respect personal integrity more

than any other value, especially in light of the many
recent corporate scandals.

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• Dedication/Hard-Working/Work
Ethic/Tenacity.
Employers seek job-seekers who love what they do
and will keep at it until they solve the problem and
get the job done.

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Continued..
• Loyalty
Employers want employees who will have a strong
devotion to the company -- even at times when the
company is not necessarily loyal to its employees.

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Continued..
• Positive Attitude/Motivation/Energy/Passion.
The job-seekers who get hired and the employees
who get promoted are the ones with drive and
passion and who demonstrate this enthusiasm
through their words and actions.

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Continued…
• Professionalism.
Deals with acting in a responsible and fair manner
in all your personal and work activities, which is
seen as a sign of maturity and self-confidence;
avoid being petty.

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Continued…
• Self-Confidence.
“if you don't believe in yourself, in your unique mix
of skills, education, and abilities, why should a
prospective employer?”
Be confident in yourself and what you can offer
employers

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Continued…
• Self-Motivated/Ability to Work With Little or
No Supervision.
While teamwork is always mentioned as an
important skill, so is the ability to work
independently, with minimal supervision

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Continued..
• Willingness to Learn.
No matter what your age, no matter how much
experience you have, you should always be willing
to learn a new skill or technique. Jobs are
constantly changing and evolving, and you must
show an openness to grow and learn with that
change.

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Before you begin…time for reflection

• What are your interests?

• What do you want to do?
• What skills do you have?
• Who do you want to work for?
• Where do you want to live?

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What it takes to get hired!
• Employability Skills
• Professional Image
• Your “Job Search Tools”

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 Professional image

• The way that you look, act, speak, write, and behave
when in or on the job.

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PI for guys..
Look your best

• Wear appropriate clothes (shirt, tie, suit, pants,

uniform, shoes, etc.)
• No jewelry (watch /class ring ok)
• Nicely kept hair
• Clean your fingernails
• Shave / Shower

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PI for ladies
• Look your best
• Natural looking make up, hair, and nails
• Appropriate clothes that fit well
• Minimal jewelry

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Your “job search tool box”

• Nice professional clothes

• Application
• Resume
• Transportation
• Thank you note

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Developing your job search
strategy
• Dress up
• Go by yourself
• Be mindful of the employer’s time
• Shake hands
• Be thankful
• Follow up appropriately

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Before you take a job..

• Is the company / offer legitimate?

• What is expected of you?
• Can you do the job?
• Can you get to work?
• Can you arrange childcare?
• How much does it pay?
• What are the ”benefits?”
• If you accept the offer, you are expected to take it!
• Don’t be too anxious to take the 1st offer
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Expected behavior in the
workplace
• Be honest
• Be reliable
• Be willing to work
• Be respectful
• Be willing to learn
• Be willing to change
• Keep job separate from social & personal life

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Personal Assessment
Assess Employability

Self Confidence
Motivation Personal
Presentation

Enthusiasm Attitude

Flexibility Team Work

Reliability Planning and Organising

Problem Solving
Writing and Numeracy
Skills
IT Skills

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Raise Your Awareness e.g

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Final Thought

• “To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is

to be secure.”
• Peter Hawkins

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 Conclusion

• Employability skills and personal values are the critical

tools and traits you need to succeed in the workplace
and they are all elements that you can learn, cultivate,
develop, and maintain over your lifetime.

• Once you have identified the sought-after skills and

values and assessed the degree to which you possess,
them remember to document them and market them
(in your resume, cover letter, and interview answers)
for job-search success.

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