What skills do Aotearoa New Zealand employers want?
In addition to your academic degree, employers want graduates with transferrable soft skills (human skills), relevant work experience, ambition and adaptability for the 21st century. Transferable skills are the skills and abilities you have developed throughout your life from experiences such as study, work, hobbies, community service and travel. These skills can be easily transferred from one job to another.
There are seven skills that employers say are essential for the workplace. These are all transferable skills you may have developed through your life experience.
- Positive attitude – you're calm and cheerful when things go wrong
- Communication – you can listen and say things clearly when you speak or write
- Teamwork – you can work well with other people
- Self-management – you're organised and always arrive on time
- Willingness to learn – you want to learn new things to improve your skills
- Thinking skills (problem-solving and decision making) – you try and solve problems or can see when something won't work
- Resilience – you don't let problems hold you back
