Many students want to get a part time job while they are in Secondary school. This has lots of benefits for students, including making some extra money, gaining experience, and learning new things.
Students often come to me asking for help with resumes and interviews, as they are concerned by their lack of experience, but businesses hiring students are generally aware that the applicants are likely to have little experience. What they are looking for, however, are employability skills. Employability skills are the skills you need to get and be successful in a job. They are ‘soft skills’ that can be used in any job, or in everyday life. Employers are often willing to teach new employees job specific skills, but want you to already have employability skills, so these are the skills you need to demonstrate on a resume and in interviews.
Employability skills include:
- Communication skills, including both verbal and non-verbal communication, and listening skills. You might demonstrate these to employers by describing when you have worked in teams or in a leadership position.
- Emotional intelligence, or the ability to recognize, understand and manage your own and others’ emotions. You might demonstrate these to employers by discussing how you have managed difficult situations.
- Team-work, including the ability to lead and to follow.
- Problem solving, including conflict resolution and being able to make decisions.
- Organisation and time-management, which is particularly important if you are juggling a job, school, and extra-curricular activities such as sport or other commitments.
- A willingness to learn and be open to new experiences and responsibilities.
When you are writing an application letter, a resume, or attending an interview, it is important that you emphasise your employability skills.
For any assistance in these areas, your child can make an appointment to see the Careers Counsellor using the following link: https://humeanglicangrammar.setmore.com/