Importance of Employability Skills in Recruitment

Academic and employability skills

CONTENTS
COMPONENT – 1: REFLECTION..........................................................................................1
COMPONENT – 2: REPORT...................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................4
MAIN FINDINGS.....................................................................................................................4
Importance of employability skills.........................................................................................4
Types of employability skills important for employer...........................................................5
Reasons behind considering these skills by the employers during recruitment.....................6
Does demonstrating these skills makes an individual attractive to a prospective employer..7
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................9

COMPONENT – 1: REFLECTION
There have been increase in the national debates in regards with the strategies being
utilized for making learners along with graduates ready for college and career life. The
consequences of such willingness cannot be ignored. So, being ready for the career involves
three basic skills encompassing academic skills, employability skills and technical skills
(Hind and Moss, 2017). All these skills are essential for applying skills into real life
situations, function effectively in a work setting and developing a disparate path of career.
Considering this, the main objectives of the current reflective essay is to recognize the theory
of reflection such as Gibb’s model and reflect on the experience of attending a job interview
based on reflective theory (Gibbs, 1988). The reflective cycle is being developed by Graham
Gibbs in the year 1988 and it mainly focuses on supporting people in learning from the
situations being experienced by them continuously in their routine day to day life. It include
five stages that is description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action. These
stages will be utilized for reflecting on the experience of attending a job interview and is
elaborated in the subsequent section.
Description: This is the basic step of Gibb’s reflective model which pays attention on
the facts along with details of the job interview. It will also going to entail about the people
involved in the situation and actions being undertaken (Bolton, 2016). Few days earlier, I
have applied for a job in some retail company and inappropriately my abilities and skills did
not matched with the job description and for the particular role to which I have applied. The
job role was actually expecting extensive work experience in specific field and hands on
practical work related to the subject area. So I applied for another company and by luck my
skillset matched with that job role and I was asked to appear for an interview session. When
the company gave me a chance to appear at the interview I was just filled with curiosity and
anxiety what will going to happen because this was completely different format of interview
as compared to the my previous experience. Prior appearing for an interview I considered
different knowledge and understanding about the different skills I have acquired and wanted
to refresh again so that when asked in the interview I can respond to them effectively. So, I
approached to the interview room knowing that they will going to offer me what I require and
also desiring to reflect them what I will going to contribute towards their company and job
role. When I arrived, there were five people sitting in front of me and I was asked to take a
seat. One from the five initiated the conversation and starting asking me about my previous
experience, skills set, academic background and interest levels. After that, all interviewee
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simultaneously asked several questions and there was a healthy discussion being going on
between all of us. However, there were some questions which I haven’t answered but still
they managed to make me comfortable all time. One interviewee was very harsh to me and
pointing on my negative aspects repeatedly. In a while, they asked me to leave the room and
wait outside for final judgement.
Feelings: This is being regarded as the most step because it helped in understanding
my feelings in regards with the things that happened to me while giving interview. It is quite
helpful to comprehend one’s thoughts throughout the interview process and appreciate
emotions that might have influenced my actions later (Heyer, 2017). My feelings in regards
with attending the job interview was little bit mixed. I was very nervous about the outcome or
result and even felt confident at that time as I was managed to appear for a job interview in
my early career. Before stepping-in in the interview room I was feeling very nervous and was
worrying whether I will be selected in the company or not and what if, the interviewee will
ask me something and I don’t know. Initially, I got the feedback from the selection
committee that my work experience is very limited and is not matching with the job role.
They further stated that I am lacking in leadership skills being needed to perform this job. At
that time, I was really shattered because in my earlier interview as well the same thing was
happened so I felt very disheartened and I was not satisfied with the feedback as I have many
such things and abilities which matched with the job role. It appeared to me that because of
the varied demand of skills in the present job, I might not lost this job and thus, I decided to
address this concern in front of the interviewee at the time of discussion and I did so as well.
At that time I was feeling very happy as I have acknowledged my thoughts in front of them
and I conveyed them that I will work hard in this regard and will prove myself in the near
future. However, while giving interview I was feeling pressurized and I am recalling that
actually I had faced an anxiety attack that time. Nevertheless, most of the interviewee were
very cool and they made me feel relaxed and clam.
Evaluation: This is being regarded as the most important step in the Gibbs cycle as it
helps in assessing what things went well and what are the things that does went wrong at the
time of attending job interview. Positive things supported me to keep my moral high however
negative things helped me in comprehending the things that can be done differently (Gibbs,
1988). This evaluation stage will going to encompass points such as the manner in which I
reacted to the situation and my way of thinking which needs to be improved in later stages.
After the completion of my interview process, I noted down about the manner in which the
whole procedure was carried out. I realised that I was very much confident at some point of
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