Employability Characteristics: Essential Skills for Career Advancement

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of employability characteristics, emphasizing the importance of skills beyond education and experience. It defines employability skills as essential abilities and strengths that enable individuals to succeed in their careers. The essay identifies four key characteristics: enterprise (leadership, individuality, and creativity), global citizenship, self-control, and information literacy. It highlights interpersonal skills, communication skills, and personal development as crucial for roles like Public Relations officers. The essay also explores pathways to improve employability skills, including advancing education, self-motivation, professionalism, organization, and teamwork. It concludes by reiterating the importance of these skills for securing and maintaining employment, offering practical advice for skill development and career advancement. The essay incorporates various academic sources to support its arguments, providing a well-rounded perspective on the topic.

Running head: EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 1
Employability Characteristics
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date:

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 2
Introduction
As much as education and experience are instrumental in making an applicant eligible to
be hired for a particular job vacancy, it is important for one to exhibit peculiar employability
characteristics that make them stand out from other applicants. In this respect, employers have an
obligation to identify individuals with the set of qualities and characteristics that are relevant in
enabling the organization to realize its goals and objectives. Employability skills refer to abilities
and strengths necessary to make an individual remain employable and be in a position to be
successful in building careers. It is common for employers to expect a certain level of experience
and skills to be hired. In retrospect, employability characteristics refer to skills and attitudes that
make it possible for employees to get along with workmates when it comes to making critical
decisions, addressing problems, and developing respect.
Employability has four main characteristics;
a) Enterprise- an amalgamation of leadership, individuality and creativity that allows a norm
of innovation and risk taking as well as intrapersonal skills
b) Exercising leadership- this requires an individual to be confident and collaborate with
others towards success.
c) Global citizenship- to engage in a morally and ethically diverse society
d) Self-control- taking responsibility for individual actions and personal development
e) Information literacy- ability to know and understand when the information is needed
Considering the job vacancy in the post of Public Relations officer identified, these four
characteristics are in line with the qualifications and the requirement of job specification. People
who have good interpersonal skills can effectively take part in the activities of different teams

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 3
and can satisfy the needs and expectations of customers, manage time, take responsibility, make
decisions, and work together with fellow employees (Baumann, Amara, Karavdic & Limbach-
Reich, 2014). This is the single most important skill for those who wish to become Public
Relations officers since the position is all about talking and interacting with people at all times
(Smylie, & Firestone, 2015, p. 72). Well-honed interpersonal skills enable employees to easily
build a rapport with colleagues and customers, resulting in the better working environment. The
other important employability skill is good communication skill, which involves the ability to
communicate both in writing and through word of mouth. Good communication means that the
person can pass the message across with no chance of misunderstanding.
The other employability skill is personal development and global citizenship, which
basically involves developing the right attitude about the organization and the work environment
as well as the ability to work in a diverse location. Employers are more interested in hiring
people who are willing to learn and develop themselves (Vaagan & Pashevich, 2014, p. 130). In
this respect, an employee who is ready to learn and adopt new changes has a higher likelihood of
succeeding compared to one who is afraid of trying (Molla & Cuthbert, 2015). The position of
Public Relations in New Zealand often requires change, and for this reason, employers will
prefer applicants who are flexible and innovative as indicated in the enterprise characteristic,
adaptable, and who can easily embrace change. Also, personal development concerns how
people evolve regarding their attitudes and working practices (Akkermans & Tims, 2017, p.
186). In this respect, self-motivation and confidence are the primary components of personal
development since it is all about how others perceive or view an individual.
The last employability skill in this aspect is that of leadership, which is associated with
traits such as strong self-confidence and being a team player. Leaders are often team players who

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 4
can engage colleagues to realize the best results for the organization. Leaders display social skills
by upholding the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of other people, while in the process earning
respect in return. Leadership skills can not only enable the employee to be elevated to a senior
position but may also rise to the current position of the employer.
As stated above, employability skills refer to talents that make one attractive and fit for
hire. Some of the pathways to improving employability skills include advancing one’s
educational level, getting organized, learning teamwork skills, improving the level of
communication, becoming self-motivated, and becoming professional (Pheko & Molefhe, 2017,
p. 455). Improving employability skills will not only give an applicant an advantage during job
search but may also position the person to get higher or better roles at the place of work.
The first pathway to developing the necessary employability skill is to advance
education. In this respect, training and education will make employers believe that the employee
is taking his or her professional life seriously and can be instrumental in advancing the objectives
and goals of that particular organization. People can advance their education and enhance
employability skills by acquiring a degree certificate, enrolling in continuing education
programs, or taking part in internships. This can also be achieved by getting a mentor, taking part
in professional development opportunities, or joining trade organizations proving enrichment
programs for its members. In this sense, having a certificate and presenting it to the employer can
give an employee an upper hand over other applicants while at the same time enabling the
employee to sharpen his or her employability skills.
The second pathway is to become self-motivated. Employees who are self-motivated and
independent often appear valuable in the eyes of employers. This is because employers will

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 5
always feel that they are people who know what they want in life and can, therefore, be trusted to
have employability characteristics. In this regard, it is important for every potential employee to
develop his or her own personal and professional aspirations and objectives before laying down a
path or course of action to attain all of them. A self-motivated person will always strive to
request for regular and consistent performance reviews about what is required in their respective
line of career to make the necessary adjustments with the sole objective of sharpening their
employability skills (Pheko & Molefhe, 2017). This can be followed by asking for input as well
as the procedure necessary to improve skill sets to enhance one’s work product. This path will
help the employee to develop the employability skill at personal development.
The third pathway that will help the employee develop the skill of personal development
is always to uphold professionalism. Irrespective of the line of career an individual enters, the
aspects of integrity and professionalism are important attributes that should never be
underestimated (Pheko &Molefhe, 2017). This is because they make people appear serious and
earn respect in their respective line of duty. The employee can accomplish this by joining
professional networking associations and leadership development groups. Professionalism is a
broad term that covers a wide area of operation. For purposes of personal development,
employees should strive to familiarize themselves with other people in the industry who are in
the same level of professionalism (Pheko &Molefhe, 2017). This will not only give them a path
to networking but also make them appreciate the need to advance their career to be like other
people within the industry whom they respect and emulate.
The fourth pathway to developing employability skills is to get organized since
organizational skills are instrumental in making employee become a good team player and a
better coordinator. In this regard, employees can improve their employability skills by

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 6
volunteering and taking up the roles of coordinator and leaders within the place of work or in
their locality (Stefanski, Leitze & Fife-Demski, 2018, p. 35). The employee can also take part in
long-range planning initiatives, organizing events, and planning strategic sessions. Team
working is also another pathway for developing leadership skills, which is one of the
employability skills discussed above. When one can work well with colleagues, employers will
not hesitate to hire them. This skill can be cultivated by taking part in steering committees,
volunteering, or participating in community boards and councils (Tran, 2013, p. 637). Taking
part in such activities will improve not only employees’ communication skills but also their
leadership skills. This is because when individuals take part in such activities, they are likely to
communicate with their team members, which sharpens their communications skills. On the
other hand, the interaction with the groups also teaches employees how to handle people and also
how to sustain a conversation with people within the organization, hence improving their
leadership skills.
Conclusion
To sum it up, employability simply means the ability to get employed, maintaining it, and
even gaining another employment at will over other potential applicants for the same position. It
encompasses a set of skills and personal attributes that make employers choose one employee
over the rest. Employers often make such a decision with the hope that the hired individual has
all it takes to make the organization realize its goals and objectives within the stipulated time. It
is important for employees to learn such skills as leadership, communication, personal
development, and interpersonal skills since they are applicable in most organizations both locally
and internationally, such as the case of New Zealand. Other than having the skills, it is also

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 7
imperative for employees to master the pathways that can be used to sharpen the skills before
attending an interview.
Reading Log
Title Author Publication Details
Baumann, M., Amara, M.,
Karavdic, S., & Limbach-
Reich
Baumann, M., Amara, M.,
Karavdic, S., & Limbach-
Reich
2014: First-year at university work
Back to the basics:
Identifying and addressing
underlying challenges in
achieving high quality and
relevant health statistics for
indigenous populations in
Canada.
Smylie, J., & Firestone, M. 2015: Statistical Journal Of The
IAOS, 31(1), 67-87.
doi:10.3233/SJI-150864
Youth on the Move: A
Multicultural European
Online Magazine in a
Global Media Environment
Vaagan, R., & Pashevich,
E. A
Intercultural Communication
Studies, 23(1), 125-145
The Issue of Research
Graduate Employability in
Australia: An Analysis of
the Policy Framing
Molla, T., & Cuthbert, D. (1999-2013). Australian Educational
Researcher (Springer Science
& Business Media B.V.),
42(2), 237-256.
doi:10.1007/s13384-015-

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 8
0171-6
Crafting your Career: How
Career Competencies
Relate to Career Success
via Job Crafting.
Akkermans, J., & Tims, M. (2017). Applied Psychology: An
International Review, 66(1), 168-
195. doi:10.1111/apps.12082
Addressing employability
challenges: a
framework for
improving the
employability of
graduates in
Botswana.
Pheko, M. M., & Molefhe,
K
(2017). International Journal Of
Adolescence & Youth, 22(4),
455-469.
doi:10.1080/02673843.2016.1
234401
Addressing employability
challenges: a
framework for
improving the
employability of
graduates in
Botswana.
Pheko, M. M., & Molefhe,
K
(2017). International Journal Of
Adolescence & Youth, 22(4),
455-469.
doi:10.1080/02673843.2016.1
234401
Preservice Teacher Sense-
Making While
Learning to Teach
Stefanski, A. J., Leitze, A.,
& Fife-Demski, V. M.
(2018). Reading Horizons, 57(1), 32-
54.

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 9
Reading as Seen
Through Computer-
Mediated Discourse
Limitation on the
development of
skills in higher
education in
Vietnam
Tran, T. (2013). Higher Education
(00181560), 65(5), 631-644.
doi:10.1007/s10734-012-
9567-7
List of References

EMPLOYABILITY CHARACTERISTICS 10
Baumann, M., Amara, M., Karavdic, S., & Limbach-Reich, A. (2014). First-year at university:
Work, 49(3), 505-515. doi:10.3233/WOR-131729
Smylie, J., & Firestone, M. (2015). Back to the basics: Identifying and addressing underlying
challenges in achieving high quality and relevant health statistics for indigenous
populations in Canada. Statistical Journal Of The IAOS, 31(1), 67-87. doi:10.3233/SJI-
150864
VAAGAN, R., & PASHEVICH, E. A. (2014). Youth on the Move: A Multicultural European
Online Magazine in a Global Media Environment. Intercultural Communication Studies,
23(1), 125-145
Molla, T., & Cuthbert, D. (2015). The Issue of Research Graduate Employability in Australia:
An Analysis of the Policy Framing (1999-2013). Australian Educational Researcher
(Springer Science & Business Media B.V.), 42(2), 237-256. doi:10.1007/s13384-015-
0171-6
Akkermans, J., & Tims, M. (2017). Crafting your Career: How Career Competencies Relate to
Career Success via Job Crafting. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 66(1), 168-195.
doi:10.1111/apps.12082
Pheko, M. M., & Molefhe, K. (2017). Addressing employability challenges: a framework for
improving the employability of graduates in Botswana. International Journal Of
Adolescence & Youth, 22(4), 455-469. doi:10.1080/02673843.2016.1234401