A new year = a new you, a new start, a new six-pack and, maybe, a new job. If you're looking to change direction in your career or just force yourself a rung or two up the ladder, we've found someone who can help.
Rajeeb Dey is the founder and CEO of Enternships, a company that specialises in placing graduates in jobs or internships. It's his job to know what skills a candidate needs for success (and no, they don't involve chugging a pint in 0.3 seconds). These are the skills the UK needs today from its grads – and, in turn, what you need to know in order to land a job.
Sales Experience
Whether you like it or not, you're selling yourself on a daily basis. Whether it's meeting new people on a friendship level, on social media, or actually at an interview, the process is still technically a sale. And being able to do it well is invaluable. "It’s a fundamental skill in any business of any kind, whether it be a startup or large corporation, to have that kind of commercial awareness," says Dey.
"For anyone looking at getting their foot in the door with an employer, being able to fall back on sales skills will always be valuable. If you can develop that skill set while you’re studying… that’s always going to be a valuable skill set to put on your CV no matter what job function you go into later down the line."
Entrepreneurial Attitude
If you haven't seen it on a meme lately, you've heard it from your mum. Attitude is everything. Regardless of how great you are at a certain hard skill, an employer is still going to choose to hire the candidate who has the personality and attitude they'll want to work with day in and day out. "We work with thousands of startups and fast growing businesses helping them find great talent, but what we find is that with entry level first time roles, a lot of the time an employer is looking for an attitude rather than a functional skill," says Dey.
"Pernod Ricard and Chivas look for entrepreneurial spirit, for example. Whether it be a startup environment [you're looking for] or starting your own venture, whether it be a commercial enterprise or a social enterprise, the ability to demonstrate entrepreneurial skills to an employer is very attractive."
Tech & Data Analysis
The tech and information sector in London, Southeast and East England – including Oxford and Cambridge – is growing faster than that of California, according to research by Oxford Economics. It's expected to create an additional £12 billion of economic activity and 46,000 new jobs in the capital over the next decade.
And there's a massive shortage of talent.
"There’s certainly a massive shortage of tech talent in the UK and particularly in London, so there’s this rise of Tech City and tech startups that are looking for developers or designers or product managers. What I’d recommend for people entering the job market is to really get an understanding of the opportunities within tech and the digital world because it’s one of the fastest growing sectors, it’s where salaries are very high and it’s very dynamic," says Dey.
Even if you didn't go to school for it, you can train to become a coder or developer. Dey suggests looking at courses at places like Makers Academy (where you can learn to code in 12 weeks, according to their website) and General Assembly, or online platforms like Courseraand Mooc.
If coding isn't your dream job, you should still learn data analysis. Tools like Google Analytics or Excel are particularly usefu. "Tools where you can see what impact marketing is having on the bottom line, or what the customer retention rate is, are all valuable to employers."
Time Management
Time management is a really important one. A study of 757 small and medium UK businesses found that only those who manage their time well are 20% more likely to grow. If you can demonstrate that you're able to prioritise and add value to a business, it can only be a good thing. "So if you’ve been able to balance a job and a good degree, that’s a great thing to put on your CV," notes Dey.
Communication Skills
"Communication skills is what [employers] are really looking for: can you communicate with customers and do they feel comfortable putting you in front of a client?" says Dey.
Even if you’re sitting in front of a PC all day coding, that's not enough in today's collaborative workspaces. "You still need to have the ability to communicate what you’re working on to other team members." So make sure you gain experience in a customer facing role – whether it be in a retail shop or the service industry.
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