Nowadays, employers give great emphasis on work readiness because of the rapidly changing employment landscape and labor market, and studies have observed this to be relevant for graduate recruitment. There are certain attributes, behaviors, and skills demanded by employers from graduates for them to at least secure an entry-level job after graduation.
What is work-readiness?
Many scholars have commonly defined work-readiness as a new concept that refers to a graduates’ ability to become successful in the workplace – which can then be identified by employers. In some literature, such terms can also be referred to as employability, generic skills, technical skills, or career readiness.
Graduates with the required cognitive, effective, and social capabilities to thrive in the workplace have become progressively explicit in recent years. Being ready for work entails extensive skills and competencies, allowing job seekers to achieve and sustain employment. These include teamwork, negotiation, mediation, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, flexibility, organization, good communication, and lifelong learning skills (Jones, 2014; Tan and French-Arnold, 2012).
How do students become work-ready, then?
- Know your preferred industry well
Significant new trends and opportunities in every industry occur rapidly. Staying updated with these changes is a great way to remain relevant in the job market. One may search for these trends through the potential employer company’s annual reports and from labor organizations which are readily available online. Keeping oneself updated with industry news can also help identify specific job roles and potential job prospects. - Give your soft skills a boost
Employers look for candidates who can surpass their technical, measurable soft skills, including communication, leadership, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. These soft skills give a thin line between an acceptable and exemplary candidate as it showcases ones’ personality who would best fit in the team. More so, one can step out of his comfort zone by participating in any extracurricular activities like sports, debates, voluntary work, or attending leadership or personality development courses. - Gain work experience through internships
Whether an international or local internship, such experience on a resume gives an invaluable competitive advantage – better chance of employment after graduation. While classroom learning is highly valuable, students need to apply their skills in a professional environment before getting into the workforce. Employers are far more likely to hire students who have completed an internship than those without any real life work experience. - Network your way up
Connecting with people can help a student gather insights on various industries and job roles, which aids in making informed decisions about their future careers. In addition, networking creates a unique opportunity for job-seeking as it opens opportunities through referrals. Students can take advantage of the school’s career services or optimize their online presence through social network sites such as LinkedIn. Some reports say that 95% of recruiters use this site to search for potential candidates (Ryan, 2020).
Getting in touch with someone inside an organization is a great way to establish a relationship for future referrals or recommendations. - Find a credible career mentor
Career mentors can be family members, friends, contacts from school, teachers, or acquittances met at networking engagements previously attended. Mentorship from these trusted individuals offers helpful advice on career options and insights on how a career can progress learned vicariously through actual past experiences of the mentors. Further, these job experts can help determine specific skills and experiences that employers look for in a particular field. Also schools offer programs that connect them to alumni mentors, industry experts, and career consultants.
In the ever changing work landscape, completion of graduation and a high academic grade alone do not guarantee work placement. Nonetheless, graduates can prepare for the readiness of work even before they have yet to completed their academic studies. An emphasis on developing soft and hard skills and applying knowledge in real-world settings is crucial for a graduate student to thrive in the workplace.
References:
Jones, E. (2014). Graduate employability and internationalization of the curriculum at
home. International Higher Education, (78), 6-8. https://doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2014.78.5799
Ryan, R. (2020, September 9). 95% of recruiters are on LinkedIn looking for job candidates. How to impress them. Forbes. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/robinryan/2020/09/09/95-of-recruiters-are-on-linkedin-looking-for-job-candidates-how-to-impress-them/?sh=976c89a42ef8
Tan, L. C., & French-Arnold, E. (2012). Employability of graduates in Asia: An overview of case studies. Bangkok Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education: UNESCO. http://unesdoc.unesco.org
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Cloud Nine College is a premier vocational (Co-Op) college offering a range of specialized Co-op courses and comprehensive Intensive English Programs including test preparation courses for IELTS and general and business ESL courses to international students. They coordinate their programs uniquely in such ways that students can advance their education to the next level onto universities and job opportunities.
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