Employers look for a lot more than just core skills. It is not necessary for prospective employers to require a specific set of employability skills. They encompass extracurricular activities as well as core competencies, for example. So it’s important to do your research, be up-to-date, and prioritize what needs to be done to get that career boost. Here’s how you can increase your chance of getting employed:
7 Important Self-Development Ideas to Improve Your Employability
Just by improving on or starting working on these 7 self-development ideas, you can considerably increase your chances of getting employed. It’s not the formal education your employer wants, so read on to find out what we recommend to enhance your career.
1. Get Educated
Education is one of the main things that employers will look at when they’re deciding which candidates to interview. Even if the education isn’t directly linked to the job role, having some education, especially a degree, may be required to even open the door in the first place. Having relevant, recent education is even better, so if you graduated some time ago, it might be worth doing some more courses. You can now flexibly attend college and university online, so you can study around your current commitments. Having good education to show on your resume could be the difference between getting invited to an interview or losing out to another similar candidate. If you left school with no formal education, taking some exams to show that your mathematics and literacy skills, at the very least, are up to standard will help secure certain positions.
2. Become A Volunteer
Volunteer work looks great on your CV. It can allow you to gain the skills and experience needed to work in the positions you’re applying for, change careers, or generally better understand the field you hope to work in. It shows an employer that you’re serious about the position you hope to apply for and are willing to go the extra mile to gain those skills. Volunteering can also come as helping others, such as unpaid work at soup kitchens, animal shelters, women’s shelters, or hospitals. This shows a kind and empathetic nature to your personality and can present you as the kind of person that the employer would like to have on their team. Showing that you do worthwhile things outside the workplace can improve your prospects.
3. Write A Blog
Blogging is a great hobby and can be a way to earn money too. It’s something that just about anyone can do and can actually look fantastic on your resume. Regular blogging shows that you’re committed and can create high-quality content. It shows that you can write for an audience, connect with others, market your work, and many other skills employers might be looking for. At the very least, it enables an employer to see that you’re passionate about a topic and creative, so it could be another reason to start up your blogging journey and give it a go.
4. Start Your Own Side Business.
Starting a side business based on a hobby or interest is beneficial for all the same reasons as blogging. It shows that you’re creative and passionate and have entrepreneurial skills. If you are interested in art, design, baking, crafting, or anything else, you could open an Etsy store or sell on Facebook. It is a great money-making hobby and shows an employer that you have the skills and ability to create something successful from scratch. A business that does well means you’ve found a good niche, sourced the right materials or suppliers, marketed yourself correctly, and managed your time well.
5. Undertake Some Training
Training courses to improve your skills in specific areas relevant to the career you want are a great way to improve your employability. More general courses such as health and safety, life skills, IT, and accounting may also be useful. Research the skills you’re most likely to need for the positions you want to apply for, or if you’re not sure, undertake training courses that will be useful in any kind of job role, such as free personal development training. You can find all kinds of courses online and attend either in person or from the comfort of your own home. It shows an employer that you’ve sought out these extra skills and again proves that you’re serious about developing yourself and reaching your goals in your career.
6. Invest In Hobbies
There’s a reason employers ask you about your hobbies in job interviews. Your hobbies can tell them a lot about your soft skills and how you are. Let’s assume you participate in a lot of team sports. It can show that you can cooperate with others. That might be something they’re specifically looking for. If you have hobbies like chess or building computers, it can show that you’re very logical-minded. If you enjoy thrilling white-knuckle activities like motorcycling or racing, it can show that you enjoy taking risks, which might be something they’re looking for in an individual. Hobbies are great for people of all ages so getting involved in new activities is beneficial anyway; as a bonus, they can look great on your CV. Consider what skills your hobbies might show an employer that you have, and consider prioritizing speaking about ones that suit the job role you want.
7. Learn To Drive
Learning to drive has always been seen as a rite of passage for adulthood; however, fewer and fewer people are taking the wheel. The ones that do tend to do so later, and there are many reasons for this. Populations are more concentrated in cities where public transport is good, and road congestion is bad, meaning driving isn’t the best way to get around. This can mean many people don’t feel the need to learn to drive. Rising costs and the pandemic have also factored into those considering learning to drive in recent years and reduced the numbers even further. For some careers, driving is essential– in health care, for example, you may need to travel to patients in the community. Other times, driving may be preferred as the workplace might be away from public transport or require you to work during times when public transport isn’t running.
Wrapping up
Today, everyone wants to advance in life. It’s the same when it comes to our careers. We need to upskill and improve through self-development. Depending on your career, this can mean different things, but the basic needs are the same everywhere. You can boost your employability by following up on these 7 basic self-development ideas. Hope this helped!
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