Primary school prepares you for high school, high school prepares you for college, college prepares you for university, and finally, university prepares you for life within the workplace.
The crossover of skills is evident when going from primary school to high school. Most of the time, it’s a simple continuation, building on existing skills but applying them to more complex ideas.
The jump from university to working life can be a larger leap for some, but if you take care to harness particular skills as a graduate, you can hit the ground running when you enter the world of work.
What are graduate skills?
In simple terms, graduate skills are the skills you pick up or hone during your time in higher education. While some of these skills are learned during your early years, some of them primarily develop during higher education when you are regularly interacting with adults.
Developing skills such as communication, persuasion, organisation, and leadership will stand you in good stead when starting your career, demonstrating your ability to seamlessly integrate into the career path you decide.
Not only will these skills help you to progress in your career, but they may also help you to land a job in the first place. Be sure to include these soft skills in your CV.
10 graduate skills to take into your career
We want you to thrive in the workplace, so we’ve put together our list of 10 graduate skills that you must harness so that you can reach your full potential and climb the professional ladder.
Problem solving
No matter what career you go into, problems are going to arise. Every professional will encounter problems; it’s how you deal with them that will set you apart from the crowd. Properly assessing the problem with a clear head and taking the time to map out solutions is a surefire way to get yourself noticed in a positive way.
Organisation & planning
During your time at university, your organisation and planning skills will have been put to the test like never before. Once you enter the workplace, this is where these skills are worth their weight in gold. Managing your daily tasks effectively, communicating with stakeholders, and maintaining a good work-life balance are all desirable skills for an employer.
Digital capabilities
Digital skills refer to the abilities, know-how, procedures, and conduct that enable individuals and institutions to prosper in a digital environment. This includes basic things such as being adept at using a computer, but also knowing how digital technologies can be implemented to assist with business goals.
Time management
Time management isn’t just about turning up to work on time; it’s about juggling workloads to make the most of your time, catering to last-minute urgent requests, and making sure you can accommodate colleagues’ busy schedules when you need to collaborate. During your time in higher education, you will have developed these skills through lectures, seminars, and projects.
Analytical skills
Observing patterns, analysing information, and helping to develop solutions is an invaluable skill to have. Honing these skills as a graduate will make you more valuable to your employers by preventing a problem before it arises.
Research skills
Researching a topic to offer solutions or identify opportunities is a skill that you should carry over from researching for essays or projects during higher education. The ability to research new clients and changes to the industry or legislation will compliment your analytical skills perfectly.
Communication skills
Higher education should have equipped you to communicate effectively and efficiently with a broad range of people, whether that is lecturers, fellow students, or administration staff. Having a breadth of communication styles to lean on internally or externally will make you an asset to a host of companies and professions.
Teamwork & collaboration
Whilst in higher education, you likely had to work alongside others during a group project. This skill is incredibly important when working within a company that has a lot of moving parts. Knowing how your job interacts with others and doing your best to be a team player is an ideal way to showcase your teamwork and collaboration skills.
Leadership
Leadership is a skill that can’t be taught entirely on its own, it must be learnt through lived experiences. You may have taken charge of a group project at university, or perhaps joined the committee of a university society, but even if you haven’t truly honed this skill, the workplace is a great time to begin brushing up on a skill that will pay dividends throughout your career.
Adaptability
During your time in higher education, you will have demonstrated this skill many times, learning new skills, gaining new experiences and applying them to new situations you may find yourself in. Of course, you should look to be great at your everyday tasks, but the ability to adapt to help out a colleague in need or slot into a new role could be the difference between career stagnation or progression.
Graduate skills can be incredibly important when beginning a new career. By making use of these skills as well as your professional experience, you can excel and progress through the ranks.
Some people may find it more difficult to make the transition from college to the workforce, but if you take the time to develop certain skills as a graduate, you can succeed right away in the workforce.
To find out more about careers at SEFE please visit our homepage. The views, opinions and positions expressed within this article are those of our third-party content providers alone and do not represent those of SEFE. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. SEFE accepts no liability for any errors, omissions or representations.
