Employability
In this article we will provide you the information about What is employability skills its importance pillars and How to increase?
It represents the ability to get a job and the ability to remain employed. But it’s a broader concept. Employability is a set of technical and behavioral knowledge that makes the professional attractive for the job market.
Employability presupposes that the professional is aligned with technological advances and other changes.
Certainly, employers know how to identify up-to-date profiles with what is happening around them, and this factor impacts the employability index.
Therefore, to maintain a high level of employability, it is necessary to seek self-management of the career and the development of skills that add competitive advantages in the dispute for a job.
The bases of employability
Understanding employability as a characteristic of the individual, there are 3 major bases that guarantee the necessary foundation for increasing this quality. These are skills , knowledge and the network of relationships .
Among the skills , the following stand out:
- Proactiveness : the behavior of not only assuming your responsibilities at work but also anticipating solutions according to the desired results.
- Ethics : the moral values and norms that guide a professional’s attitudes, such as respecting the organization’s rules and not trying to obtain personal advantages at the expense of others.
- Motivation : the ability to motivate yourself, finding reason and energy to face the difficulties that arise during the individual work and in teams.
As for knowledge , this base concerns the professional’s constant search for training and updating the information necessary for the good performance of their activities – here it is worth remembering the concept of lifelong learning.
Finally, the network of relationships is related to the famous concept of networking and the importance of building and maintaining good relationships, not just within a specific company but in life in general.
The importance of employability skills
The job market changes all the time. In this sense, the professional who remains in constant evolution will stand out.
In a scenario of globalization and work without borders, competition is increasingly fierce and companies want to find high-performance employees.
Among other skills, candidates need to show the ability to innovate, relate to and offer creative solutions to common obstacles that arise on a daily basis.
Still, with technological advances in the HR area as well, having a resume that doesn’t actually reflect the professional’s skills is no use.
That’s because, through software with data collection and analysis, finding the talent that matches the vacancy has become much more effective with the help of artificial intelligence in the human resources sector .
Therefore, developing employability is an important differential both to access the labor market and to remain in it.
Basis of employability skills
In this sense, three factors are the basis for developing employability: skills, knowledge and network of contacts.
Skills
- being proactive: means taking responsibility for the role you perform, acting in advance and finding solutions to deliver expected results;
- to be ethical: to have moral principles, avoiding misuse of information for personal advantage, respecting the norms established by the company and complying with the law;
- be self-motivated: be prepared to face difficulties, perform your work in harmony with others and have a vision for the future.
knowledge
The professional must seek updating to be in line with the requirements of the corporate world .
For this, it is essential to participate in congresses, take courses, attend lectures and use tools for self-development.
relationship network
Establish ties and act with disinterest, both in daily work relationships and outside the company. Having a network of contacts allows you to find new opportunities.
The pillars of employability
A feature built into the concept of employability is being the owner of your own career. Thus, it is up to the professional to manage their trajectory, without delegating it to anyone else.
To guide this set of knowledge, writer and speaker José Augusto Minarelli developed the 6 pillars of employability.
The author’s experience with people in career transition resulted in the book “ Employability – How to enter, stay and progress in the labor market ”.
According to Minarelli, these are fundamentals that sustain a career and that, when developed, increase the professional’s chances of gaining work and income.
Whether as a contractor or as an entrepreneur. Get to know the 6 pillars now.
1-vocational adequacy
It’s about enjoying what you do and working in the area where you feel appropriate. This pillar is linked to professional aptitude and can positively influence results.
2-professional competence
Represents the ability to stay up to date in your career. The professional knows the innovations in the area and seeks new knowledge in books, lectures, courses, among others.
3-suitability
It is to guide attitudes according to principles and values that respect laws and regulations. In addition to keeping honesty and sticking to what was agreed. Suitability is a fundamental condition for professional reputation.
It guarantees good references in the corporate world.
4-physical and mental health
It’s the balance between career and personal life. In this sense, having physical and mental health provides conditions to face difficulties and obstacles at work.
5-financial reserve
It is a guarantee of resources to face moments of professional instability. Having a financial reserve brings peace of mind in periods of low economic activity.
In this condition, the individual can focus on productivity and efficiency of deliveries.
5-relationships
Good professional relationships can become work opportunities. Strengthening networking and being aware of each other’s needs is empathy.
How to increase your employability
Now you know what are the bases and pillars needed to build a solid career and a highly employable professional profile, but what can you do to develop this characteristic?
You will hardly find a single answer to this question, and the smartest thing is to consider all the bases and pillars to guide your decisions regarding what to do or not for your professional development.
It is also worth remembering that each individual has their own particularities, and each person’s skills and interests will make their journeys unique , without a standard that works for everyone.
Nevertheless, here are some practical tips you can use to start developing your employability:
- Make it a habit to read news and search for news on subjects in your area of expertise or professional interest;
- Seek to learn a second – or third, or fourth – language that is related to your activities;
- Build a solid financial foundation and learn more about personal finance to ensure stable financial health ;
- Read books on a variety of topics, look for content beyond what you usually consume to create a diverse repository of knowledge and stimulate creativity;
- Build good relationships within and outside your current circle, whether at events or face-to-face meetings, or via online platforms and social networks like LinkedIn;
- Invest in professional and technical courses to keep your knowledge up to date with market news and developments.