Do You Have the ‘People Skills’ you need to Thrive?

Whilst it is perhaps no real surprise, it is nevertheless disappointing that around half of employers say that their new graduate employees struggle with teamwork and problem solving skills.

According to headline results from a survey of 174 employers, by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), 25% of graduates ‘do not have the skills expected of them at the point of hiring.’

25% of graduates ‘do not have the skills expected of them at the point of hiring

The types of skills said to be lacking include such critical capabilities as;

• Self awareness
• problem solving
• Interpersonal skills
• Teamwork

In addition employers also mention that graduates lack a set of skills that they are expected to learn in the workplace, including;

• Dealing with conflict
• Negotiating
• Commercial awareness
• Managing

What Does this Mean for Young Professionals?

For Young Professionals, these findings are both a threat and an opportunity. These skills are the core, basic and fundamental capabilities you need to thrive and build on if you wish to have an outstanding career. Failing to develop them will likely lead to career derailment.

You simply cannot afford to not build and develop these qualities – it’s a process that shouldn’t stop throughout your career.

It is also an opportunity.

Focus on building them and you will begin to stand out from the rest. Your manager will take note and their trust in you will grow. In time this will likely lead to them considering you for more important and visible projects, to greater recognition and to working on more interesting activities.

In short, it is the very foundation of your future success.

In my book, ‘How to build an outstanding career‘ I devote a chapter to Your Career Capital, which covers the very areas mentioned in the survey…and more.

Career Capital is like a Bank Account

Career capital is like a bank account, but rather than containing money, the value comes from the collection of your personal qualities, skills, knowledge, training, experiences, achievements and relationships that you have to offer your employer and the broader marketplace. It’s the very nature of career capital that determines your financial worth.

Career capital is something that develops over the course of your career. With every new assignment you work on, every new skill you develop, every new bit of learning that takes place, you build your career capital further. It is what makes you unique, distinctive and if robust, unbelievably valuable. I think of it as the very definition of your success.

Top Tip

Pay into your Career Capital regularly, by learning something new, brushing up on your skills, putting them into practice or by pushing the boundaries a bit.