Depending on the job, communication is about being a good talker or a good writer. It involves being confident about speaking to people (face-to-face or over the phone). It also involves writing well enough to be understood in emails and memos.

Examples of ways that you can develop or improve your communication skills include:

• writing assignments and reports as part of your studies
• blogging or using social media
• making oral presentations as part of your class work
• working in customer service (face-to-face or on the phone)
• volunteering where you are interacting with others.

Teamwork means being good at working with people – both the people you work with and other people that come into contact with your organisation.

Examples of ways that you can develop or improve your teamwork skills include:

• doing group assignments as part of your studies
• volunteering for a community organisation
• thinking about how you can work better with other people at your workplace or in school
• joining a local sporting team or club.

Problem solving is about being able to find solutions when faced with difficulties or setbacks. Even if you can’t think of a solution straight away, you need to have a logical process for working things out.

Examples of ways you can develop or improve your problem solving skills include:

• doing research assignments as part of your studies or school work
• talking to other people about how they solved the problems they faced.

Initiative and enterprise are about being able to think creatively and to make improvements to the way things are. They are also about looking at the bigger picture and how the way you work fits into that.

Examples of ways you can develop or improve your initiative and enterprise skills include:

• approaching organisations and businesses about work placements or internships
• setting up a fundraiser in your school or community
• making or proposing changes to the way a group you belong to does things.

Planning and organising are about things like working out what is required to get a job done, and then working out when and how you’ll do it. They are also about things like developing project timelines and meeting deadlines.

Examples of ways you can develop or improve your planning and organising skills include:

• developing a study timetable and sticking to it
• organising some independent travel
• managing your time around work, study and family commitments
• helping to organise a school or community event
• doing chores regularly around your home.

Self-management is about getting on with your work without someone having to check up on you every five minutes. You should also be able to stay on top of your own deadlines and be able to delegate tasks to other people to make sure things get done on time.

Examples of ways that you can develop or improve your self-management skills include:

• doing a work experience placement or internship
• asking for new responsibilities at home or school
• developing a revision timetable and sticking to it
• joining a volunteer organisation.

Learning is about wanting to understand new things and being able to pick them up quickly. It is also about being able to take on new tasks and to adapt when the way things are done in the workplace change.

Examples of ways to develop or improve your learning skills include:

• doing a short course or online course
• doing some research into learning skills and learner types
• starting a new hobby
• joining a sporting or volunteer group.

General technology skills that employers want include things like being able to use a computer for word processing and sending email, or knowing how to use a photocopier.

Some more specific technology skills relate to software, like using social media, working with design or video editing software or knowing programming languages. Other technology skills relate to hardware, like knowing how to use a cash register, a photocopier or scanner, a camera or a recording studio.

Examples of ways to develop or improve your technology skills include:

• doing a short course or online course
• asking for extra training at school
• finding out what technology is used in the job you want and researching its use
• identifying the technology you’re already using in your day-to-day life.