Why is employability important?

Changes in the higher education sector will continually increase the importance of employability not only for students, but will also place the onus on universities to ensure they are producing graduates who can ‘hit the ground running’. The increase in fees has put employability at the heart of higher education, as students leave with unprecedented levels of debt.

Success will be defined in terms of their ability to secure employment, especially with the expectation that they will become liable to repay tuition fees once their salaries surpass £21,000. Currently students are able to see the employment statistics for each course and so make informed decisions about where to study and which course to do.

Employers place a heavy emphasis on employability skills, as although they recognise their role in the development of graduates, they also see the importance of graduates harnessing and developing their own skills. This is increasingly more important with 72% of students graduating with a 2:1 or a first (HESA, 2015). That is why extracurricular activities, especially those which demonstrate your ability to function outside your comfort zone, become increasingly valued with employers. This shows drive and ingenuity, which will always be valued in any sector.

Students who are able to practically demonstrate and draw on examples that show their understanding of generic employability skills will advance far quicker in the graduate market. Do remember that employability does not guarantee employment, but definitely enhances the prospects of graduates to secure employment.

The statistics highlighted in ‘The Graduate Market 2016’ (High Fliers Research, 2016) emphasised that a third of all graduate vacancies in 2016 will go to graduates who have previously worked at the organisation and students with no work experience will struggle to secure a graduate role.

Employability will continue to increase in importance, and universities, employers and students need to place more emphasis on developing ways to attain these skills while the students are at university. Universities actively promote activities and employers have increased their provision of opportunities to engage with their organisation through more open days, insight days, work experience and placements.

What is employability?

I Brand employability model

Graduate employers recognise a range of generic employability skills that underpin the ability of a graduate to perform in the workplace. The I Brand employability model recognises there are skills embedded within your course, but there is a need to develop practical examples of generic employability skills drawn from extracurricular activities, work experience or voluntary work.

The ‘I’ in the model recognises your individual effort and contribution. The model acknowledges that your background and personality will influence how you engage with employability both within a course and extracurricular activities.

Networking is key in gaining employment and identifying opportunities. Your extended network is dependent upon your background and ability to widen your network via parents’ associations and business contacts. This can create a significant disparity in opportunities available to students, as it is dependent not on ability but the social and economic standing of parents.

The increased availability of social networking provides access to a wider network and so students are not limited to who they know. It allows students to join professional forums and meet professionals in the field. Students will need to be confident and willing to step outside their comfort to meet and engage with professionals.

Your ability to recognise opportunities and take calculated risks is part of your personal make-up and so I Enterprise recognises a students’ ability to add value through innovative and creative approaches to tasks. Enterprising skills are highly valued among employers.

I Marketing draws heavily on the analogy of marketing a product and encourages students to review all aspects of their marketing strategy. How will they promote their product in the marketplace? How will they stand out? This is an important aspect of the model as students need to understand their strengths and weaknesses – essentially, their unique selling point – in order to communicate this factor to potential employers. Every student should be able to answer the question: ‘Why would an employer choose me over another graduate?’

The I Experience highlights and emphasises the different backgrounds, cultural differences and motivational drivers for each student. Student experience is unique and personal to each student so it is important to recognise this factor when developing employability skills. Students bring their ‘personal baggage’ to the table and ultimately it will impact their engagement and development of employability skills.

Whose responsibility is it?

Ultimately, the responsibility rests with the student. Universities clearly have a role to play in providing opportunities to develop employability skills in the curriculum and through the provision of extracurricular activities. Employers have a responsibility to ensure the provision of varied work experience opportunities. In the end it all comes back to the students’ willingness to partake in these opportunities. Each student’s level of engagement will vary.

What opportunities exist?

Employability is embedded in the curriculum. Through various methods of assessment, students are given the opportunity to develop a range of skills. The key issue is that these opportunities are seldom labelled as such and so few students actually connect the dots and recognise the transferable nature of the skills they develop on their courses and their relevance to the world of work.

Vital skills are learnt and honed during assessment, which will not only develop essential skills for the workplace but also for the interview process to secure a graduate role. The table below (repeated from Chapter 1) reinforces the connection between assessment methods and the skills required in the workplace.

The other avenue for developing employability skills is through extracurricular activities. Both on and off campus, students have the opportunity to develop skills through involvement with the student’s union or undertaking internships or voluntary work. It is through this practical application and demonstration of employability skills that students enhance their ability to stand out, especially when they can no longer rely on the degree as a unique selling point.

These activities not only enrich the student experience but also provide a wealth of examples to draw on in an interview or selection process. Once again, it relies on the students’ ability to both recognise and connect the skills they are developing to the generic employability skills valued by graduate recruiters. Below is a recap of some of the skills that can be developed through extracurricular activities and how they relate to the world of work.

• Leadership skills: You don’t have to be the president of a society to develop leadership skills. Taking ownership of a task or role and demonstrating the ability to influence, negotiate for resources and motivate others to achieve a common goal are all examples of leadership qualities. These skills will resonate with an employer, as one of an organisation’s goals is to identify people who have the ability to lead or manage a team.
• Project management: Whether you are at university or in the workplace, you will always need to have a clear plan of action of how you will achieve your goals. The ability to plan, adhere to deadlines and identify key milestones to succeed are all part of the organisational skills required within the work environment.
• Event management: The coordination and planning involved in organising a successful event demonstrate strong organisational skills and the ability to multi-task. Event management requires a high level of organisational skills, from liaising with speakers and developing and distributing the marketing communication to negotiating additional resources. The ability to coordinate a successful event is an impressive addition to your CV. The busy workplace will always require the ability to multi-task while maintaining standards. Organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines are musts for successful graduates.
• Budgeting: The ability to budget and forecast demonstrates an understanding of how decisions will affect the bottom line. For instance, understanding how to budget for the costs associated with an event and balance these costs in relation to ticket sales to break even and or make a profit are valuable skills. All organisations will value these skills and will especially value your ability to highlight the relationship between decision-making and the impact on costs, as the economy requires all industries to operate efficiently. These skills are directly transferable to all industry sectors.
• Communication: Both written and spoken communication skills can be developed by participating in a university society. The ability to write a persuasive email or report requesting support for the society or the development of effective marketing materials, providing members with updates and information, are useful skills. Employers will expect a high standard of literacy and communication skills. You will be required to produce reports, communicate with clients and provide information to other departments in the organisation.
• Networking: Networking will help the enterprising student secure additional resources for their society and generally meet individuals from different backgrounds and interests. Networking is the backbone of all business. The ability to maintain a wide network is useful not only for university but also identifying possible opportunities.

Employability is a continual process. This is reinforced by the circular nature of the model. While at university and beyond you will continue to develop your employability skills and also redefine which skills are important to you and prospective employers.

Are there jobs out there and can I have one?

Good question. When all is said and done and students have done all they can to develop employability skills, will they be rewarded with a graduate role? The graduate opportunities in 2016 are on the rise and the outlook is more promising, but students cannot afford to be complacent.

Companies have raised the stakes and many require an upper second as the minimum for entry to their graduate schemes. More than a third of all graduate vacancies go to students who have previously undertaken work experience with the companies concerned. As a result, students need to understand the importance of not only developing employability skills but also establishing links with companies during their studies.

Work experience has become a vital ingredient in a graduate’s ability to secure employment. Ninety percent of the top graduate recruiters offer work experience opportunities for graduates in the form of both internships and placements (High Fliers Research, 2016). The competition for these positions is fierce and students have to undergo a series of selection processes in order to be successful.

When I grow up I want to be a . . . ?

Choosing the right career is often one of the most difficult decisions. How do you know you will like your chosen career path? Knowing yourself will be the best starting point. Having a good understanding of what motivates you and what is a priority for you in the workplace will help you not only identify suitable roles but also suitable companies.

This can be supported by undertaking research into possible career options, both discipline-related and unrelated. There are many successful professionals who have not taken the automatic career path for their degree discipline.

Learning from the experiences of alumni is also another option. Alumni can provide insight into career options and their own experience of the working world. Regardless of your discipline, there will be various roles available to you and it is always useful to speak with professionals in these roles to find out whether the role is suitable for you.

Internships and placements also give you a different perspective about a role. There is no substitute for work experience to provide a behind-the-scenes look at possible career options. The opportunities also allow students to experience the culture of the organisation and decide if it is a good fit.

This can be easier said than done. Finding work experience and ultimately a graduate position is not an easy feat. An internship provides you with the opportunity to see if a career is for you, and also provides an employer with the opportunity to test-drive your product. If you are not fortunate enough to find an internship, there are other ways to gain work experience. Temporary roles or job shadowing are also methods of gaining a practical insight into a potential career choices.

Communicating your employability

The ability to translate your employability skills into those valued by employers is an art in itself. Identifying your strengths and weaknesses and areas for development is essential when trying to find both work experience and graduate roles. The ability to communicate your Brilliance will rely heavily on your verbal and literacy skills and your ability to present yourself both physically and on paper in a manner acceptable to employers.

Preparation is central to all of the elements of the selection process, from writing your CV to attending your first interview. Your success will be underpinned by planning, researching the company and the role, reflecting upon your experiences and identifying how they match the selection criteria.

Using the STAR framework – Situation, Task, Action, Result – to review your work experience, tasks undertaken on your course and extracurricular activities will help you to match your skill set to the requirements of your employers. You will be surprised at how many examples you will be able to draw upon.

Being meticulous in your preparation at all the stages of the selection process is paramount. An error on your CV or arriving late for an interview speaks volumes about your character and creates a bad impression. If you cannot manage yourself, how will you manage any of the business relationships or processes?

Researching the company and having knowledge of their main competitors, the challenges they face in the marketplace and a general understanding of the business environment will support you in your interview and add value to your responses. Employers will be impressed if you take the time to find out not only about their company but also any challenges faced by the organisation.

Prepare, prepare, prepare, as it can make the difference between a successful application and being overlooked in favour of another candidate.

A continuous career life cycle

Employability is not an end in itself. Once you begin your career, you need to continually reflect upon your employability skills to check they are still aligned with the needs of your employer and the industry sector. Students need to reflect on how their industry or organisation and more importantly their role will be affected by the continual changing landscape within which businesses operate today.

IT is continually changing and influencing sector development. Social media has had an impact on all sectors in some way, with companies using social networks both informally and formally. You can’t afford to stand still when you secure a graduate position, as life is constantly moving.

The continuous process of employability

As you develop, mature and move through your career life cycle, your needs and wants will also change. What you defined as career goals and ambitions may change as you get older or your circumstances change.

The circular nature of the I Brand employability model emphasises the continuous process of employability. You will continue to grow and develop and this in turn will inform your employability. Your degree is a three- or four-year course and throughout that time you will be exposed to many different experiences that will influence the direction of your future career.

University is a time to explore, research and investigate various career options and the skills required. There are also many opportunities to build and develop your network, both within and external to your university, so don’t miss out.

Professional exams and postgraduate study

Professional exams provide an opportunity for you to become a specialist within your field of study. Your knowledge and skills are updated with the current thinking in the industry and you will have the opportunity to become a specialist in your field. These skills will add value to your employer and also avoid your skills becoming outdated.

Why take professional exams?

• Professional qualifications are practitioner-based and will add a layer of practical knowledge that a degree may not be able to provide.
• Many employers will insist that job applicants have a professional qualification or are prepared to study to gain one.
• Similarly, many employers require existing employees to gain a professional qualification as part of their personal and career development.
• Many employers are willing to pay the cost of tuition, assessment fees and professional body membership.
• There is always more to learn. Studying for a professional qualification will help you keep up to date with the latest developments, trends, innovations and techniques in your chosen field.

Philip Preston FCIM, Network Manager,
The Chartered Institute of Marketing

Professional qualifications enhance your career

While qualifications require investment in time and finance, they have a positive impact on your employability by providing a rigorous external assessment that demonstrates your competence, knowledge and skills.

They are invaluable at key points in your career to do the following:

• Gain essential underpinning knowledge when entering a new role.
• Show existing experience already gained on the job.
• Create a springboard of knowledge and skills to facilitate a promotion.

Gain a professional qualification

The value of a professional qualification goes far beyond the knowledge, skills and certificate gained. It links you to a network of professionals studying on the programme who will provide wider insights to develop your perspectives.

Undertaking accredited courses during your career demonstrates a commitment to professional development to stay up to date in our fast-changing world.

In addition, most industries have a professional institute which people with an appropriate background can join. Qualifications are a means to gaining membership of such bodies which can provide you with additional professional recognition, excellent development resources, advice and networking opportunities.

Research shows that qualifications boost earning potential over your working lifetime.

Andy Lancaster, Head of Learning and Development, CIPD

Get involved with corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a great way to give back to society by volunteering in initiatives supported by your organisation. It can also develop your management skills. It provides a wealth of opportunities to enhance your experience within the working world and helps you stand out when seeking your next promotion.

The need to be determined in your search for a career is paramount. Building your employability skills while at university is not an option but a necessity. You cannot afford to ignore your employability until after graduation. Start building and developing your employability skills from day one to get ahead of the game.

It does not stop there. When you find your first graduate position, you need to continually update your skills to not only keep your position, but to advance. When seeking a promotion, you will need to demonstrate how you add value to the organisation. This can be demonstrated with the addition of new skills and knowledge.

In today’s workplace and the continual development of new skills and technology, employees must update their skills to maintain their competitive advantage.

• Make sure you understand what employability means for your discipline and potential graduate recruiters.
• Determine to what degree you engage with developing employability skills.
• The success of a university is strongly linked to the ability of its graduates to secure graduate employment.
• The responsibility of developing employability skills rests with the students as they have to make an active decision to engage.
• Students need to recognise the opportunities embedded within their courses to develop transferable skills relevant to the workplace.
• Extracurricular activities provide students with the opportunity to give practical demonstrations of their employability skills in action.
• Leadership, project management, event management, budgeting and communication are all skills that can be developed through extracurricular activities.
• Undertaking professional qualifications further develops your employability skills
• Continually updating your skills is a must.
• Employability is a continual process and each stage of your career will require you to redefine the skills you need to develop in order to progress.
• Take every possible opportunity to network and develop links with companies while studying.
• Take time to explore both discipline-related and non-discipline-related career options.
• Gain work experience in your chosen field as this is a good test to see if this career is for you.
• Be meticulous in your preparation at all stages in the application process.
• Employability is not an optional extra – place it at the heart of your university experience.