“Do I have the skills employers want?”

Employers are generally looking for 2 types of skills:

Work-specific skills are those that you need to get the job done. A dental hygienist needs the skills to clean teeth, while a designer needs the skills to draw up a plan. If you’ve made it to an interview, it means the employer has decided you have, or can learn, the work-specific skills. 

Employability skills (or transferable skills) help an organization function smoothly. These skills include:

• interpersonal and teamwork skills
• communication skills
• computer skills
• thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills
• time management and organizational skills
• personal management skills

During an interview, employers are often checking out your employability skills. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience, you’ve probably developed employability skills at school, playing sports, volunteering or at other jobs. This web page can help you learn more about employability skills employers are looking for.

What would you like to know?

An alis staff member will review your question and respond via email. If it’s something that can help others look for work, explore careers, or succeed on the job, a version of your question and answer may even be added to the site.