Finding a job comes with its challenges. You must determine the available careers, interests, and skills needed.
So whether you’re planning to get a job in your chosen field of study or considering changing careers, the following job skills for youth is a must-read. While you have certain skills for a specific work industry or job, consider these general job skills every employer looks out for. They are known as “soft or employability skills.” These skills can give you an edge in your choosing job, even if you are a fresher. Soft skills should make you dependable, open to new learning, and easy to work with.

Therefore, it is crucial to consider these employability skills while creating your CV and preparing for an interview.
Continue reading as I reveal more about these job skills for youth and their importance in your job search.

Analytical Skills

This involves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. One of the essential skills young people can develop before entering the labor market is the ability to solve problems. Problem-solving is the act of finding solutions to challenges or setbacks. It requires you to use logic, facts, and data to implement a solution.

Examples of ways to enhance your problem-solving skills include:
• Learning a study skills course focused on problem-solving or critical thinking
• Conducting research assignments
• Receive and resolve complaints at work
• Inquiring about other people’s problem-solving strategies similar to yours.
• Fixing things by following picture or video guides

Communication skill

Communication involves expressing yourself clearly and understanding what you’re trying to accomplish, whether writing or speaking. Also, it requires listening to others and understanding their perspective.

In addition, we have non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, body language, gestures, etc.

The following are the ways to improve communication job skills for youth:
• Be cautious with your body movements and gestures.
• Writing or blogging
• Working in customer service
• Writing reports and assignments as part of your studies
• Making oral presentations
• Joining a local club
• Read books
• Listen to radio and TV programs

Initiative and Enterprise

Initiative and enterprise are skills that assure an employer that you can hold your own or handle your work in their absence. These skills are the ability to carry out specific work tasks without being told.

In addition, it could require you to be creative and bring ideas or solutions to improve a particular work procedure.

Here are some ways to boost your initiative and enterprise skills:
• Organizing a community fundraiser
• Applying for work placements or internships with companies and organizations.
• Making or recommending changes to the way your group functions
• Performing household tasks without being asked.
• Meeting your deadlines.

Cognitive flexibility and Adaptability

Some other essential job skills for youth are cognitive flexibility and adaptability, particularly since work patterns constantly change.

Therefore, to exceed further in your career, you must be willing to adapt to changes both in your company and industry.

Similarly, you need to be cognitively flexible. As a result, you must learn to change your thinking as fast as a new situation occurs. You should look at these problems holistically and create a suitable action plan.

Emotional Intelligence and Self-Knowledge

Since you would be working in an organization with different people, you’ll need to master emotional intelligence. This skill can enable you to understand and make connections with your colleagues, superiors, or other individuals connected with your company. Emotional intelligence is also an essential job skill for youth because employers look for workers who can work well with themselves.

However, you might not know how to master your emotions if you don’t know yourself. And this is where self-knowledge comes in.
Knowing yourself would help you identify your weaknesses and strengths.

In addition, understanding yourself can help you make certain adjustments at work to perform at your best and work well with others.

Planning and Organizing

Planning and organizing involve pinpointing the things you need to achieve and the process of getting them done – for instance, managing project timelines and meeting deadlines.

How can you enhance your planning and organizing skills?
• Learn to manage your time across work matters, family and study.
• Plan your schedule or to-do list and adhere to it.
• Volunteer to help organize an event in your community or church
• Map out a study timetable and stick to it.
• Travel by yourself locally or internationally.
• Plan and organize a family reunion, birthday party, or bachelorette

Learning

Learning is the willingness to understand new and challenging things at the fast possible time. Additionally, it is the process of accepting new tasks and adapting to changes.

Developing your learning skills involves the following:
• Begin a new hobby
• Join a volunteer or sports group
• Research courses and skills to learn
• Register for an online or short course

Technology

Every industry, including career, seems to revolve around technology in our modern world. Acquiring more tech skills could get you on the good side of your interviewer. Technology skills are the ability to use a smartphone, computer or laptop for sending email, word processing, spreadsheets, and other digital activity. You will need to learn various technologies to use any device or program.
As you prepare to join the workforce, constantly learn about emerging technologies. This will enable potential employers to see you as easily trainable. Involve yourself with digital marketing skills, programming, hardware equipment, project management applications, or photo and video editing software.

How can you develop your technical skills?
• Do online and short courses.
• Discover the suitable technologies for your potential job and their usage.
• Work as an intern in an establishment
• Document the technology you use daily

Teamwork

This “job skills for youth” article would be incomplete without teamwork skills. Asides from doing the work you are employed to do, you can’t shy away from working with your colleagues or superiors. Even if you work remotely, your employer will require you to communicate with your colleagues for a smooth workflow.

Find the ways to build your teamwork skills below:
• Volunteer for a community organization
• Do group studies
• Join a sports or game group
• Devise means to work better with other workers in your company.

Summary- Highlighting Your Skills

These are the primary job skills for youth that can give you a chance at an interview, although they could be given other similar names.

Therefore, highlight these employability skills in your job application now that you’ve identified your skills and ways to improve them.