Learn and understand what employability skills are

Strong employability skills and technical expertise will help you succeed in the workplace. These skills make you ready for the changing job market. They also improve job prospects. 

In this article, we define employability skills. We will also guide you on how to develop or improve those abilities. This will increase your chances of employment.  

We'll cover the following in this guide:

• What are employability skills?
• Importance of employability skills
• Employability skills examples
• How to improve your employability skills?
• How to show your employability skills on your resume?
• Wrapping up
• FAQs 

What are employability skills? 

Employability skills, also called soft skills, are highly desirable and transferable. They make you an attractive job seeker. They're key attributes that most Singaporean employers look for in employees.  

Employees who possess these attributes are productive, efficient, and effective. These aren't job-specific but are common to most jobs across all industries.  

Your education and experience may qualify you for a job interview. But they don't ensure you'll succeed in your role.  

Some employability skills include:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
•  Learning
• Self-management
• Self-regulation 

Possessing these skills makes you employable across different sectors and industries.  

Importance of employability skills 

Job-readiness skills are behaviours that are essential for every position and help you grow in your career. Three employability skills valued by Singaporean employers include teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and planning.  

Having these workplace skills allows you to:

• connect with co-workers
• work effectively in a team
• solve problems
• make intelligent choices for your career
• be independent
• take charge of your career 

Employability skills examples 

Employability skills are essential because they help you succeed in your career.  

Singapore is a highly competitive job market. Most employers expect job seekers to be able to communicate effectively, work well within a group, and find resolutions to problems. A job search could be challenging if you lack these soft skills.  

That's why developing good employment skills should be your top priority. Working to develop and improve certain key employability skills increases the likelihood of getting the position you want and eventually succeeding in it.  

These attributes make you "marketable" across different positions and industries. 

In the following skills list, we'll highlight some of the most important soft skills: 

Communication 

Communicating effectively will help you thrive in both your professional and personal life. This is why communication skills are at the top of the employability skills list. A good communicator listens to others, empathises, builds rapport, and is adaptive. They include:  

1. Verbal communication  

This is the use of spoken language to convey ideas and information. Proficiency in English and one or more of Singapore's official languages, like Mandarin, Malay, or Tamil, will help you professionally.  

This is because the languages are commonly used in Singaporean workplaces. 

2. Nonverbal communication 

This refers to using facial expressions, body language, and gestures. It's easy to misinterpret non-verbal cues as they happen unconsciously.  

For instance, Singaporeans consider it rude if someone points their index finger at them. Similarly, they see eye contact as confident but impolite when done for too long. 

3. Writing skills 

This uses written words or symbols to relay information in the workplace. Some examples include emails, online chats, memos, or bulletins.  

Strong writing expertise helps you be brief, clear, and straight to the point, especially if it's an email sent to subordinates or a workplace memo. In Asia, we appreciate short and straightforward writing over longer emails.  

Set aside time to review and re-read your emails or memos to ensure they're error-free and contain all the necessary information.  

4. Active listening  

This means hearing and understanding what someone is saying. To show that you're actively listening to a conversation, you could nod, repeat what they are saying, concur, or ask if something is unclear.  

Active listening will prevent misunderstandings, build trust, and resolve conflicts.  

Teamwork  

Teamwork and collaboration are integral in the Singaporean workplace. Teamwork skills help in having good relationships. These are with colleagues, managers, and workers from other departments.  

A well-organised team could achieve much more together than individual contribution.  

The ability to work and collaborate in a team also means:

• Working well with groups of different ages, backgrounds, or religions.
• Working on group assignments.
• Accepting accountability.
• Recognising each member's strengths and weaknesses.
• Resolving conflicts within the team.
• Clarifying the roles of each team member. 

Problem-solving skills 

Good problem-solving skills let you quickly solve workplace problems. Possessing these attributes also makes you a self-reliant employee.  

Some of the most important problem-solving aspects are: 

• Analysing facts and testing assumptions.
• Sharing relevant, practical, and new ideas for challenging problems.
• Identifying the problem and contributing factors.
• Evaluating different options.
• Applying different strategies to solve different problems.
• Making realistic and doable action plans.
• Devising a contingency plan.
• Implementing and monitoring action plans.
• Evaluating processes and results. 

Critical thinking  

Critical thinking means understanding, analysing, and interpreting data. It helps you find a good conclusion. A critical and creative thinker can work on challenging problems.  

They observe, ask relevant questions, and draw insights. This lets you find the right solutions. This skill helps you solve any problem at work.  

Some benefits of developing your critical thinking skills include: 

• Making sensible judgments due to logical thinking.
• Improving your decision-making abilities.
• Becoming a well-rounded employee who researches and finds the most.
• Important and relevant information. 

Time management  

Time management is planning and controlling your time on tasks. This is to ensure you're efficient and productive. Most workplaces place a strong emphasis on punctuality and time management.  

Planning your time well will help you meet team deadlines. It will also help you exceed expectations. To manage your time effectively, you need to:

• Plan the use of available resources.
• Establish a time frame.
• Set schedules. 

Your ability to manage your time is critical in any profession. Most employers expect their employees to know how to prioritise new tasks. They should also meet deadlines and manage their workload efficiently.  

Good time management helps to: 

• Reduce procrastination.
• Increase productivity.
• Achieve goals more efficiently.
• Boost confidence.
• Accomplish more in less time. 

How to improve your employability skills? 

Here are a few different ways to improve your employability skills:  

Identify which skills need improvement 

First, improve by knowing your skills. Then, understand your skill gaps. The knowledge from your education and work is vital. But developing your soft skills is just as important.  

Highlight your impressive academic history, but also showcase interpersonal skills. Teamwork, organisation, adaptability, and critical thinking make your resume stand out.  

Continue your education  

Continual education gives you a huge advantage. It helps you develop job skills and improve your skill set. You can enhance learning by getting a degree, certification, or education courses. 

Initiatives like SkillsFuture provide continual learning opportunities. They offer access to courses for different skill levels. Seeking to upskill through training programs at your workplace helps you learn valued skills.  

Volunteer 

Working as a volunteer lets you gain experience and improve your skills. Your degree or job may not be related to the volunteer work. But it can help you improve yourself and your eagerness to learn. Volunteering also allows you to expand your network.  

Apply for an internship 

When job opportunities are scarce, you may apply for an internship. Working as an intern can improve your skills and allow you to gain experience while searching for vacancies.  

How to show your employability skills on your resume? 

To stay competitive in the current job market, it's crucial to know the essential skills potential employers look for. Highlighting those abilities in your resume can make you stand out among job seekers.  

Here's how to show your employability skills on your resume:  

Create a complete employability skills list 

List all your relevant skills. But make sure you only include skills that you're confident you possess. You can also have examples of when you demonstrated your abilities. Make sure to quantify your achievements to increase your chances of getting hired. 

Check the job description of the role you wish to apply for 

Read the job posting carefully to identify the specific keywords, descriptions, and well-rounded employability skills necessary for that position. Choose the most relevant skills you can prove you possess, and highlight these in the skills section of your resume.  

Add examples 

Instead of only listing your skills in your resume, you can also describe how you used them in the work experience section.  

Consider how you used your relevant skills in your previous roles to get good results. Include short descriptions of those instances. You can also list your duties and responsibilities in each previous position.  

An example of this type of list is:

• Conducted weekly meetings with team members to ensure other team members were aware of the progress of each project.
• Managed follow-ups via daily emails.Identified areas where I could offer my expertise to help the team achieve a positive outcome. 

Wrapping up 

Hiring managers often seek employability skills along with technical skills and academic achievements. These interpersonal skills help you remain relevant and adaptable in the workforce.  

They also contribute to the overall employability and help you be a part of the cultural fit at your workplace. Some essential employability skills include teamwork, self-management, planning and organising, and problem-solving. 

It's important to demonstrate these abilities and job-specific skills in your resume. You can build these skills through work, certifications, online courses, and volunteering. 

FAQs 

Here are some FAQs related to employability skills: 

1. What are the top 5 most important employability skills in Singapore?
   ⁠Singapore's top five core skills include effective communication, teamwork, leadership, negotiation and influencing innovation, and service excellence. Possessing these abilities can help you stay relevant, adaptable, and competitive in the job market. 
2. What are general employability skills? 
   ⁠They include adaptability, leadership, and initiative. Adaptability means being able to adapt to change and new situations. Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate others, make tough calls, and show accountability. 
   ⁠
   ⁠The initiative refers to demonstrating your capacity to lead and drive results. 
3. Can employability skills compensate for lack of experience? 
   ⁠While soft skills cannot compensate for the lack of experience, they may help you with internships and entry-level roles. Mentioning them can also get you jobs with on-the-job training where you can build upon hard skills. 
   ⁠
   ⁠Mentioning extracurricular activities can help. For example, being part of a sports team can show your teamwork and communication abilities. This may help you when you're starting your professional career.  
4. How important is digital literacy in Singaporean workplaces? 
   ⁠Singapore is becoming a Smart Nation. You need to develop digital literacy. It's a critical part of employability. This can help you adapt to new technologies and stay relevant in the job market.
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   ⁠You can share achievements and instances in your resume and cover letter. These will show how good you are at using digital tools and platforms.