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eveloping work skills is a central part of tertiary study and of work life. In fact, the development of skills is just as important to your career as the tertiary qualification you are working toward. Many students get close to completing their studies and then feel that they are not prepared for the workforce. A common question is, "Employers expect people to have work experience but how can you get experience if you can't get a job?" Another problem that students encounter is that they have a tertiary qualification but they do not have other skills required by employers. For example university arts graduates might seek work in a policy or administrative area and then find that they also need to have high level computing skills or policy experience. A student completing a TAFE qualification may find that they have the right qualification (e.g. hospitality management) but employers are also focussing on high-level communication skills or teamwork skills.

What are skills? Why are skills important? Which skills should you be developing? When and how should skills be learned? These are some of the important questions that tertiary students need to answer as they think about a career.

What are skills?

Skills belong to an individual and are required by jobs and employers. Skills are different from abilities.Ability is something that is unrealised, in contrast a skill is developed through experience.

Ability is something that is unrealised, in contrast a skill is developed through experience.

You may have minimal computer knowledge but have the ability to learn high level computing skills. An employer looking for someone with high level computing skills can decide to take on an employee with demonstrated skills or someone with the capacity to develop these skills. The employer's decision will be influenced by a variety of things. Are there many people looking for work with the required skills? If there are a lot of people with the required skill then the employer may look for people with the right qualification as well as experience. What salaries are employers prepared to pay? Some employers will pay less and offer training to people with the ability to learn quickly.

There is no simple answer but it is important that tertiary students have some idea of the type of work they would like to enter and the skills required for the work. One way of doing this is to look through positions vacant on the Internet or in the newspaper and try to identify the skills employers expect. If you are interested in working for a particular employer you can always call their human resources department and ask what skills they expect their employees to have and whether they are prepared to train.

Why are skills important?

Skills can make you more desirable to an employer and can set you apart from other candidates for a particular job. Having the right skills can also make the transition into a new job easier. The more your skills are related to the requirements of the job, the quicker you will become productive in your new job.

Just as importantly, getting and maintaining the right skills will keep you employable throughout your working life. Don't keep trying to do what your parents did to be successful - the workplace has changed. Many people have been made redundant because they thought they had the skills they needed for life and failed to keep abreast of changes in work and technology. Skills are not static; at different stages of your career you will need to acquire and use, different skills.

Which skills should you be developing?

Top of the list is career skills; these include learning how to research employers. Start to think about where you would like to work at least half way through your course. Take some time to research employers that you would like to work for. Having a good understanding of the organisation when you attend an interview will help you in promoting a good image. Learn how to write a first class resume that can become your marketing tool and develop good interviewing skills that you will use throughout your career. Your technical college or university will have a career information area and possibly provide training in career skills. There is also a wealth of information on the Internet - search this site for more information and try WA Career Moves or DETYA

Career skills include getting work experience; it doesn't matter if this is paid or unpaid. Employers will assess applicants on their achievements not on the length of their employment. This means that it is not enough to turn up every day and be told what to do in a boring part-time job.

Employers will assess applicants on their achievements not on the length of their employment.

If you work in an environment where this is happening think about renegotiating your work arrangements to allow you more responsibility and the opportunity to develop new skills.

Make sure you develop good information technology skills while you study. These skills are as important as having good literacy skills to most employers. Learning a well-known word processing package to an intermediate level, some spreadsheet and database knowledge will provide a good start. Learn how to find information on the Internet and the basics of the Internet including using email.

Don't expect your course of study to provide you with all the skills you need. Communication skills, leadership skills, conflict management skills, team skills and high-level literacy skills are just some of the possible skills you may need. An interesting approach to developing skills is outlined by the University of Hertfordshire Institutional Consortium. They suggest that it is not possible to develop all skills to a high level and that students should choose the skills they wish to develop from a menu of skills.

When and how should skills be learned?

Acquiring skills is a developmental task and new employees are not expected to have all of the skills at a high level. They will be expected to demonstrate those skills that are required by particular positions or roles immediately and then develop these along with new skills. With this in mind students should identify the skills they currently have, the skills they need to acquire in the short-term and then be prepared to develop more skills throughout their work life.

Macquarie University in New South Wales is taking a unique approach to career development and will run an undergraduate course in Career Management in 2000. This course encourages students to learn about the context

People in leadership positions need to understand how they can tap into the career goals of others.

of careers and skill development not only for their own benefit but also for the benefit of those they will lead in the future. People in leadership positions need to understand how they can tap into the career goals of others to encourage collaboration toward a motivated and efficient workforce.

This is especially important in the future workplace which is likely to be less secure, include more part time work and increasing technological innovation. Keeping abreast of change and developing new skills is one way of remaining employable.

A good practice is to keep track of your skill development by keeping a catalogue of your skills. This can be done initially through writing a resume. When you start employment keep adding to your resume or start a professional development document in which you list all of your achievements and new skills on a regular basis. This makes the task of sitting for a performance review or looking for that new job easier.

Skill development is important for getting into, making transitions and staying in the workforce. You can master the art of skill development by knowing what skills are required in your chosen occupation and by tracking your own skill level against industry changes. This process will ensure that when you finish your tertiary qualification you will be a flexible, well-educated and employable person ready to continue the development of your career in the workplace.

About the Author

Jeanette is involved in consulting and academic work, and has a research interest in career management. She previously worked in careers training and counselling.