World Youth Skills Day: What are employers looking for in 2017?

Every year, the world celebrates World Youth Skills Day to shine a new light on skills, education and vocational training that can get young people employed. This day came to life when the UN designated it in 2014. According to statistics, the young are three times more prone to unemployment as their education fails to give them skills needed for a job. As trends in the job sphere change, so do a required skill set. And this year's theme, Skills for all, focuses on skills needed for every kind of job. 

In India, 65 per cent of the population (between 15 to 59) earn an income but unfortunately, only 2 per cent is skilled, according to a FICCI-KPMG report. This means that people who've just graduated from colleges struggle to get a job in their chosen field. Part of the problem lies in our education system. Employers find them unsuitable as they lack hands on experience.

In 2017, some of the top jobs in India lie in the field cloud computing, user interface design, mobile development, data mining, network and information security, SEO and banking. While a degree in these fields can assure you of getting an interview call at the very least, employers are also looking for soft skills. In 2017, these soft skills that are rarely talked about can be game changers during an interview. 

Curiosity and commitment

Even if job applicants aren't armed with a full fledged knowledge of the job, employers want them to have a willingness to learn and commit to the project. Nowadays, millennials often give up when the work pressure is overwhelming but keeping a positive outlook is vital. According to a study by Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, positivity has an impact on overall job performance, creativity and decision making.

Focus

According to a Forbes article, focus is the new IQ. Giving a project enough attention also means there will be less errors, time management and this skill demonstrates the seriousness of the candidate. 

Agility

In other words, this skill gives employees the power to quickly adapt to changing situations. Jeff Vijungco, Vice President of Global Talent at Adobe said that hard skills and a high IQ isn't sufficient since technology is changing at such a fast pace. Millennials tend to get frustrated when things don't go their way and this, in turn, affects their productivity. 

Communication skills

This doesn't mean the ability to hold a conversation. Any person who is able to communicate well also has the skill to listen, be patient, be humble and learn from others. These traits become important especially at an entry-level job. 

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