Employability skills
Putting your best foot forward at interview is not the only area of employment where you need to display professional or business etiquette. In fact, from the first stage of applying for a role, during and post interview and through to the various phases of induction, commencement and ongoing work, you will want to position yourself as a valuable employee.
The most effective way to demonstrate this, is to master and demonstrate eight key employment competencies. Let’s explore each competency below.
1) You need to understand Australian social and business culture. If you have recently relocated from another country and seeking employment in Australia, then it is critical that you do your research on cultural and social norms, expected business practices, and the importance of adapting to a corporate culture.
2) To understand the typical Australian recruitment practices are fundamental so that you can optimise the manner in which you engage with and promote your capabilities to recruiters. Australian recruitments firms have different requirements based on whether they are engaging a candidate for a government or private sector client. This can involve one or more of the following: initial screening, psychometric testing, selection criteria and panel assessment, panel interview and / or presentation.
3) You will need to be able to communicate effectively with others through each stage of your recruitment and employment. From the outset you will need to be able to formulate and submit a targeted and effective resume and cover letter for the role you are applying for. Actions during and after the interview will call on your ability to draw on genuine and effective rapport building skills to engage the recruiter. Tip: Practice is key to interviews. Have someone critique your interview skills through mock sessions.
4) To master the art of personal branding is crucial for professional success and building your career. Defining your personal brand involves a complex set of master skills that include being able to identify who you are and how you want to be portrayed, how you will style yourself, and how you will project yourself to others based on how you act, what you wear and what you say. Tip: Reflect on your aspirations and what you are doing daily that work toward them.
5) Employability skill number five is to be able to develop your presentation skills and to exhibit them in a professional and confident manner. Your ability to prepare and present information to an individual or a group using refined verbal and non-verbal communication skills in a professional environment. Tip: Have a definitive introduction, body and pitch. Summarise well and be engaging.
6) As an influential and professional employee, you need to understand how to dress in a way that is appropriate in a corporate environment in Australia, and in a manner that promotes a professional image which is still consistent with your own personal style. There are a set of standard expectations and also a list of absolute taboos. As with most etiquette’s, there is even the grey area. Don’t get caught with a “no-no”!
7) The seventh employable competency centres on the etiquette that governs eating out or socialising in a work context. You need to make sure that you have the skills that allow you to be respectful of your host, know when to arrive and leave an event, and the social mores around eating, drinking and paying. Dining etiquette is a skill of the masters and can make or break any opportunity. It may be best not to risk it.
8) Finally, you need to think about your time management skills. This is a skill that is so highly demanded by employers and so rarely addressed. By studying and becoming accustomed to the application of time-management skills, you can set yourself far apart from the other candidates. Start by looking carefully at how you allocate your time so that you can identify and work on priorities which contribute to the achievement of individual, team and organisational goals. Tip: Rid yourself the bad habit of multitasking and learn how to work efficiently under stress.
These employability skills can be quite difficult to master and often require critiquing. Contact Bizquette’s School of Professionalism about their targeted Etiquette Program and refine your skills today. Running over eight sessions, this program is designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge to be able to manage your professional image to confidently and competently pursue employment in Australia. Call us on (03) 9771 7133 or enrol via the website www.bizquette.com.au.
