Employability is definitely a word that we keep hearing and reading over and over again. What does this word actually mean? What really makes a person “employable”. A very generic opinion is that to be employable you must absolutely get an education, work hard and be nice to your colleagues.
This is definitely true but it doesn’t consider the world’s evolution, how fast-paced it has become. In 2020, employability needs to come to terms with technology, the digital world and a competition that seems to be more and more qualified.
Global scenarios change ever more quickly and unpredictably and, because of this, being employable doesn’t just mean possessing all the skills needed today, but also preparing for and anticipating all the skills that will be required tomorrow. It seems that, when it really comes down to it, employability is all about having the ability to learn – and fast. As businesses and industries are changing all the time, knowing how to learn new things as quickly as possible will end up being more important than previous experience.
So, let’s ask the question again. What does the word “employable” actually mean? It means possessing hard skills, soft skills, and commercial awareness. What we need to focus on is how we actually acquire such skills and awarenesses. Today we need to embrace the fact that learning has become a lifelong endeavour and our minds must always be ready to accept new challenges, to adapt to new environments, requirements, situations and difficulties. Interviews are no longer focused only on getting to know your qualifications and previous work experiences but also and especially on assessing candidate’s problem-solving skills and ability to think ahead, preparing for the next level.
However, even if you have all the right skills, don’t be discouraged if you keep getting rejected, it doesn’t mean you’re not employable. We’ve all been in that situation, in which it seems like we’re never going to find a job. We must be patient and methodic in our search, even creative if need be. The vast majority of jobs are almost never advertised, especially in the creative industries. Sometimes we might have to make our own roles – but that can also be exciting
