Skills employers look for
How to be the graduate that employers are looking for.
How to make yourself more employable.
A key part of career planning is finding out which roles might suit you. It’s best to start by exploring your interests, values, and strengths. This will help you pinpoint career options that match your motivations and you’ll be more likely to feel fulfilled in your work.
Once you have some career options in mind, find out which skills you need to succeed in those areas and work towards getting and perfecting them. Gaining experience is crucial to finding out what you enjoy, what you can do, and convincing employers you’re the person for the job.
Find out about work experience
Skills that employers look for
Many careers do not require a specific degree, but most employers look for graduates with transferable skills.
At Manchester Met, we refer to the personal qualities, academic abilities, and transferable skills you’ll develop during your time at University as graduate attributes. These attributes will support you to thrive in your life after you graduate.
The Manchester Met graduate attributes are:
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Digital
Digital
- Develop a digital presence and manage your digital identity, footprint and safety.
- Confidently use digital tools, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and resources for ongoing learning and development.
- Design and create a range of digital content, considering broader issues such as accessibility.
- Demonstrate legal, intellectual property (IP) and ethical practices of working within digital spaces.
- Critically evaluate data and verify information from a range of sources.
How to develop your digital skills
- Work towards the Rise Digital badge.
- Complete online courses on LinkedIn Learning to expand your software knowledge.
- Read the article called ‘artificial intelligence and your career’.
- Watch this short video about the importance of managing your online footprint.
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Connected
Connected
- Collaborate, forming networks to share and broaden your knowledge.
- Recognise and respect diversity and difference in cultures beyond your own.
- Cultivate awareness of disciplines within a wider global context.
- Contribute positively to communities, both local and global, recognising personal impact on both.
- Influence others through skills of communication, negotiation and leadership.
How to become connected
- Work towards the Rise Community badge or the Rise Internationalisation badge.
- Volunteer through The Union and support your local community.
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Complete short online courses to expand your understanding, for example:
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Interpersonal
Interpersonal
- Draw on effective strategies for collaboration to create fair and inclusive working environments.
- Communicate confidently demonstrating clarity, empathy and listening skills.
- Challenge assumptions and seek diverse perspectives to foster equity and inclusion.
- Demonstrate self-awareness, respect and compassion, recognising personal influence on others.
- Network and lead to motivate, guide and empower others to achieve goals.
How to develop your interpersonal skills
- Take some self-assessments to broaden your self-awareness.
- Complete quick online courses on the following topics:
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Autonomous
Autonomous
- Demonstrate initiative and be proactive to communicate skills and motivations.
- Reflect critically on own integrity, self-motivation and professionalism.
- Respond with flexibility to emerging opportunities and challenges.
- Respond constructively to feedback, facing set-backs with perseverance and courage.
- Recognise and prioritise health and wellbeing strategies.
How to become autonomous
- Develop your Future Me Plan and regularly review how you are progressing.
- Work towards the Rise Self-Effectiveness badge.
- Learn practical tips for developing your resilience
- Complete quick online courses to expand your understanding, such as:
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Sustainable
Sustainable
- Recognise the interplay of environmental, social and economic systems.
- Challenge norms, assumptions and values to support sustainable practice.
- Apply a critical understanding of sustainable development and climate literacy.
- Foster creative solutions for local and global sustainability challenges.
- Use influence and agency to drive forward change for sustainable development.
How to become sustainable
- Work towards the Rise Sustainability badge.
- Learn more by completing this quick online course on sustainability.
- Develop insight into impact and influence.
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Enterprising
Enterprising
- Generate creative insights into real-world opportunities and challenges.
- Solve problems using systematic methods and innovative approaches.
- Set aspirational goals with achievable and measurable outcomes.
- Be agile to adapt to opportunities, risks and failures.
- Demonstrate financial literacy, with sustainable solutions to challenges.
How to be enterprising
- Work towards the Rise Enterprise badge.
- Get involved with the Enterprise community at Manchester Met.
- Set aspirational goals in the Map stage of your Future Me Plan.
- Complete this quick online course about critical thinking and problem solving.