As you take a deep breath and conclude your long schooling years, it’s time to start thinking ahead. At the end of Matric, it’s tough to feel ready to work just yet. We hear you and we’re here for you.
The truth is that you might incredibly work-ready, but you also might not be. We are all different and grow at different paces. Our life experiences differ hugely and therefore, so do our learning experiences. No matter how you feel about work readiness, now is the time to step into the process of becoming ready to work, but one step at a time, right?
The road to successful adulthood is bumpy, but the more skills you gain, the smoother the ride. Here are four very important and underestimated skills any young adult can learn right now.
Work readiness is the term used to describe the process of equipping oneself with all the skills, self-sufficiency, reliability and resources needed to land the perfect job. Not only do you want to find an awesome and steady job, but you also want to maintain it and then be able to easily move into a new opportunity when that time comes. Work readiness is essentially a work resilience that you build as you step out of high school and into the study and work spheres.
Work readiness: The beginning of a journey
When becoming ready to work, you should recognise that it is a journey, and you don’t need to be in the same boat as anyone else. You need to take stock of where you’re at personally, and then develop and grow from there. It really is the beginning of a journey.
So you want to get soft skill certified? Cool, we’ve got you.Â
You can complete a range of online soft skills courses on our e-learning platform and GET A CERTIFICATE at the end.Â
The work readiness goals are interrelated and can be summarised as follows:Â
- Learning how to manage your working life, in a self-sufficient manner. All the way from looking for a job, making your own career decisions, developing your own chosen skills and managing yourself when your work environment might shift and change over time.Â
- Developing soft skills that will help you manage yourself in the working world. Self-sufficiency being one of them, an ability to feel confident in your own work, developing a network of friends, family and support around you to help you out when you need it, an ability to keep your job, and grow within the parameters, taking responsibility for your success at your work.Â
- An understanding of work pressures and dynamics that might come into play. These can be summed up into 3 main areas of influence: the first one would be your own personal challenges and issues faced in your personal life, the second would be the work environment dynamics and pressure which you have little control over at times, and thirdly, the systematic pressures of the company or organisation you work for. Â
A skill set is a combination of skills that work together.  So, which skill sets are in demand? Which sets give you that competitive edge?   Let’s take a look at what will get you ahead of the game.
Work readiness programme: Where can I find one?
There are many work readiness programmes that are specifically designed to condition you to the world of work. You can find incredibly helpful programmes such as the Edupower Work Readiness Programme. Their mission and guarantee is to prepare anybody for the working world if they have never encountered it before. Another top tip is to check out some e-learning platforms. We have one of our own that you can check out by signing up as an EduConnect Game Changer.
Ultimately, you want to be equipped with the necessary resources that you need in order to thrive in the working space that you choose. You really want to know the necessary skills to find, keep and enjoy a job long term. Here are some resources you can check out on EduConnect:Â
- Soft skills coursesÂ
- Career Profiles and career advice
- Create an awesome curriculum vitae
Browse through a range of career profiles and find out EVERYTHING you need to know about any career. To make the searching process quick ‘n easy, you may filter your search according to career field and interest.Â
Am I actually ready to work?
One of the things we totally advise is that you recognise where your own personal strengths are and where you know you need some work. When you know these things, it will be easier for you to really hone in on the skills you need, and polish up the ones you already have in the bag! You can take an online assessment on a site like the Employment Readiness Scale to see where you’re at as well.
It’s also important to bear in mind what you enjoy doing! You will want to be in a job that suits who you are as a person, and won’t bore you after a few months (although perseverance and taking responsibility for long term decisions is also a brilliant lesson to learn!).
EduConnect 2Cents
If you choose to see the journey in a positive light, it doesn’t ever have to overwhelm you, seriously, there are more important matters to use your brain for. Relax, and take things in your stride! Remember to see every challenge as an opportunity to grow, instead of an opportunity to feel defeated. You are more capable and work-ready than you think!
