Help For Teens - Connexions County Durham

Some skills are required for all jobs - these are called key skills.

All jobs require key skills.  You use key skills everyday in education, training or work.  Employers look for staff with key skills so they will be able to do their job well.

What are key skills?

• using numbers
• using information communication technology
• problem solving
• communication
• working with others in a team
• improving your own learning and performance

Developing these key skills will help you to be successful in getting a job and keeping it.

Having developed strong key skills will help you move on to other jobs in the future.

When you are applying for jobs, you will need to list your skills and qualities and then give examples of when you have used them.

For example:

Communications Skills

I can communicate well with a wide range of people.  I work part time at Tescos and this involves helping customers in a polite and friendly manner.

Teamwork

In English I have worked with three other students on a joint project.  Each of us completed part of the project and we helped each other out when there was a problem.

Employers will look for examples of when you have used key skills.

In addition to key skills and qualifications, employers will also look for job related skills e.g. handling money, preparing food etc and personal qualities e.g. reliability, common sense etc.

You can try the interactive game Key to the Future (Help4teens CD only), to help you identify your key skills.