What do Canadian employers want?
Canadian employers often want you to have soft skills and hard skills.
Often, it is not enough to have hard skills, or technical skills. Canadian employers want to hire people who also have soft skills.
Soft Skills
Soft skills are sometimes called employability skills. They include:
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Positive attitudes and behaviours
• Adaptability
• Working with others
Employers want every employee to have these skills. Someone who has these skills will be able to learn and grow in a job. These people can get along with their co-workers and are a long-term asset for the organization.
Hard Skills or Technical Skills
Each job type has its own set of skills, called hard skills. Hard skills are the technical skills you need to do a certain job. For example:
• Using computer programs
• Measuring and calculating
• Analyzing data
• Speaking a language
• Operating a machine
Experience
Understanding labour market information can help you identify what kind of experience employers want.
How your professional qualifications are valued in Canada is very important. It can help you find work in your field. By finding out how your experience is valued, you will know if you need to do any academic upgrading or exams to get the same kind of work in Canada .
You might need to have your academic or professional credentials assessed. In regulated professions or trades, you cannot work in your field unless you have had your credentials and experience evaluated.
After you have assessed your skills, you need to be able to show employers that you have these skills.
Other Important skills you need to enter, stay in, and progress in the world of work—whether you work on your own or as a part of a team.
These skills can also be applied and used beyond the workplace in a range of daily activities.
Fundamental Skills
The skills needed as a basis for further development
You will be better prepared to progress in the world of work when you can:
COMMUNICATE
• read and understand information presented in a variety of forms (e.g., words, graphs, charts, diagrams)
• write and speak so others pay attention and understand
• listen and ask questions to understand and appreciate the points of view of others
• share information using a range of information and communications technologies (e.g., voice, e-mail, computers)
• use relevant scientific, technological, and mathematical knowledge and skills to explain or clarify ideas
MANAGE INFORMATION
• locate, gather, and organize information using appropriate technology and information systems
• access, analyze, and apply knowledge and skills from various disciplines (e.g., the arts, languages, science, technology, mathematics, social sciences, and the humanities)
USE NUMBERS
• decide what needs to be measured or calculated
• observe and record data using appropriate methods, tools, and technology
• make estimates and verify calculations
THINK AND SOLVE PROBLEMS
• assess situations and identify problems
• seek different points of view and evaluate them based on facts
• recognize the human, interpersonal, technical, scientific, and mathematical dimensions of a problem
• identify the root cause of a problem
• be creative and innovative in exploring possible solutions
• readily use science, technology, and mathematics as ways to think, gain, and share knowledge, solve problems, and make decisions
• evaluate solutions to make recommendations or decisions
• implement solutions
• check to see if a solution works, and act on opportunities for improvement
Personal Management Skills
The personal skills, attitudes, and behaviours that drive one's potential for growth
You will be able to offer yourself greater possibilities for achievement when you can:
DEMONSTRATE POSITIVE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS
• feel good about yourself and be confident
• deal with people, problems, and situations with honesty, integrity, and personal ethics
• recognize your own and other people's good efforts
• take care of your personal health
• show interest, initiative, and effort
BE RESPONSIBLE
• set goals and priorities balancing work and personal life
• plan and manage time, money, and other resources to achieve goals
• assess, weigh, and manage risk
• be accountable for your actions and the actions of your group
• be socially responsible and contribute to your community
BE ADAPTABLE
• work independently or as part of a team
• carry out multiple tasks or projects
• be innovative and resourceful: identify and suggest alternative ways to achieve goals and get the job done
• be open and respond constructively to change
• learn from your mistakes and accept feedback
• cope with uncertainty
LEARN CONTINUOUSLY
• be willing to continuously learn and grow
• assess personal strengths and areas for development
• set your own learning goals
• identify and access learning sources and opportunities
• plan for and achieve your learning goals
WORK SAFELY
• be aware of personal and group health and safety practices and procedures, and act in accordance with them
Teamwork Skills
The skills and attributes needed to contribute productively
You will be better prepared to add value to the outcomes of a task, project, or team when you can:
WORK WITH OTHERS
• understand and work within the dynamics of a group
• ensure that a team's purpose and objectives are clear
• be flexible: respect, and be open to and supportive of the thoughts, opinions, and contributions of others in a group
• recognize and respect people's diversity, individual differences, and perspectives
• accept and provide feedback in a constructive and considerate manner
• contribute to a team by sharing information and expertise
• lead or support when appropriate, motivating a group for high performance
• understand the role of conflict in a group to reach solutions
• manage and resolve conflict when appropriate
PARTICIPATE IN PROJECTS AND TASKS
• plan, design, or carry out a project or task from start to finish with well-defined objectives and outcomes
• develop a plan, seek feedback, test, revise, and implement
• work to agreed-upon quality standards and specifications
• select and use appropriate tools and technology for a task or project
• adapt to changing requirements and information
• continuously monitor the success of a project or task and identify ways to improve
(source settlement.org)
Hope that helps,
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