Enhancing Employability - Analysis of the Employee Market - Essay Example

?Enhancing Employability Insert Introduction Major evolutions in the work industry have occurred in such a way that more skills are demanded from employees. In fact, Smith (2010) calls it the age of turbulence and unpredictability in the employment sector. It would be expected that career developments would reflect the same, but this is not the case. Within this framework of change, employment related activities such as, assessing work placements are now undertaken by organizations like institutions of higher learning to embrace this shift (Smith, 279pg 2010). The neoliberal agenda is being adopted in many countries thus reshaping education to be more practical oriented. Scholars such as Bleetman & Webb (2010) claim that somehow, these activities are taken lightly by students because they go unpaid, with the organizations claiming that they are only meant for experience (Bleetman & Webb, 167 pg. 2010). The pertinent question still remains, how do potential employees enhance their employability? Lytras, De Pablos & Avison (2010) state that in today’s labor market; approximately 35% of people have more of unemployable-like characters which are ostensibly stated as unemployment problem. Therefore, the answer to this question is complex requiring expert and multi- dimensional input from various stakeholders for the development of a sustainable solution. Giving this concept a light meaning does not depict the transitions occurring in graduates and others in service employers to fit into the evolving workforce. Despite the difficulties encountered in incorporating all these factors in one definition, Kenny & Kilmartin’s (2008) research into employability today offers an insight on the meaning of employability. They suggest that it deals with a person’s competency and the ability to adjust to difficulties and situations in the work place. In this context, the meaning of the word employability will be borrowed from Coetzee & Roythorne-Jacobs (2010) who define it as “a person’s ability to gain access to, adjust and be productive in the workplace”. Smith further divides mandatory employability skills to; general and occupational-specific. In addition to these, competency and ability to write a good Curriculum Vitae can increase one’s employability in today’s cut throat labor market. Theoretical Basis The first step in developing employability skills is engaging in deeply gratifying choices, that is; choosing the right career. The developers in career guidance and counseling realized that this is one way of achieving this and credit goes to them. A more humanistic approach to the issue perceives an employee as a human being who grows through stages. A career goes through a cycle just like a human being does. However, choosing the right career only happens to a certain percentage of the population. A systematic study done by the World Bank (2010) revealed that 56% of employees would have preferred to be in a completely different career. The substantial psychometric literature contains a number of standardized tests which career counselors measure individual differences in terms of competencies required by employers. Schein developed a classification system known as Schein Career Anchors (Schein, 1978). What skills is the new employer looking for from his potential employees? How does he help his employer use their skills? Between hard and soft skills, which one does a person with employability characteristics have to contain? A person may have developed hard skills or technical skills but is unable to lead due to inability to communicate or rather lacked soft skills. Bleetman & Webb (2010, 194) agree that both skills are very important but technical skills more important in the context of employability. These sentiments are echoed by Rao (2010) who further demonstrates characteristics which employees use when there is a tie between interview scores of several candidates. Such skills are built on aspects such as team building, attitudes, leadership and motivation among others. However, controversies exist on whether leaders are born or made by some scholars coming up with ideas that leadership grows over time. What most of these scholars agree on is that leadership and management are so interrelated and intertwined that one cannot do without either (Mytum, 2011). Management Simulations Businesses can be engaged in their own unique products, dealing in one or several activities. However, they all function in the areas of marketing, human resource, logistics and finance operations. A person having employable characteristics must be able to conceptually internalize the connection between those processes. The global and local climate of the labor workforce is clearly changing. The positive effects of this change are that customers are now becoming more global and informed, this is viewed as alarm for businesses to change their ways of connecting the way with which they function. Some theorists call this change post Fordism which is characterized by the utilization of better technology such as those in information communications technology (ICT), team work in every sector especially in supply management and logistics and more importantly flexibility. That is why the previous mode of operation known as silo is not being adopted by many businesses. Alternatively, software known as the SIM - venture menu is now being utilized which demands skills in advance. Rao’s (2010) study of education in India provides a clear retrospective projection on how employability today emphasizes more on the focus on a career path because that is what affects the business most. The World Bank (2010) is optimistically critical of the aims of the changes in higher education to cater for the employability agenda in a philosophical sense. It states that although the education does not consider the social and economic situation in any country, students are now being given opportunities to develop skills required by the employment industry today. Such skills are measured on satisfying the current and foreseen changes and developments. The postulation of the shift in employability led Rao (2010) to suggest that one of the ways of doing this is through teamwork. This can be developed more efficiently through the application of soft skills discussed above. Personal Branding and Networks Aside from the tertiary education providing betterment of life, most people do this with a focus on employment and better careers. This is basically known as personal branding. In order to stand out from the millions of people looking for employment, one must have unique qualities that meet the employer’s needs. Rao (2010) state that a Curriculum Vitae is one way of creating a unique personal brand and it is also a way with which a potential employee meets a person. Bleetman & Webb (2010) further emphasize the issue stating that a curriculum vitae can say more than academic achievements and work experiences, they also depict personal development planning. Rao (2010) adds that the job market requires art and craft and they can be seen by any keen employer through an individual’s curriculum vita. Kenny & Kilmartin (2008) continue to state that such a document depicts the capability of an individual to adjust to change, one of the aspects of employability today as discussed above. Therefore, Smith (2010) state that care should be taken when preparing a curriculum vitae since it is more of a communication item. They offer a few insights into the preparation of the document by stating that four actors should be kept in mind; make it eye-catching, easy to engage the interviewer, be clear on the position being applied for and incorporate all important information an employer would want to know. A famous excellent communicator said that written communication such as that placed in curriculum vitae should be clearly written because it lacks oral presentation, which makes it even more difficult. Most companies view the importance of communication in a broader view of soft skills. Apparently, it dictates how well a person can relate with others which enable teamwork, learning capabilities and transference of skills. Placements and Work Experiences Experience is always the best teacher in any situation, probably why learning theory without practice is seen as incomplete learning. In most job advertisements today, experience is one of the requirements. According to most employees, this is an area that fails most fresh graduates from getting interview appointments. The World Bank (2010) state that the best approach to this problem is for students in higher education to obtain some form of employment whether paid or not to achieve this. In higher institutions, opportunities are present for this purpose through the career placement center. A good example is given in the same text of INACAP Technical University in Chile which maintains close links with the labor market. Coetzee & Roythorne-Jacobs (2010) emphasize the importance of such placements before and after career counseling is done. This is especially important in identifying the challenges that occur in a person's career. This was called vocational education training (VET) by other authors (Cited in Sheldon & Thornwaite, 2005, 244). This was suggested after the realization that one of the main drivers in the advancement of employability has been the gap created by the ever changing emergent skills. In countries where industries, firms and businesses are unwilling to allocate some of their employee pool for vocational education training, they are forced to pay more for their labor or their produce is not up to date. Mytum (2011) state that such countries are ostensibly stated as having high rates of unemployment but the fact is, their employee pool is characterized by lack of unemployability. A prime example is a study done in India by Rao (2010, 38) reveals that the most foreign bank in India prefers to employ non- Indian citizens. Foreign employees cost the banks more in salaries because the Indian population lacks the current skills for employment. Therefore, O’Donoghue & Weir (2008) state that work placements in one’s field of interest are important if a student wishes to gain skills such as those in current systems of operations, problem solving, operations of improved machinery and information communication technology. Recruitment Style In this age, placements of the job advertisements are done in many ways. The use of old fashioned means of posters and media such as newspapers, magazines and even posters has been extended to the use of more modern approaches by using social media such as Facebook and other internet services. The use of these methods has acted as fuel to the interest with which people have strived to train on how to utilize information communication technology. A mixed method research done by Batman and Webb (2010) show that most recruiters have macro- perception when advertising an interview but this is narrowed to the level of advancement of available skills in the market. All potential employers look at a potential employee from an enterprise perspective. Currently, the state of the art humanistic and pedagogical schemes on blended skills are used in identifying useful and potential. Even the smallest details of body language matter in an interview Rao (2010). The most expansive focus is the difference in skills one exhibits from other interviewees. With this in mind, a shortlist is done where the list is reduced to the least number of people who qualify for the next stage. This will lead to induction into the field of interest. When browsing for available job placements, it is important to keep in mind, that the purpose of such an activity is the contribution it will have on a student’s competence that will make him or her attractive or employable. List down several potential employers, compare qualifications, performance and most importantly, the skills acquired at the end. Rao (2010) and Mytum (2011) both agree that at the stage of the interview, honesty is the best weapon. Barriers in Career Development A famous psychologist divided human development into stages; she suggested that exploration usually occurs from late adolescence to early adulthood. A similar concept is applied by different authors in the field of career development. Apparently, this stage of development is characterized by directing one’s energies in different vocations of interest to determine which areas one is best suited in. The process is however not as smooth as it seems and as Smith (2010) puts it, challenges and barriers evolve. Coetzee and Roythorne-Jacobs (2010) emphasize the importance of mentoring in the process of choosing and adapting to a career. A good example is a career in modeling which is shunned by most Muslim based communities since according to the, it depicts a woman as being loose and more of a sexual item than anything else. Careers in the medical field require one who is more flexible and available at odd hours. Therefore, before embarking on training, mentorship and career guidance will help avoid such problems (O’Donoghue & Weir, 2008). Advisors in this field give several insights in choosing a good career, echoed in Kenny and Kilmartin (2008), they are inclusive of adaptability, competencies, connections and availability of skills. There is not one business in the world that has an aim of failing, in some cases, ethics interfere with maximization of profits creating a dilemma. Smith (2010) demonstrates the importance of internalizing ethics in the sense of an aspect that can encourage trust between a customer and the organization and at the same time self- gratification of having a clean self conscious. Rao (2010) states that anyone who is successful in their career was one who felt satisfied with their activities. Such people are not only satisfied with their careers, but they also demonstrate characteristics which are at par with ethical considerations in their careers. 21st Century Concept of Careers/Ethics The 21st century is an era associated with changes in the workforce brought about by globalization, improved technologies, and a workforce with more advanced skills and people with greater aspirations. Job related uncertainties are the result of such changes thus the increase in pressure to up skill. This has been happening for some time now pushing individuals to take responsibility for their own education and training for the purpose of keeping at par with these advancements. As stated in Mytum (2011) these developments are taking place at differentiated paces all over the world. Sullivan and Baruch (2009) identified factors like culture, social issues and gender are still taken into consideration in some communities. Therefore, in as much as changes are taking place, some areas of the globe are still far from engaging in activities that aid in becoming employable for today’s workforce. Using snowball techniques in research, Bleetman and Webb (2010) agree with the findings of Sullivan and Baruch that developments in technology and medicine have increased life expectancy. Such lead to the need for long term employability for individuals leading to drastic measures. Trawling through journals and several literatures, Mytum (2010) have established that these are some of the causes of the changes seen in the education sector. Coetzee and Roythorne-Jacobs (2010) show that the number of people engaging in career changing activities is increasing due to the need for satisfaction in terms of pay and easy availability of information on such careers. Reflective Statement My personal overview of this module is that the topic was substantially covered to explore all areas of enhancing employability; I found it very informative and useful. Employability is a construct with diverse inherent meanings to different people focusing on both the worker and employer. I have learned that the process of enhancing my personal employability not only dwells in my academic achievements, but also in how skillful I am at my field. I have learnt the importance of developing both the art and craft aspects of my skills for this purpose. Developing a career is a process that begins very early in life. We first make varied choices of what we want to become in terms of career choice, match our choices with the skills we have, establish ourselves in a career, and maintain it, then as we grow old, our competencies decline and we retire or tend to delegate duties more. With the correct type of guidance and counseling this is the right path that anyone’s career should follow. The right guidance will help me as a student identify a career which best suits me. There are tests developed using items common to employability discourse and personality factors that aid in this process. Such include attributes in intelligence quotient, emotions, and values and reinforce patterns among others. Employers do not just look at the present, but the future is also a factor, which they consider as well. A study done on the contribution of cognitive abilities and aptitudes gives more insight into how such factors play a role in employability development. Vocational personalities are also tested for this purpose, generally, potential employees can be divided into; conventional, artistic, investigative, realistic, enterprising and social characters. Apparently, we are all born with innate capabilities that increase our chances of succeeding in specific careers. Mentorship is another way of increasing knowledge of our vocational capabilities. Some of these tests are important to classify me in any of the groups so I know where I am best placed in the process of choosing a career. The affirmation that most employers are now career focused was quite intriguing. This was an insight for me to focus more on enhancing my employability. I especially learnt a lot in making the bipartite connection between hard and soft skills with employability. I have realized communication is the most important soft skill in merging knowledge and experiences in teamwork. Technical or hard skills are satisfactory for every type of employment, but soft skills are a major way of enhancing employability. Another important aspect of increasing employability chances is through my capability to learn. This is not inborn; it can be developed over time by certain people and through the correct guidance. Since learning can be developed through experience, our individual differences dictate different ways with which learning through experience takes place. A model developed by a scholar known as Kolb is adopted by many authors, some of them show that according to the model, there are four ways with which learning takes place; observation and reflection, active experimentation, concrete experience and abstract conceptualization. However, the implications associated with such type of learning can sometimes be detrimental and not provide a sustainable solution. All in all, learning is an important aspect I should be able to develop. This was a concept well explained, I was able to understand that learning in the context of employability meant not only my capability to understand the key skills framework, but also my willingness to be taught. The employer views me, the apprentice learner from an enterprise angle, as one who will become a leader someday and help in recruitments. Particularly the view that being empathetic would be useful during writing a resume and going for an interview was quite helpful. Communication is a very important soft skill as it helps in interpersonal relationships, without it, technical skills are not very useful. An employee should be able to see themselves through the eyes of the employer and ask himself, if he were the employer, what would he be looking for in an employee? As stated above, soft skills are part of what enhances employability; leadership is embodied in the ability to communicate with others. Such skills are limitless and never get defunct even when the stage of detachment from employment has been reached. Even if I am well endowed with strong hard skills, I need to learn the art of communication due to its advantages. Employability characteristics result in the capability and willingness to learn evidenced by a track record in the lessons learnt from previous challenges. A famous philosopher once said that first impressions really do matter. The art of writing a resume was also helpful with more intriguing facts on honesty and choosing the right employer. A resume or curriculum vitae is used as a communication device. The idea that the general workforce is changing was a motivating factor in why I sought higher education. Other theorists agree strongly with the notion of teamwork and scholars such as Yorke & Knight came up with a model they called Skills plus Project. This model showed that in teamwork, various attributes are joined together and the result is better performance. Through teamwork, a lot can be achieved if the different self- efficacies of each employee can be brought together in skillful practice. Changes are occurring in the employment sector. There is an improvement in terms of pay and working conditions but flipping the coin reveals a more devastating realization; job insecurity. This is not just from the fact that their contract periods have reduced, evolution of the concept of part time and contracting out of work but also, technology is increasing the rate at which information is spreading. With the increased public outcry in environmental pollution and its consequences, businesses are forced to be more environments aware so that the process of remediation can be hastened. It is thus upon the realization by a potential employee to develop an ecological-based career path. During the process of enhancing employability, I have realized how important all these aspects are. Theory and class work alone may not be sufficient to fill the skill gap that is evident in today’s labor force, vocational educational training is mandatory for this purpose. In as much as some authors overlook the great importance of such training, its effects can be seen around the globe. This was an eye opener in this area and I was able to appreciate practical skills undertaken during job placements. The International Labor Organization (ILO) took it upon themselves to try and encourage Vocational educational training by doing a comparative study of the effects of that programmed in various countries. Several authors on this topic agree that practical activities done in all institutions to support the theory are useful but up- Skilling can only be done in the work environment as they lead to acquisition of generic skills. Strangely, this is not just useful to the student, but it also enables employers develop a culture that encourages learning and also identify changes in human capital and at the same time, a knowledge based economy is encouraged. A firm or company realizing their need for employees begins with the definition of what is required, art and craft skills required from the candidates and their availability in conjunction with work requirements. . The probability of success in getting an interview depends on how advanced the available skills are in the market, the higher and more advanced the skills are, the higher the chances of obtaining a chance for an interview. The main premise of an interview is to identify how well a potential employee utilizes the broader episteme of the skills stated in writing. This is underpinned by a standardized set of questions asked during an interview. Honesty in dressing, appearance, answering questions and giving ideas is crucial in gaining trust from the potential employer. Honesty begins from the general appearance to the way questions are answered during an interview; this will increase the chances of passing an interview. It moves the debate on the direction of personal attributes, which is easier to depict in person than in writing. Problems occur during the development of one's career, these acts as barriers. Some careers are seen to interfere with a person’s beliefs and/or traditions. Clearly, every career has moral principles and tenets which guide behavior. Such were developed after the realization that culture and society dictate what we view as wrong or right. Careers like those in sales, marketing and public relations are viewed to be the worst in terms of ethical reputations. The bottom line is with changes occurring in the labor market, an employee must have the capability to learn new aspects to keep up with the advances in various sectors of this field. This is especially for the development of hard or technical skills. Bibliography Bleetman, J and Webb, L. (2010). “Enhancing Employability through Professional Experience and Personal Development Planning”. The International Journal of Learning, 15(10):191-196. Coetzee, M, and Roythorne-jacobs, H. (2010). Career Counselling and Guidance in the Workplace. Massachusetts: Juta and Company. Kenny, A, English, R, and Kilmartin, D. (2008). “Key Skills: Enhancing Employability within a Lifelong Learning Paradigm”. Centre for Social and Educational Research, 5:32-52. Lytras, D, M., De Pablos, P, O., and Avison, D. (2010). “Technology Enhanced Learning: Quality of Teaching and Educational Reforms”. First International Conference, TECH-EDUCATION Proceedings, 35: 299-1987. Mytum, H. (2011). Global Perspectives on Archeological Field Schools: Constructions of Knowledge and Experience. New York: Springer Publications. O’Donoghue, J., and Weir, D, A. (2008). Enhancing the University Industry Interface. New York: Cengage Learning. Rao, M, S. (2010). Soft Skills Enhancing Employability: Connecting Campus and Corporate. New York: I.K International. Smith, V. (2010). “Enhancing Employability: Human, Cultural and Social Capital in an Era of Turbulent Unpredictability”. Journal of Human Relations, 83(2):279-300. Sulivan, S, E., and Baruch, Y. (2009). Advances in Career Theory and Research: A Critical Review and Agenda for Future Exploration. Journal of Management, 35(6), pp1541-1571 The World Bank. (2010). Higher Education in Regional and City Development. New York: OECD Publishing Read More