1 Personal Development – “Getting the most from yourself and others” All employers will want to know that you’re committed to your own self-development. There are many ways to demonstrate this. It might be that you’ve overcome a difficult obstacle or you could have gone out of your way to learn a new skill. What is important is that you have pushed yourself.

2 Communication – “Listening actively as well making yourself heard” Employers look for people who know how to get their point across clearly, articulately and professionally. Just as importantly, you should be a good listener – you’ll take other people’s opinions on board and actively seek out feedback. You’ll also be comfortable in talking to groups. 

3 Creativity and Innovation – “Seeing newer and better ways forward” Successful organisations are fuelled by good ideas. Employers will want to know that you can come up with interesting suggestions and that you’re always looking for better ways of doing things. Good ideas come in all sorts of shapes and sizes – and the best ideas aren’t necessarily the biggest.

4 Teamwork – “Supporting other people to achieve success” The ability to get along with others and to lead a team to success is vital to any organisation. This means that you need to be able to demonstrate that you’re a natural team player and that you can adapt your style to accommodate others if you need to.

5 Professionalism – “Taking pride in everything you do” Employers will expect you to be committed to delivering the best standards, adopting the right procedures and maintaining the highest levels of confidentiality. This means staying motivated and for all talks and upholding complete professionalism, even in conflicts or difficult conversations.

6 Organisational skills – “Juggling priorities and preparing for the unexpected” In most roles, you’ll be expected to take responsibility for your own workload. Employers will want to know how you manage your course work and used your initiative to deal with the unexpected.

7 Flexibility – “Being adaptable” As an employee, it is vital that you keep pace with a constantly evolving workplace. You’ll need to show that you respond to change positively and can adapt quickly without compromising standards.

8 Commercial awareness – “Knowing how to add value” Whatever sector you want to work in, it’s important that you understand how it operates and the different issues that affect it. Look also at the skills sought by employers in your sector and think about how you will show that you can apply them to add value to their organisation.

9 Problem solving/analysing – “Looking at issues from a different angle” In the world of work, things don’t always go according to plan. That is why employers need to know that you can analyse information, identify any potential issues and come up with effective solutions.

10 Initiative – “Thinking ahead and on your feet” In any job, you’ll need to be able to take the initiative. Although it’s important that you follow the right rules and regulations, you should also be confident when it comes to suggesting new or different ways of doing things, or anticipating problems or issues before they arise