BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS — The skills gap in the Caribbean has presented a consistent challenge for employability, as noted by organizations such as the University of the West Indies (UWI), the World Bank, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and several others.
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While technical and vocational training and formal education have encompassed a large portion of that, a significant challenge has also been soft skills, or the kind of skills that are not often formally taught in a classroom.
Employers have often complained not only that they struggle to find adequately skilled job candidates, but that many apparently lack the soft skills they deem necessary.
Based on our own in-house experience and regional research, Caribbean Employment has narrowed down the top three most desirable soft skills employers are looking for.
Which soft skills do employers look for the most?
According to our experience and research from international and regional organizations, the three soft skills employers want the most in a Caribbean workforce are:
1. Critical thinking
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Critical thinking refers to how you process information and understand something. Strong critical thinking skills are necessary for leaders or people who will take leadership positions in a company, such as managers or executives.
Strong critical thinking skills show you can be innovative and come up with new ideas or options that others may not have thought about. It shows your ability to think outside the box and think about information you are given in an in-depth way.
Critical thinking examples:
- Being able to understand something difficult but explain it to others in a simple way.
- Being able to apply sound judgement and make a decision when presented with a lot of different information.
2. Problem solving
Problem solving is similar to critical thinking, but is more about your ability to directly come up with solutions to problems you are presented with.
In some industries, such as hospitality or tourism, it’s important for you to be able to come up with solutions at a moment’s notice as unexpected events can happen suddenly.
Problem solving examples:
- Being able to resolve a customer’s problem in a timely manner.
- Coming up with a new way to effectively manage a company’s budget.
3. Socio-emotional skills
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Socio-emotional skills are perhaps one of the biggest and most difficult soft skills to tackle.
It refers to your ability to communicate effectively and work with others to resolve conflicts and be a team player.
Socio-emotional skills examples:
- Active listening — being able to listen to and understand what others are saying.
- Empathy — being able to sympathize with someone else’s experience.
- Collaboration — being able to effectively work with others to achieve a common goal.
According to our research, these are the three soft skills that make jobseekers most employable to companies. Caribbean jobseekers should therefore focus on emphasizing these skills on their resumes.
You can do this by adding a section that highlights your key skills and achievements, such as professional certifications, software or hardware you are proficient in using (e.g. Microsoft Office, etc.)
If you’re uncertain, you can also enlist the help of professional resume writers or career coaches. Some of these services can be provided locally through employment groups or even government initiatives.
Or, you can use an online service like The Career Doc, which is based in the Caribbean but operates completely digitally to offer Caribbean jobseekers the most convenient professional assistance.
Find the latest jobs in the Caribbean via Caribbean Employment Services Inc.
