Skills and strengths employers want

You will have a better chance of getting a job if you can match your strengths to the skills that employers look for.

Make a note of any skills you're not so good at. This will help you identify areas to develop, especially if jobs you're interested in need that skill.

Skills and strengths

Take a look at 14 skills employers want.

Source: ©Lightcast, skills taken from job adverts between Dec 2024 – Nov 2025

1. Communication skills

Communication skills include speaking, writing, listening and digital communication (how you communicate online). To be good at communicating includes being able to explain things clearly, being able to ask the right questions and being a good listener. Communication is how you interact with other people.

2. Customer Service

Customer service involves how we treat other people that we meet in our workplace. Giving good customer service means being polite, treating others with respect, and doing our best to give a good service. This might mean serving customers in a shop, but could also mean answering emails, giving explanations, or handling goods carefully so they don’t break.

3. Management

Management skills are a combination of skills including problem-solving, the ability to make decisions, being a good communicator, being able to delegate tasks to others, time-management, organisation, and being able to motivate others. Managers usually supervise a team of people. However, management skills can also mean managing a project, or managing your own workload.

4. Paying attention to detail (detail orientated)

Paying attention to detail means that your work should be accurate, and not contain errors or mistakes. This is important for most jobs whether you are typing a document or measuring and cutting wood on a construction site.

5. Sales

Sales skills are often specific to certain jobs. But sales skills are highly valued by employers. Sales skills involve the ability to influence others to buy a service or product, or to take an action.

6. Teaching

Teaching involves the ability to explain and instruct other people so that they learn a task, a concept, or a skill. Teaching is much more than standing in front of a classroom. It might be explaining how to do your job to a new employee. Teaching skills also involve being able to communicate new information in a clear and simple way. It involves mentoring and helping others to learn.

7. Leadership

A good leader can influence, motivate, and guide others. When you have leadership skills you can motivate and guide others towards achieving a goal. Leadership skills are not just for managers. For example, a sports coach may be a leader.

8. Operations

Operations is the ability to keep a business running smoothly. For example, you may be checking you have enough staff, and organising rotas. Or, you may be making sure the business has all the supplies it needs to carry out its activities.

9. Planning

Planning is the ability to think ahead and make decisions about the steps you are going to take in the future. When you plan, you are setting goals, and prioritising what task you will do first, then second, then next. Planning can be how you are going to do a task or activity. Planning could also be how you are going to use time and money in the future.

10. English Language

Many jobs ask for English language skills as essential or desirable. This may mean being able to communicate well with your colleagues or customers in English or be able to write clearly and correctly in English.

11. Problem-solving

Being able to solve a problem is a valuable skill that is asked for in many industries and jobs. It means you are able to work out what is causing a problem in a process or activity and find ways to overcome that problem.

12. Organisational skills

Organisational skills are the ability to arrange and manage your tasks and time to get things done. This could mean that you can fit a part time job around your school or college work. It could mean making a to-do list and following it to achieve everything on the list. Being organised can also mean planning your day and sticking to the plan.

13. Interpersonal communications

Interpersonal communication is the way you share information, feelings and ideas with others. It includes what you say, your tone of voice and your body language. Good interpersonal communication also means listening to what others say and showing that you are paying attention. Interpersonal skills are a part of communication skills that focus on being face-to-face, like having a conversation, giving eye-contact, and listening well.

14. Welsh Language

Some jobs in Wales ask for Welsh as an essential or desirable skill. Welsh language skills can be essential for some jobs in industries including social services and education. Find out more about the benefits of learning Welsh and Welsh language - a valuable skill for work.

Other skills employers want

Other skills employers value include:

Enthusiasm
Self-motivation
Teamwork
Time management
Innovation (thinking of new ways of doing things)

Digital skills

Most jobs involve some use of Information Technology and digital skills. Digital skills you may need in work include:

Using a computer or mobile phone
Searching the internet
Writing and sending emails or messages using social media
Attending online meetings
Using software applications specific to the job
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The demand for digital skills is growing. New technologies are creating new digital jobs, for example 3D Printer and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer.

Job specific skills

Many jobs have skills that are specific to that job. Visit Job Information and type in a job title to find out skills specific to jobs you are interested in.