WeeklySA_AdminCOOPERATIVE: Thinking out of the box can take you places
By Victor Mecoamere
Apart from qualifications, job-seeking youngsters should be dependable, easy to get along with,and be open to learning new things, according to career-guidance portal Youth Central.
Youth Central believes that these personal attributes form the foundation of the common skills one may need to thrive in any workplace. The portal also says an ambitious youth ought to have competencies in areas including communication, teamwork, problem solving, initiative and enterprise (also described as creativity), planning and organising, self-management, learning (or a preparedness for, or being open to learning new things), and technology. According to Youth Central, communication means being clear about what you mean and what you want to achieve when you talk or write.
And that this involves listening and being able to understand where someone else is coming from. Regarding teamwork, young people are encouraged to work had at getting along with the people one may be working with, especially when this involves working together to achieve a shared goal.
Problem solving means finding solutions whenever one is faced with difficulties or setbacks, and it involves being able to use a logical process to figure things out Initiative and enterprise, or being creative, often involves looking for things that need to be done and doing these without being asked; which can also involve thinking creatively to make improvements to the way things ought to be done. This is also described in other quarters as “thinking out of the box”. Planning and organising feature working out what one may need to do something, and how one would do such a thing; and this also involves aspects including the development of project timelines, and striving to meet these set deadlines. In terms of self-management, one out to be able to do his or her job without someone having to check up on them, all the time, setting and meeting one’s own deadlines, also being able to delegate tasks to other people to ensure that things are done timeously.
Learning or the preparedness to learn something new or being open to learning new things, is about being keen to understand new things and grasping these, quickly; as well as taking on new tasks and being able to adapt to change. Technology skills mean being able to use a computer for word processing, using spreadsheets and sending emails, or knowing how to use office equipment, such as a photocopier. These skills also involve being adept at using social media, working with design or video editing software or knowing programming languages. Other technology skills could relate to knowing how to use a cash register, a camera or a recording studio.
