What are employability skills?
Employability skills are those that are particularly sought by graduate recruiters as they make for effective employees, with skills useful in any role.
There are several definitions of employability skills, but the CBI have produced a useful list with definitions - see the CBI website: Boosting employability skills| for definitions and a checklist.
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Self-management
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Teamworking
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Business and customer awareness
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Problem solving
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Communication and literacy
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Application of numeracy
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Application of Information technology
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Entrepreneurship
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Underpinning all skills - a positive attitude.
Employability skills at LSE
Most courses at LSE enable you to develop analytical, numerical, IT, problem solving, and written and communication skills, supported by courses at the Teaching and Learning Centre.
LSE 100 is an innovative new course that introduces first year undergraduates to the fundamental elements of thinking like a social scientist by exploring some of the great intellectual debates of our time. Focusing on questions such as 'How should we manage climate change?', 'Does culture matter?' LSE100 students explore the different approaches to evidence, explanation and theory that are used in the different social sciences.
Employability at LSE Careers
All of our services aim to help you develop employability, but there are some particularly useful, practical services where you can gain experience.
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Skills sessions - interactive workshops, written and run by recruiters, focusing on employability skills. See Careers events.
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Volunteering - The Volunteer Centre offer a range of volunteering opportunities for you to get involved in whether you have one hour a week or two days a week to spare. They also advise on volunteering in London and internationally and can help you assess how to make the best use of volunteering opportunities. See Volunteer Centre
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Internships - the Parliamentary internships scheme, offers internships in niche areas for postgraduate students, alllowing you to work in parliament, policy, media policy or CSR for 1.5 days a week during term time.
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Part time work - the My Careers Service online vacancy board is exclusive to LSE and advertises a wealth of part time, vacation and short term positions as well as internships and graduate roles.