Six Skills Employers Value and How to Develop Them Before You Graduate

For many young people, university is an opportunity to acquire knowledge, develop interests, and prepare for a professional career. Yet as graduation approaches, an important question often emerges: how well does what we learn in school prepare us for the expectations of the workplace?

Employers are increasingly looking for graduates who can apply their knowledge to practical situations, communicate effectively, collaborate with colleagues, and respond to unfamiliar challenges. While academic qualifications help demonstrate subject knowledge, they do not always provide a complete picture of someone's readiness to work.

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which draws on responses from more than 1,000 employers globally, identifies analytical thinking as one of the most sought-after workplace skills, with 69% of employers considering it essential. Resilience, flexibility, and agility follow closely at 67%. The report also estimates that 39% of workers' existing skills will change or become outdated between 2025 and 2030, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and adaptability.

For young people preparing to enter the workforce, these findings are particularly relevant. Technical knowledge and qualifications will continue to matter, but employers also need people who can work through problems, learn independently, and contribute effectively within teams.

At Impact Axis, we refer to many of these capabilities as durable skills because they remain useful across different professions, industries, and stages of a career. They also provide a foundation for navigating a world of work where technologies, business models, and professional expectations are constantly evolving.

The encouraging part is that young people do not have to wait until they secure their first job to develop them. University assignments, student associations, volunteering, community projects, internships, and everyday interactions can all provide opportunities to practise and demonstrate these skills.

Here are six worth paying particular attention to.

1. Communication: Making your ideas clear and useful to others

Communication is one of the most frequently mentioned skills in job descriptions, yet its importance is often underestimated. Many people associate good communication with public speaking or the ability to express themselves confidently. In professional settings, however, communication also involves listening carefully, organising information, asking useful questions, and ensuring that others understand what needs to happen.

Consider a new employee responsible for updating their supervisor on a project. They could send a long message describing every activity completed during the week, leaving their supervisor to determine what matters. Alternatively, they could provide a concise update explaining what has been achieved, what challenges have emerged, and where support or a decision is needed. Both approaches share information, but the second makes it considerably easier for someone else to act.

The same principle applies to interviews, presentations, meetings, and professional relationships. Being able to communicate clearly helps people exchange ideas, manage expectations, and build trust with colleagues and clients.

How to develop it: Start with the opportunities already available to you. When completing an assignment, challenge yourself to explain the main ideas to someone unfamiliar with the subject. Practise writing concise emails, participate in presentations, and ask for feedback on whether your message was clear. If you belong to a student association, volunteer to write meeting summaries or communicate updates to members.

Over time, keep examples of your written or spoken work. A well-prepared project report, presentation, or published article can help demonstrate your communication skills when applying for internships and jobs.

2. Critical thinking: Learning to question, analyse, and make informed decisions

We live in a time when information is easier to access than ever before. Search engines, social media, and artificial intelligence tools can provide answers to complex questions within seconds. However, having access to information does not necessarily mean knowing how to evaluate or use it.

Critical thinking involves examining information carefully, questioning assumptions, considering different perspectives, and drawing conclusions based on available evidence. In the workplace, it helps people make decisions without accepting every claim or proposed solution at face value.

Imagine joining an organisation that wants to launch a new service because a competitor has introduced something similar. Someone demonstrating critical thinking might ask whether customers actually need the service, what evidence supports the investment, and whether there are more effective ways to achieve the organisation's objectives.

These questions can help a team avoid costly assumptions and make more informed decisions.

Critical thinking is equally valuable outside formal employment. Young entrepreneurs need it when assessing business opportunities, while students use it when conducting research, evaluating sources, and developing arguments.

How to develop it: Make a habit of examining claims that you encounter in news articles, social media posts, and academic discussions. When you see a statistic about employment, education, or the economy, try to identify its original source and understand how the information was collected.

You can also strengthen this skill by participating in debates, analysing case studies, and discussing complex issues with people who hold different perspectives. When applying for opportunities, consider sharing an example of a situation where you examined evidence, reconsidered an assumption, or made a decision after comparing different options.

3. Problem-solving: Turning challenges into practical solutions

Workplaces rarely operate exactly as planned. Projects encounter delays, customers experience difficulties, resources become limited, and unexpected situations require people to make decisions.

This is why employers value individuals who can recognise problems, investigate their causes, and contribute practical solutions.

Problem-solving does not always involve addressing large or complicated challenges. Sometimes it means improving a routine process, finding a more efficient way to complete a task, or identifying why something is not working as expected.

A student association, for example, might struggle with declining attendance at its events. Rather than organising more activities immediately, its leadership could begin by speaking with members to understand why participation has decreased. Perhaps events are scheduled at inconvenient times, the activities no longer reflect members' interests, or communication about upcoming events is ineffective.

By understanding the underlying problem, the association can test changes that respond to the actual reasons behind low participation.

This process of identifying a challenge, gathering information, considering alternatives, and testing possible solutions is valuable across almost every profession.

How to develop it: Look for a problem in your immediate environment that you could help address. It could involve improving communication within a student group, helping a small business organise its customer records, or developing a simpler way to coordinate a community activity.

Start by defining the problem clearly, identifying possible causes, and testing a manageable solution. Pay attention to what happens afterwards, including what worked and what you would change.

These experiences can also become useful examples during job interviews. Employers often ask candidates to describe situations where they solved a problem or overcame a challenge. Having an example drawn from your own initiative gives you something concrete to discuss.

4. Collaboration: Working effectively with people who think and work differently

Most professional achievements involve some degree of collaboration. Whether you work in a hospital, technology company, nonprofit organisation, or small business, you will likely need to coordinate with people who bring different experiences, responsibilities, and perspectives.

Effective collaboration requires more than being friendly or enjoying group activities. It involves listening to others, managing disagreements respectfully, sharing responsibilities, meeting commitments, and recognising how your work affects the people around you.

University group assignments provide a familiar example. In many cases, some students take on most of the work while others contribute very little. The assignment may eventually be submitted, but the process often creates frustration and affects the quality of the experience.

In professional environments, similar challenges can have more serious consequences. A missed deadline may delay another team's work, while poor communication can create misunderstandings that affect an entire project.

Learning how to collaborate therefore involves developing both interpersonal skills and a sense of responsibility toward shared outcomes.

How to develop it: Take group assignments and collaborative activities seriously, even when they are unrelated to your intended career. Volunteer for responsibilities that push you beyond your usual preferences. If you frequently lead presentations, try coordinating a project or facilitating a meeting. If you tend to work independently, seek opportunities to contribute within a team.

Pay attention to how you manage disagreements, respond to feedback, and support colleagues who may be struggling. You can also ask teammates, lecturers, or supervisors to provide feedback on your contributions.

When preparing job applications, think about a situation where you worked with others to achieve a shared objective. Explain your role, how the team navigated any challenges, and what the experience taught you about working with different people.

5. Self-leadership: Taking responsibility for your own growth and performance

Entering the workforce often requires a significant adjustment in how people manage their responsibilities. In school, assignments typically come with clear instructions, deadlines, and grading systems. In many professional environments, individuals are expected to organise their work, identify priorities, and take initiative without constant supervision.

Self-leadership describes the ability to manage yourself effectively, including your time, behaviour, motivation, and professional development.

An employee who demonstrates self-leadership can recognise when they need additional information, seek feedback, take responsibility for mistakes, and identify opportunities to improve their performance. They are also willing to learn beyond the immediate requirements of their role.

For young people, developing these habits before graduation can make the transition into professional life considerably easier.

Consider two students interested in careers that require strong data analysis skills. One waits until a future employer provides formal training, while the other begins learning spreadsheet tools independently and applies those skills to managing a student organisation's budget. By graduation, the second student has gained both practical experience and evidence of their willingness to learn.

Self-leadership is particularly valuable for people pursuing entrepreneurship, freelancing, or remote work, where progress often depends on the ability to structure activities and remain accountable without direct supervision.

How to develop it: Set a personal learning goal that is independent of your academic requirements. You might decide to complete a short course, improve your writing, learn a digital tool, or read regularly about an industry that interests you.

Create a realistic plan for the next four weeks and monitor your progress. At the end of the period, reflect on what helped you remain consistent, what interrupted your efforts, and how you could improve your approach.

These experiences can also demonstrate initiative during an interview, particularly when you can explain how you applied what you learned.

6. Adaptability: Remaining effective in a changing world of work

The world of work is changing rapidly, influenced by technological advances, economic developments, shifting business priorities, and new ways of organising work.

Artificial intelligence is already affecting how organisations conduct research, communicate with customers, analyse information, and manage routine processes. At the same time, emerging industries are creating new roles while changing the skills required in existing professions.

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies resilience, flexibility, and agility among the most important capabilities employers expect workers to possess. Their reported importance increased by 17 percentage points compared with the previous edition of the report.

For young people entering the workforce, adaptability means being willing to learn new skills, adjust to changing circumstances, and remain effective when familiar approaches are no longer sufficient.

Imagine joining an organisation that introduces a new digital project management system. An adaptable employee takes time to understand how the tool works, asks questions where necessary, and adjusts their workflow. They may initially find the change uncomfortable, but they recognise that learning to use the system is part of remaining effective in their role.

Adaptability also involves responding constructively when plans do not work as expected. A student who misses out on an internship, for example, might use the experience to improve their application materials, seek feedback, or explore alternative ways to gain relevant experience.

How to develop it: Regularly expose yourself to unfamiliar tools, responsibilities, and learning experiences. You could explore a spreadsheet application, experiment with an AI assistant, learn to use a project management platform, or take on a role in a student organisation that differs from your usual responsibilities.

Try applying what you learn to a real task rather than stopping at tutorials. Reflect on challenges you encounter and how you respond to them, as these experiences can provide useful examples of adaptability when discussing your strengths with employers.

Developing skills is important, but knowing how to demonstrate them matters too

One challenge young people encounter during recruitment is translating their experiences into evidence of professional capability.

Job descriptions frequently mention communication, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Candidates often respond by listing these skills on their CVs, even when they have limited examples to demonstrate them.

However, employers are usually more interested in understanding how a candidate has applied a skill than simply seeing it listed among their strengths.

For instance, someone who coordinated a university event can demonstrate communication, collaboration, planning, and problem-solving through that experience. A student who helped a local business improve its social media presence may have evidence of initiative, creativity, and the ability to respond to feedback.

These experiences do not necessarily need to come from formal employment.

Student associations, volunteering, community projects, independent learning, internships, and small entrepreneurial activities can all provide opportunities to develop relevant skills while creating examples that strengthen future applications.

The key is to approach these experiences intentionally. Pay attention to your responsibilities, document what you contribute, and reflect on the results.

When preparing for interviews, practise explaining what the situation required, what actions you took, and what changed as a result. This allows employers to better understand how your skills might translate into their workplace.

Why professional networks and mentorship matter

Although developing durable skills can improve a young person's readiness for work, navigating the labour market also requires access to reliable information and guidance.

Many students have limited opportunities to interact with professionals working in the fields they hope to enter. As a result, they may have unrealistic expectations about entry-level roles, insufficient information about recruitment processes, or little understanding of the different pathways available within an industry.

Mentorship can help address some of these gaps.

Research involving more than 1,100 vocational students in Uganda found that participants who were connected with mentors were 27% more likely to be employed three months after graduation and earned 18% more after one year. An important finding was that mentors helped students develop more realistic expectations about entry-level employment, including the wages and opportunities available to them.

Access to this kind of information can help young people make better decisions about their careers, particularly when they are navigating an unfamiliar job market.

For students preparing to graduate, building professional relationships does not have to begin with a formal mentorship programme. Reaching out to alumni, attending industry events, participating in professional communities, and having conversations with people a few years ahead in their careers can offer valuable insights.

Rather than focusing exclusively on how someone secured their current position, it can be useful to ask about the early stages of their career, the skills they found most valuable, the challenges they encountered, and what they would recommend to someone entering the field today.

These conversations can provide a clearer picture of what employers expect and help young people identify practical steps they can take while still studying.

Preparing for work in the Cameroonian context

For young Cameroonians, developing durable skills is especially relevant because professional pathways are often less predictable than the traditional progression from education into formal employment.

According to the National Institute of Statistics' 2021 employment survey, approximately 86.6% of jobs in Cameroon are in the informal sector. This means many young people will navigate careers that involve different combinations of paid employment, self-employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship, and other income-generating activities.

The skills required to succeed across these pathways often overlap.

An entrepreneur needs communication skills to engage customers and negotiate with suppliers. A freelancer relies on self-leadership to organise tasks and manage deadlines. Someone working in a growing business needs to collaborate with colleagues and adapt to changing priorities, while problem-solving and critical thinking remain useful across all these situations.

At the same time, skills development must be connected to broader efforts to improve young people's access to employment opportunities, professional networks, practical experience, and information about the labour market.

This is central to our approach at Impact Axis, where we work to support young Cameroonians in moving from education into meaningful and dignified opportunities.

Through the Goodwill Fellowship and our experiential Skills & Employability workshops, participants engage in practical activities designed to strengthen durable skills, build confidence, and connect learning to situations they may encounter in their personal and professional lives. Mentorship, peer learning, and opportunities to build professional relationships are also important components of these experiences.

Start developing your skills before you need them

Graduation can feel like the point at which career preparation becomes urgent, but many of the skills employers value take time and repeated practice to develop. Students who begin building these capabilities early have more opportunities to experiment, learn from mistakes, and discover where they need additional support.

A useful starting point is to identify one skill you would like to improve over the next month. Consider the opportunities available within your current environment and choose an activity that allows you to practise consistently.

If communication is a challenge, volunteer to present a group assignment or write a short article. If you want to improve your problem-solving abilities, identify a practical issue within your community and work toward a solution. If self-leadership is an area for growth, commit to completing an independent learning project and track your progress.

As you gain experience, document what you have learned and how you applied it. Over time, these activities can strengthen both your capabilities and your confidence in explaining them to potential employers.

The transition from education into meaningful work remains challenging for many young people, particularly in labour markets where opportunities are limited. While developing durable skills cannot remove every barrier, it can help young people become better prepared to navigate different career pathways and make the most of opportunities when they arise.

Explore the Goodwill Fellowship and Impact Axis programmes to learn mIore about opportunities to develop practical skills, access mentorship, and connect with other young people preparing for the world of work.

Sources

• World Economic Forum. The Future of Jobs Report 2025. January 2025.
• Alfonsi, L., et al. Meet Your Future: Experimental Evidence on the Labor Market Effects of Mentors. J-PAL / IZA, 2022–2024.
• Institut National de la Statistique (INS). Third Employment and Informal Sector Survey (EESI3), 2021.