Values & Employability Tips for after CHS
In today’s competitive job market, good grades are no longer enough to make the best candidates stand out from the crowd. Employers are looking for a range of skills and attributes beyond A*s. They need effective communicators and collaborators, with confidence and high self-esteem, who think flexibly and have confidence to fail, learn and try again – the kind of character that develops from a values-based education.Â
PwC uses a framework of five attributes to help people “bring their best self to work and to inspire their colleagues and clients to do the same.” Whole Leadership, Relationships, Business Acumen, Technical Capabilities and Global Acumen are looked for in each job applicant.
They say: “We need you to lead yourself and others, regardless of your grade, by making a real difference in the work you do. This means delivering results in a responsible, authentic, resilient, inclusive and passionate way. In a continually complex and changing world, you’ll need to operate and collaborate effectively, with a mind-set that transcends geographic and cultural boundaries. You must be skilled at building relationships of high value which are genuine and rooted in trust.“
TeachFirst, uses a values-based framework to define how they work and what they look for in their employees. The Waconian values of integrity and resilience are part of this framework, alongside humility, respect and empathy.
“You will need to be hungry for a challenge,” says TeachFirst, “using patience and endless energy to persevere through the difficult times. When faced with obstacles you will need to be tenacious and versatile and maintain a positive mindset. As a Teach First participant you will be working with a variety of stakeholders – from pupils to parents, teachers to peers. We look for those that can build relationships quickly, giving value and respect to others to get the best out of them.”
Integrity is important in Deloitte‘s values too, shared across all their member firms together with a strength from cultural diversity and a commitment to each other. They say: “We believe that nothing is more important than our reputation, and behaving with the highest levels of integrity is fundamental to who we are. We demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable, responsible business practices.“
The BBC says: “We don’t focus simply on what we do – we also care about how we do it. We have six values which people across the BBC share. They represent six expectations we have for ourselves and each other, they guide our day-to-day decisions and the way we behave.” These include trust, pride, creativity and respect.
If you’re a pupil or Old Wac looking to gain some employability skills or experience within a specific sector or field, then we can help! Visit our Careers page or sign up to CHS Community to learn about our Future Self programme and gain access to a wide range of advice and guidance about future careers.