Unlocking Your Employability from edX

The future of work is unpredictable, and navigating this disruption effectively matters to everyone in every industry, inlcuding employees, entrepreneurs, and managers.

This course will show you how to take your experiences, extract what you've learnt from them and present them in a way that clearly communicates your potential and enables you to apply them in different contexts - such as being employed within organisations or running your own business.

A degree is necessary to secure a graduate role, but to be effective in any context we can do much more.

You'll hear from:

Employers discussing what they value when hiring new employees.
Entrepreneurs who discuss the attributes that enhance their entrepreneurial pathways.
Current students who have maximised their university experience.
Graduates who have transitioned successfully into the workplace or their own business.
Experts sharing their perspectives on employability.

What you'll learn

On completion of this course, you should be able to:

Prepare for the future of work and rapidly changing circumstances.
Recognise the scope of career pathways and the value of working in a diversity of contexts.
Identify opportunities for employability development throughout your career.
Relate your employability to a range of work contexts, including entrepreneurial endeavours.
Apply self-reflective methods to identify development from experience.
Effectively articulate your unique qualities and capabilities.
Apply techniques to communicate your potential in a range of situations.
Understand how to conduct yourself appropriately in a professional environment.
Recognise your employabilty as a holisitc process that enables you to contribute through work.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Prepare for the future of work and rapidly changing circumstances.
Recognise the scope of career pathways and the value of working in a diversity of contexts.
Identify opportunities for employability development throughout your career.
Relate your employability to a range of work contexts, including entrepreneurial endeavours.
Apply self-reflective methods to identify development from experience.

Effectively articulate your unique qualities and capabilities.
Apply techniques to communicate your potential in a range of situations.
Understand how to conduct yourself appropriately in a professional environment.
Recognise your employabilty as a holisitc process that enables you to contribute through work.

Prepare for the future of work and rapidly changing circumstances.
Recognise the scope of career pathways and the value of working in a diversity of contexts.
Identify opportunities for employability development throughout your career.
Relate your employability to a range of work contexts, including entrepreneurial endeavours.
Apply self-reflective methods to identify development from experience.
Effectively articulate your unique qualities and capabilities.
Apply techniques to communicate your potential in a range of situations.
Understand how to conduct yourself appropriately in a professional environment.
Recognise your employabilty as a holisitc process that enables you to contribute through work.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Sharp focus on employability, providing strategies and tools for career development and success in various work contexts

Emphasizes the importance of reflecting on experiences and articulating unique qualities for effective communication of potential

Instructed by experienced professionals, entrepreneurs, and experts, offering diverse perspectives on employability

Incorporates real-world insights and practical techniques for developing employability skills in different industries

Offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to employability, emphasizing adaptability and lifelong development

Reviews summary

Employer skill communication

According to students, Unlocking Your Employability is best suited for recent graduates and current college students. However, it offers valuable help for more experienced professionals with its focus on reflective exercises that enable you to showcase your own unique skills and why you'd be a valuable asset to a potential employer.

Exercises help you demonstrate your skills and value to employers.

"I learned some insightful techniques to help me reflect on my past work and life experiences, which I can use to convey my skills, values, and capabilities to any new employer."

This course is mostly for recent graduates and undergraduates.

"It started off a little slow and I was skeptical that this course would be good for me because I am not a recent graduate or current college student."

"The course targets recent graduates and college students."

"It's a great course to take if you're attending university."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Unlocking Your Employability with these activities:

Review foundational math skills

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Brushing up on these foundational math skills will help you succeed in this quantitative course.

Browse courses on Math

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Review your notes or textbooks from previous math courses.
Practice solving math problems on websites like Khan Academy.

Form a study group with other students

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Studying with peers will help you understand the course material better and improve your communication skills.

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Reach out to other students in the course and form a study group.
Meet regularly to discuss the course material and work on assignments together.
Provide feedback and support to each other.

Create a mind map of employability key concepts

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Creating a mind map of key employability concepts will help you visualize and understand the relationships between them.

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Brainstorm a list of key employability concepts.
Organize the concepts into a mind map using a tool like MindMeister.
Add examples and connections between the concepts.

Five other activities

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Watch tutorials on LinkedIn Learning

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Watching LinkedIn Learning tutorials will help you develop new skills and knowledge that will enhance your employability.

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Create a free LinkedIn Learning account.
Browse the available courses and select those that are relevant to your career goals.
Watch the tutorials and take notes.

Attend a career counseling workshop

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Attending a career counseling workshop will provide you with valuable insights and strategies for developing your employability.

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Research and find a reputable career counseling workshop.
Attend the workshop and actively participate in the exercises.
Follow up with the career counselor after the workshop to discuss your goals.

Practice answering interview questions

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Practicing answering interview questions will help you build confidence and prepare for job interviews.

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Research common interview questions and prepare your answers.
Practice answering questions out loud in front of a mirror or with a friend.
Get feedback on your answers and make improvements.

Develop a professional resume and cover letter

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Creating a professional resume and cover letter will help you market yourself to potential employers and increase your chances of getting hired.

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Research different resume and cover letter formats.
Tailor your resume and cover letter to each job that you apply for.
Get feedback on your resume and cover letter from a career counselor or trusted friend.

Attend industry events and meetups

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Attending industry events and meetups will help you connect with potential employers and learn about new job opportunities.

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Research industry events and meetups that are relevant to your career goals.
Attend the events and actively participate in the discussions.
Follow up with people that you meet and exchange contact information.

Career center

Learners who complete Unlocking Your Employability will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Talent Acquisition Specialist

Talent Acquisition Specialists often work as recruiters who find and recruit qualified candidates for open positions. Recruiters evaluate whether a possible hire has the necessary qualifications and experience for a position, help candidates progress through the hiring process, and serve as the organization's ambassadors to the professional world. In order to accomplish these tasks, they must continually develop and enhance their own professional networks. The Unlocking Your Employability course helps build a strong foundation for doing just that. This course may be especially useful for those looking to specialize in recruiting for specifically managerial, executive, or other highly skilled roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Talent Acquisition Specialist

Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers, similar to Talent Acquisition Specialists, are highly invested in the development of their organization's human capital. They handle the day-to-day operations and management of employees, which can include developing staff, evaluating and managing performance, and working with managers and employees to ensure compliance with human resources policies and mandates. An understanding of a changing employment landscape and future of work is crucial to their work, and the Unlocking Your Employability course can help Human Resources Managers to stay ahead of the curve.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Manager

Operations Manager

Operations Managers oversee the daily operations of organizations and ensure high-quality levels of service. They often work with other teams to ensure that work is completed to standard and with minimal disruption. They must also work with and manage diverse teams of workers, often in rapidly changing environments. The Unlocking Your Employability course can help Operations Managers to develop strategies that will prepare them for the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager

Project Manager

Project Managers work with diverse teams of workers, and they must ensure that projects are completed to standard and on time. Project Managers need to be well-versed in organizational strategy and procedure, and they need to be able to apply proven organizational methods to successfully manage a project's trajectory. The Unlocking Your Employability course can help Project Managers develop strategies that will prepare them for the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for the advertising and promotion of a company's products or services. They must stay ahead of the curve in order to understand how new technologies and strategies can help to reach a brand's target audience. Marketing Managers need to be able to develop and execute innovative, disruptive marketing campaigns, and the Unlocking Your Employability course can help those in this role to learn how to adapt to and thrive in a constantly changing market.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Sales Manager

Sales Managers help their teams of salespeople to successfully sell a company's products or services. The Unlocking Your Employability course can help them to increase the productivity and sales of their organization by improving their performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Financial Manager

Financial Managers must understand an organization's financial situation, make decisions on how to allocate financial resources, and understand how a business's financial activities are connected to external economic factors. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Financial Managers who are looking to gain an edge by understanding how new technologies and strategies can help them to grow capital.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Manager

Information Technology Manager

Information Technology Managers develop, maintain, and upgrade an organization's computer systems, networks, and databases. The Unlocking Your Employability course can help IT Managers to keep up to date with the latest innovations and strategies in the field so that they can better manage their organization's technology.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Technology Manager

Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts use advanced analytical techniques to help organizations make better decisions. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Operations Research Analysts who are looking to expand the kinds of problems that they can solve.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Research Analyst

Management Analyst

Management Analysts help organizations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Management Analysts who are looking to gain a broader understanding of how organizations function.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Analyst

Business Analyst

Business Analysts work with organizations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Business Analysts who are looking to gain an understanding of how latest trends and new technologies can improve an organization's performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Systems Analyst

Systems Analysts help organizations to design, develop, and implement computer systems. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Systems Analysts who are looking to gain an understanding of how latest trends and new technologies can improve a computer system's performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst

Computer Systems Analyst

Computer Systems Analysts help organizations to design, develop, and implement computer systems. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Computer Systems Analysts who are looking to gain an understanding of how latest trends and new technologies can improve a computer system's performance.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Systems Analyst

Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and test software. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Software Engineers who are looking to gain an understanding of how latest trends and new technologies can improve software systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to help organizations make better decisions. The Unlocking Your Employability course may be useful for Data Analysts who are looking to gain an understanding of how latest trends and new technologies can improve data analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst