Employability is relatively easy to define – it refers to the sum of all your knowledge, skills and personal qualities, drawn from your study, student jobs and leisure activities, which will make you attractive to employers.

We all have strengths and weaknesses; some knowledge, skills and personal qualities can be improved and developed, while in others you will have achieved as much as you can.

To improve your employability you need to know about:

• what employers really want  - the fundamentals of graduate jobs and the competencies which employers expect you to have - you have to know what employers are looking for;

• understanding the framework for developing employability  - the framework of how your time in University can be used to develop your employability;

• appreciating the processes through which you can improve and develop, by using materials on the University’s Learning and Professional Development website;

• how to identify opportunities for improvement;

• Swansea University Societies – this page gives links to all of the University’s student organisations which make available many activities, clubs, societies and sports opportunities, and to local community opportunities, thus providing excellent opportunities for personal and skills development.

•   Learning and Leisure Activity   - a practical handout which you can use to develop your skills and qualities from any and all leisure time activities;

• finding student jobs – see the Jobs section of our website for informatio on term-time and vacation jobs locally, throughout UK and overseas;

• Getting the most from your student job - a working document which you can download and which allows a you to learn about work and yourself from even the most menial of tasks.

Graduates:  additional ways of improving your employability:

• Your employer’s staff development and training provision;
• Evening and weekend courses through local colleges and universities;
• Distance or e-learning courses offered by traditional educational establishments, or by Web providers;
• Voluntary work and work shadowing, both available in all career areas;
• Being active in your local community – eg supporting a local charity or becoming a Community Councillor