CECE

1 Communication

It seems only too easy to let others know what we need, and negotiate with them. Despite that, this competence is still one of the most important to employers. Why is it so? Because we are not always as good as it is required from us. Communication skills are in fact the most complex "soft" skills.

2 Cooperation

We cannot get on without cooperation anywhere, be it our personal or working lives. Our work tasks are often so demanding or complex that they need the cooperation of whole teams. In the current job market, the competence for cooperation is becoming even more important. It can lead to better quality, time-saving, cost-cutting and efficiency (resources in general), new suggestions, novel solutions and improved competitiveness.

3 Enterpreneurship

The competence for entrepreneurship deals with how to think and create things in order to achieve beneficial results. An enterprise is a source of power and strength. An enterpreneurial individual makes sure his/her ideas are implemented. It is not only about people who have the courage to make it on their own and start a business; it is a valuable commodity for the individual as well as for the company employing him/her.

4 Flexibility

We live in demanding and dynamic times full of changes. Some professions disappear while new ones are being created. If you want to succeed, you have to be flexible. The requirements placed on employees, their skills and responsibilities keep growing. That is how we view flexibility: being effective and flexible in thinking, behaving and in the way you handle everyday tasks and situations both at work and in your personal life.

5 Meeting customers’ needs

Customers are essential to any business, and the same might be said about the whole society. There is a lot of competition all around and customers' satisfaction can have a significant impact on a company's success. Thus the competence for meeting customers' needs is one of the key requirements placed on workers. But we can also make use of it in our personal lives.

6 Efficiency

Efficiency does not just mean deploying standard skills or meeting business requirements; that is taken for granted. True efficiency is based on consistently good results while maintaining motivation. The worker can overcome obstacles and multitask while remaining well-balanced and behaving professionally. He/she can simply do it!

7 Independence

An individual knows his/her strengths and weaknesses. He/she can take responsibility for their actions and work in a planned, straightforward and sustained manner. He/she does not have to be checked frequently. He/she knows how to manage their workload so that jobs are completed on time, without too much stress. He/she can deal with new situations, even if there is no ready-made solution. He/she can get the information necessary to complete the task and searches for various solutions, knowing how to evaluate and implement them.

8 Problem solving

Employers automatically expect that an employee will be able to deal with various problems as they occur. But being competent in problem-solving means being able to recognise, correctly label and classify a problem, and put it into context. It is important to be able to view problems from different angles, to choose the correct approach and implement it. While doing so, it is important to react to changes or stimuli brought on by the problem and the solution. Finally, there is an evaluation of what has happened and what we have learnt not only about the issue, but also about ourselves.

9 Planning and organising one’s work

"Organisation" and "planning" are terms which are naturally and automatically connected with the working process (be it personal or job-related). It will, therefore, come as no surprise that they are frequently mentioned amongst employers' requirements.

10 Lifelong learning

It is no longer true that you learn something at school and then use your skills and knowledge for the rest of your life. The world moves so fast and brings so many changes that we have to learn practically all our lives. The employers of course are well aware of it since it applies to them as well if they want to be successful. A good employee must be able to accept new information, develop, take part in educational programmes, and apply anything useful he/she has learnt in practice.

11 Stress Resiliency

The world around us changes always faster and we have to adapt. There is not much certainty things will stay as they are, and the realisation may cause uneasiness and stress. Stress can have a negative impact on our behaviour and health. It makes us feel worse and less efficient. This competence is perceived as the ability and readiness of an individual to behave well and act appropriately while under stress or in non-standard working conditions.