Applying for jobs

Recruiters are struggling to find candidates with the right skills despite the large number of applications for each job. Discover what skills employers are looking for and how you can sell them on your CV

Your degree will have provided you with subject-specific and transferable skills. It's important to be able to reflect on what they are, and where you gained them.

Where are the skills shortages?

According to ManpowerGroup's 2025 Talent Shortage Survey, 76% of UK employers report difficulty recruiting skilled talent.

Globally, the situation remains challenging, with 77% of employers worldwide facing recruitment difficulties.

The top five in-demand skills in the UK in 2025 are:

• IT and data
• operations and logistics
• engineering
• sales and marketing
• front office and customer-facing.

The most sought-after transferable skills are:

• reliability and self-discipline
• resilience and adaptability
• critical thinking and analysis
• creativity and originality
• reasoning and problem solving.