The past week has been filled with exciting and insightful sessions that saw the interns interacting and connecting with distinguished guests on important topics. A mentorship session which was aimed at empowering attendees with knowledge and insights on the acquisition of employability skills, as well as offer pointers on Curriculum Vitae (CV) creation to help them succeed in their personal and professional lives, and respective career fields as well.

Here’s a recap of what ensued on the fourth week of the AKAYA Summer Internship...

The mentorship session took place on Monday, 7th August with Ms. Felicia Opoku-Folitse, Chartered FCIPD, a highly seasoned Human Resources Professional with an extensive experience in various industries, on Employability. This online coaching session was focused on providing insight to help the interns identify their strengths, skills and talents, and how to leverage on them so as to be an attractive employee to any organization that may be of interest as a place of work.

According to Ms. Felicia Opoku Folitse, becoming employable in very crucial in our world of work today and shedding light on how one can put together the skills and talents so as to attract employers is a very necessary part of life. To her, employability skills refer to the skills and attitudes that help an individual get and keep a job. There are several universal employability skills and notable among them are: Good communication skills; Teamwork; Planning and organizational skills; Possessing a growth mindset and being flexible; Technical skills; Being able to multitask in the midst of situations; Cultural sensitivity; Possessing great leadership and decision-making skills and Having the ability to think critically.

Getting to the end of the session, Ms. Felicia Opoku Folitse shared some tips on the creation of a Curriculum Vitae(CV) and here are a few notes:

• At the top corner of your CV, make sure to input your official name (first given name, surname), address, phone number, email address and the link to your LinkedIn profile.

• Include a summary statement that provides an introduction on who you are, your skills and what you can do.

• Follow up with an Education section. As you advance in academia, it is not necessary to include your High School.

• Have a Skills section where you share the skills you have and make sure you tailor these skills to the job you are applying for.

• Include a section detailing your experiences, certifications or any scholarships given. Add your Language Skills, and if you have any publications to your name, include them by titles and links. 

In conclusion, the interns gained valuable insights on identifying their employability skills, and how to build and leverage them for success in their respective fields. Additionally, they learned about the factors to consider when creating a CV for professional opportunities. Ms. Felicia Opoku Folitse’s session provided useful insights on identifying their employability skills and how to build and leverage them for success in their respective fields.

We look forward to what the next week has in store for the interns!

Article written by Benedicta Owusu (Content Writer Intern)