TRICIA PHILLIPS

Almost three- quarters of bosses say people skills are the most valuable asset a worker can have.

Research from distance learning specialist Oxford Open Learning Trust looked at the soft skills employers consider important in new staff.

Networking skills was the least popular among business leaders. Dr Nick Smith, courses director and founder of Oxford Open Learning Trust, said: “It’s interesting to see which skills business leaders see as the most valuable for potential employees joining their business to have.

“Hopefully it gives some insight on what to highlight on CVs and application forms. I think interpersonal qualities rate more highly than general business skills as these are things that can’t be taught, and should definitely be mentioned when applying for jobs.”

Top 5 skills that impress: 1. People skills 2. Team working 3. Strong, effective communication 4. Good computer skills 5. Basic maths

A driving licence could be the road to boosting your salary by thousands of pounds, new research reveals.

Nurses with a driver’s licence could earn £6,000 more than their stationary colleagues, while sales advisers could earn an extra £5,153 and customer service assistants £4,910.

Analysis of more than 1.2 million job adverts by Adzuna reveals a huge pay difference between roles that required candidates to have a driver’s licence compared to those that don’t.

Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “While the cost and time commitments involved with learning to drive can be high, it’s a worthwhile investment for many job seekers.”