SKILLS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN
THE PUBLIC SECTOR
TOP12

To help you prepare for a shining
career in the public sector,

To help you prepare for a shining
career in the public sector,
Oxbridge Academyhas put together this list of essential skills
that you’ll need to succeed:

1Excellent organisational skills

Having the ability to work on a range of
different projects at the same time is a very
valuable skill.

Having the ability to work on a range of
different projects at the same time is a very
valuable skill.
Moreover, working in the public sector often
requires you to keep all the admin up-to-
date while properly documenting all tasks.

Communication skills
2

Working in the public sector often means
working with people. Great communication
skills, and conflict resolution skills, are thus
important.

Working in the public sector often means
working with people. Great communication
skills, and conflict resolution skills, are thus
important.
In South Africa, being able to work and
communicate with people from different
backgrounds (often speaking different
languages), is also very important.

Click on the button below to learn more
about effective communication skills:

Knowledge of administrative law
3

Working in the public sector means working
within the bounds of legislation, laws, and
official procedures.

Working in the public sector means working
within the bounds of legislation, laws, and
official procedures.
The more knowledge you have of these, the
easier it will become to secure important
promotions and start building a career.

4
Sturdy leadership skills

Anyone can be a leader, because there is a
type of leadership to fit every personality:

Anyone can be a leader, because there is a
type of leadership to fit every personality:
Charismatic leaders gather followers through their
personality and charm.
Participative leaders lead by involving everyone in decision
making.
Transactional leaders are good at setting out structures,
routines, and rewards for others.
Situational leaders adapt their leadership style to the needs
of the situation.

Why not start developing your leadership
skills?

5 Good teamwork skills

Being a good team member, and getting
along with others, is a highly prized quality.

Being a good team member, and getting
along with others, is a highly prized quality.
And remember: if the team succeeds, you
succeed!

Problem solving skills
6

Work in the public sector is often filled with
frustrating issues that need resolving.

Being able to solve problems in the most
practical, cost-effective manner will get you
noticed quickly.
Work in the public sector is often filled with
frustrating issues that need resolving.

Click on the button below to learn more
about problem solving skills:

Decision-making skills
7

‘Uhm’-ing, and ‘ahh’-ing is bad. Decisive
decision-making is the way to go.

‘Uhm’-ing, and ‘ahh’-ing is bad. Decisive
decision-making is the way to go.
To get ahead in the public sector, confident
and intelligent decision-making is necessary.
People who always try to pass the difficult
decisions on to others will never get ahead.

Management skills
8

Management skills will help you get
promoted internally to managerial positions,
enabling you to build a prestigious career.

Management skills will help you get
promoted internally to managerial positions,
enabling you to build a prestigious career.
Oxbridge Academy offers a range of Public Sector
Management Courses that can help you to
develop these skills:

Management skills will help you get
promoted internally to managerial positions,
enabling you to build a prestigious career.
Oxbridge Academy offers a range of Public Sector
Management Courses that can help you to
develop these skills:
http://oxbridgeacademy.co.za/courses/public-sector/

9 Computer skills

Computer skills for public sector work
includes basic skills like:
Word processing, spreadsheets, internet, & email
And advanced skills like:
Databases, statistics, & management systems.

Computer skills for public sector work
includes basic skills like:
Word processing, spreadsheets, internet, & email
And advanced skills like:
Databases, statistics, & management systems.
The Department of Higher Education and Training listed
computer skills as one of the top scarce skills in the public
sector in 2014.

10Financial knowledge

Irregular and wasteful expenditure is one of
the public sector’s biggest problems.

Irregular and wasteful expenditure is one of
the public sector’s biggest problems.
This is often due to non-financial personnel
who can’t spot irregularities because they
don’t understand financial statements and
jargon. So learn a bit about finances and set
yourself apart!

11Project Management Skills

Gaining project management skills is perfect
for building a career in the public sector.

Gaining project management skills is perfect
for building a career in the public sector.
You will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of program design and planning.
Conduct policy planning.
Understand system analysis and design.
Understand how to implement projects specific to
geographic areas.

Want to learn more about what makes a
successful project manager?

12Innovativeness

Being a go-getter is important. Skills
associated with innovativeness are:

Being a go-getter is important. Skills
associated with innovativeness are:
Entrepreneurship
Creativity
Ability to manage change
Attentiveness to details
Adeptness at framing issues

Part of being innovative also lies in gathering new
skills and using them to the best of your best ability.

Part of being innovative also lies in gathering new
skills and using them to the best of your best ability.
Relevant skills include: Organisational Skills,
Communication Skills, Administrative
Knowledge, Leadership Skills, Teamwork
Skills, Problem Solving, Decision-making,
Management Skills, Computer Skills, or
Financial Knowledge

Oxbridge Academy’s Public Sector Courses are
designed to give students the right skills for building
their careers.

We have a wide range of Public Sector
Management courses, including short courses,
certificate courses, and N4-6 courses

We have a wide range of Public Sector
Management courses, including short courses,
certificate courses, and N4-6 courses
You can click on the button below to see them all, and
find out which range of skills each will teach you:
http://oxbridgeacademy.co.za/courses/public-sector/