Top Skills Employers Actually Want (and Where to Build Them)
2026 | Raleigh International | 10 min read
When you’re applying for jobs, employers aren’t just looking at degrees. They’re interested in mindset, in skills, in experience that goes beyond the classroom.
According to a UK 2026 analysis of 18,000 job adverts the most in demand skills for new employees are:
- Leadership
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Resilience
”These days people fall under this misnomer that you go to university and then you’re educated and then the world’s your oyster. It’s not like that at all. In the modern economy you’re learning every single day of your life. You’ve got to have that mental aptitude, that alertness and curiosity to be learning all your life… And you generally find that Raleigh people have that curiosity about the world and about life
Jeremy Fish, CEO at HAERaleigh Indonesia, 1987
Collaboration
On a Raleigh Expedition, you’ll camp, cook and collaborate with people you’ve only just met – all day, every day. That’s a big step up from a uni project – and employers know it.
You’ll work alongside Venturers from all over the world and connect with communities whose experiences look nothing like yours. You’ll learn to listen properly, communicate clearly, to build trust by showing up consistently – all while navigating language barriers and cultural differences.
By the time you’re home, you’ll be proficient in:
- Active listening
- Clear communication
- Trust building
- Shared accountability
- Conflict resolution
- Cultural intelligence
And you’ll have learned more about how you actually work with people than most learn in a decade.
”I have had the most fantastic time. Learnt more useful information in the last 10 weeks than in my entire school experience, especially about myself, how I operate in a team and how I go about cooperating with others
TobyBorneo Venturer 2025
GRIT & RESILIENCE
A 205km trek through the Drakensberg. A river crossing in Costa Rica at dawn with a full pack. A build on project that isn’t going to plan and no one’s coming to fix it for you. These aren’t challenges manufactured for the sake of it. They’re designed so you can prove what you’re capable of.
You’ll try. You’ll fail. You’ll try again. You’ll get knocked down, but it’s the getting back up that shows what you’re made of. Grow your grit and strengthen your adaptability, moving from strength to strength at every phase of Expedition.
Did you know? The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report found resilience and adaptability are now the biggest differentiators between growing and declining job roles. Graduates who respond well to failure and pressure – it concludes – are considerably more likely to succeed in fast-moving environments.
Read More About Grit and Resilience”“[I] prove[d] myself to be capable of anything after completing the Adventure Leadership Trek
BentheCosta Rica Venturer, 2024
LEADERSHIP
Leadership is built into every phase of the Raleigh experience, but it’s really put to the test on Trek through the Day Leader role. Each day, one Venturer is responsible for:
- Navigation,
- Group welfare
- Briefing the team
- Running the debrief at the End of the Day
The Day Leader will keep up morale when the going gets tough, delegate roles (not taking everything on their own shoulders) and they’ll carve out a path, when the way forward isn’t always clear. By the end of the route, everyone has led the team, and everyone gets to see the real, tangible outcomes their leadership creates.
Read More About Leadership”"On trek, you take turns to be day leader. It's pretty indescribable, that feeling at the end of the day when everyone's achieved something and you had a role to play in that."
FreddyBorneo Venturer 2025
EMPLOYABILITY & RALEIGH
Raleigh doesn’t just build the skills section on your CV. We help Venturers find real, meaningful opportunities with some of the UK’s biggest employers.
Through the Alumni Job Board, Venturers can discover roles with a range of Raleigh partner organisations – companies who specifically value what an Expedition gives you. From global manufacturers to conservation organisations, construction and infrastructure businesses to financial services firms – there’s some incredible jobs waiting for you.
”At JCB, we believe that outstanding people are shaped by outstanding experiences. Raleigh International alumni have demonstrated courage, determination and a commitment to making a positive impact through challenging expeditions and community projects around the world. These experiences cultivate the teamwork, leadership, resilience and adaptability that are highly valued across our business.
As a global manufacturer operating in dynamic and demanding environments, we seek individuals who are proactive, solution-focused and ready to make a difference.
JCBRaleigh Job Board Partner
About the author
RACHEL SILCOCK | Digital Marketing Assistant | Raleigh International
Rachel is the Digital Marketing Assistant for Raleigh International. She’s a huge advocate for the transformational nature of adventure, and when she’s not working you’ll likely find her in the great outdoors, either running, thru-hiking or crewing for hot air balloons.
