Free Advice
New Year New Job: Gain Skills Employers Want
With the job market lagging, it’s more important than ever to outshine your competition for jobs. But what do employers really want? Fortunately, many of the skills that employers value highest are soft skills that can be learned and practiced from the following five areas:
1. Verbal and written communication skills
Strong communication skills was listed as the top skill that employers are seeking. Prove that you have strong communication skills in your cover letter, on your resume and in your interview, and you’re more likely to secure a big the job.
2. Strong work ethic
Undoubtedly, employers want to hire individuals that want to do well. Bosses don’t want to spend all of their energy trying to make employees work. Micromanagement is not fun for anyone, and if you can show that you’re self-motivated, goal-oriented, and driven, you are more likely to get hired.
3. Interpersonal skills (relate well to others)
When you join a company, you’ll be interacting with people who are like you, people who aren’t like you, and people who REALLY aren’t like you. Diversity means gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, where you’re from, and even how you think. Recruiting Directors want to hire individuals who can relate well to their coworkers, bosses, and customers. If you have worked in diverse environments, and if you bring a unique perspective, that’s definitely a plus. Since you interact constantly with people at most jobs, show the Recruiting Director that you not only survive, but thrive in diverse, interpersonal environments.
4. Honesty/integrity
In recent years, the news has been swamped with unethical practices that span all industries - business, military, government, entertainment, sports, and even the church. So why do most business men and women still decide to act with honesty and integrity? Because the bottom line is, history has shown that it’s the BEST way to do business. Recruiting Directors know that integrity and character are essential to long-term career success. People often think they need to cheat or cut corners to get ahead, but in the long run, honesty and integrity in yourself and your work WILL pay off.
5. Teamwork skills (work well with others)
Teamwork: it’s essential. You’ll spend more time with your boss and your coworkers than you will with your spouse! You will work with countless people throughout your career, and none of them will have the same communication style and work habits. If you can work well with various personality types, a Recruiting Director will have you onboard in no time.
There is always on the job training, and the soft skills listed above are becoming more and more important in the workplace. Make sure that you practice these skills and emphasize them in your resume and cover letter, and you’ll be well on your way to an offer letter.