Of course, required skills and knowledge
vary from occupation to occupation. Yet, there are certain qualities that
appear high on employers’ priority lists, across multiple occupational fields.
Students may benefit from developing these regardless of their major or
desired career. Here are a few of the qualities that employers seek in job
candidates:
~ Yee Ho
Taking
Responsibility
It’s
not uncommon for students just entering the work world to struggle with
describing their prior responsibilities. Responsibilities both in and out of
the office can be transferrable to your target job. In your resume, be
sure to include any responsibility where you care for or guide others, even if
it is not in the “business” realm--for example, in a babysitting, tutoring or
camp counselor position.
Communication
Skills
Despite
the prevalence of apps and social networking in the digital age, face to face
and written communication skills remain priorities to employers. Some of these
interpersonal communication skills are practiced through working in teams,
customer service, or professional correspondence in business emails and memos.
Leadership
and Being Pro-active
A leadership role in school, clubs, work or
community signals to employers that you can be a self-starter. Related
to leadership, employers prize employees who think about how to improve the
organization or assist their fellow workers. During the interview, you
can show this quality by asking questions about what is needed for their
projects/goals, and suggest what you might contribute.
Problem
Solving
Think
of a time you made a process work more efficiently or helped to identify
alternative solutions to a problem, either at work or for a school project.
Did you troubleshoot a technical issue? Maybe you helped implement an
idea that improved the organization’s products, services or profits.
Include a brief description of this in your resume/cover letter and
during the interview.
Ability
to Work in a Team
Ambition
is generally considered a good trait, but increasingly, employers see the
benefit of employees who look at the organization’s bigger picture over their
own recognition. This includes being pro-active about assisting your
co-workers. It requires a set of interpersonal qualities--patience,
empathy, and understanding others’ work and learning styles. At key moments, it
may also mean putting the organization’s needs before one’s own.
Technical
Knowledge Related to a Job
Whether the job entails proficiency with
spreadsheets, specialized software, coding, CPR certification, or operating
machinery, the more you practice the technical knowledge deemed common in a
career area, the greater the advantage you’ll have over someone who needs to be
trained. If you’ve never had exposure to relevant, essential skills
through employment, build them through classes, workshops or internships that
provide you with guidance.
References:
~ Yee Ho
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