The Top 3 Most Valued
Job Skills
Looking to land
your dream job? Before you can truly interview well, you have to understand
what hiring managers are looking for and how that aligns with your job skills
and experience.
After all, when
they ask you about your strengths or fit, you want to wow them by describing
the strengths that they most want and need in a candidate.
Every job
requires different technical knowledge and abilities, but beyond that, there
is a set of essential job skills and competencies that will increase your value with
just about any employer.
Most Valued Job
Skills 1 – 3
1. Communication Skills
Employers want
to hire people who are able to communicate effectively with those inside
and outside of the organization.
The
communication skills category includes both verbal and written communication
skills. That means being able to get your point across in discussions both
in-person and virtual.
It’s not enough
to be well-spoken. Writing skills are now critical for almost every job because
email has become such an important means of communication (and an email is
often your first or only impression on a colleague, client, or partner).
In most roles,
you must be able to tailor your communications for different audiences. You
have to be able to provide the big picture to senior executives and then get
down into the detailed instructions for the technical experts. You may be
writing directly to customers while simultaneously speaking the right lingo
with your coworkers in different departments.
As an employee,
you may also be called upon to write reports, newsletters, blog posts and
articles, summations, employee reviews, and more. Without adequate (or stellar)
written communication skills, your career could suffer.
Effective
communication may be one of your strengths if you:
- · Served as the spokesperson for your group in college classes (and got A’s on all of your papers)
- · Shine when making presentations at work
- · Receive positive feedback on written reports
- · Handle unhappy customers (or colleagues) with ease
- · Facilitate discussions and bring people to agreement
- · Be sure to mention examples like this on your resume and in your interview as they serve as indicators that you are, in fact, an outstanding communicator.
2. Teamwork/Ability to Work
Collaboratively
According to the
National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2015 Survey “the
ability to work in a team structure” tied with leadership skills as the #1
most attractive job skill for prospective employers, with 77.8% seeking both of
these qualities.
Yes, calling
yourself a “team player” is a big cliche, but it has become a big cliche
or a reason. Hiring managers want to hear that you can get along with others in
a professional setting.
Working well as
a member of a team requires a combination of qualities — communication skills
(see above), being open to collaboration, a generally positive attitude, and
the ability
What Makes a
Good Team Player?
Here are a few
qualities that make someone easy to work with as a member of a group:
- · Focus on results, not who gets credit
- · Ability to listen
- · Respect for all group members
- · Appreciation of the perspectives of others
- · Communication skills (see above)
- · Ability to take constructive feedback
- · Reliability and work ethic
- · Teamwork may be one of your strengths if:
- · Coworkers are constantly asking to run ideas by you
- · People frequently ask you to join their projects
- · You’re often invited to lunch with coworkers to talk shop
- · You are regularly called upon to provide an objective opinion or mediate disagreements
- · You can find a way to connect with just about anybody
- · Sample Teamwork Interview Questions:
- · Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team.
- · Tell me about a time you had to work with a difficult person.
- · Share an example of a group you’ve worked well with (or not so well with).
- · Have you ever had a conflict with a coworker?
- · Tell me about constructive feedback you’ve received.
3. Initiative
Employers
consistently rank initiative as highly important across roles and industries,
making it a key quality to demonstrate if you want to get hired.
Employers want
self-starters who are constantly looking for ways to contribute instead of
sitting around waiting for assignments. The goal is to have employees who
proactively seek out ways to propel the business forward.
Many employers
also see initiative as the ability to take ideas and run with them, to persist
in the face of difficulty and inertia, and see a project through to completion.
Initiative may
be one of your strengths if you:
- · Prefer to start projects early to ensure you’ll have time to do a fantastic job
- · Seek out new assignments, especially those outside your comfort zone
- · Never say, “That’s not my job.”
- · Rarely say, “What else do you need me to do?”
- · Are known as someone who gets things done, even in the face of obstacles
- · Volunteer for committees or special projects
- · Look for training opportunities to help you contribute more
- · Read up on industry trends in your spare time
- · Sample Initiative Interview Questions:
- · “Tell me about a time when you took the initiative on a project without being asked.”
- · “Tell me about a time you improved a process or procedure at work.”
- · “Give me an example of a time you went above and beyond your job description.”
- · “Describe a major obstacle that you had to overcome.”
- · “What is your greatest accomplishment?”
Visit us on: www.brios.co.in / www.hiringlink.in
Comments
Post a Comment