Desirable Skills for Desirable Candidates

Cooperation

Unless you are completely self-employed, being able to work alongside others is an important part of every job.

Whether it’s managing others, co-working on projects, or dealing with management and bosses, you’ll need to be good at working as a team to achieve your dream career!

Some ways you can highlight how you’re a team player include:

• Examples of effective listening
• A proven track-record of being reliable
• A willingness to help others

Analytical Reasoning

Having a good analytical mind means you are a) great at spotting problems, and b) great at solving them too!

When talking to interviewers, it’s always a good idea to have an answer ready for the question “tell me about a difficult situation you had at work and how you resolved it”.

It’s not just whether the problem got solved that’s important — it’s your thought process along the way. Were you able to recognize the issue for what it was, and make a plan to find and then apply a solution?

Some ways you can highlight how you’re an amazing analyst include:

• Being able to explain conflicts clearly
• Explaining your methodology for finding solutions
• Describing how you implement solutions smoothly

Emotional Intelligence

As humans, we experience a wide range of emotions. And sometimes the negative ones can quickly turn a great day sour for us and everyone around us.

Emotional intelligence is a combination of your ability to maintain a positive attitude for yourself, but also to be able to empathize and support those around you.

Some ways you can highlight your “EQ” include:

• Times you’ve dealt with disgruntled clients
• How you stay calm in stressful situations
• How you check in with coworkers (and yourself) about mental wellness

Goal-Setting for Growth

Employers are most apt to consider candidates who have the potential to grow their business.

And one way that recruiters consider whether you’re interested in growing their company is by observing the ways that you strive towards personal growth.

Everything from self-directed study to having long term plans for your career can indicate to a potential employer that you are serious about improving yourself — and by extension, those around you!

Some ways you can highlight your personal development include:

• Recent or ongoing studying/upskilling
• Being able to speak to your career ambitions honestly
• Hobbies, social groups, and meetups that support your field of specialty

Organizing

When it comes to your work spaces, notes, and schedules, being organized isn’t just helpful to you. It makes work easier for everyone who relies on you, too!

Being organized saves you time and saves you stress. It makes it easier to meet (and remember) deadlines. It helps you focus on what’s important, and prioritize your workflow.

Some ways you can highlight your organizational skills include:

• Supervisor roles (including organizing events)
• Spreadsheets, forms, or other time-saving documents you created
• Being on-time and arriving informed

Communication

Communication skills, both written and verbal, aren’t just important for a job — they’re a key part of how you get a job in the first place!

Being able to explain yourself clearly and concisely is key to getting your point across with recruiters. More often than not, it’s not what we say — it’s how we say it that counts.

Good communication makes collaboration better, too. A good speaker can motivate others, avoid misunderstandings, and make sure everyone feels heard.

Some ways you can highlight how you’re a great communicator include:

• Avoiding spelling, syntax, and grammar mistakes
• Focusing on tone and body language
• Keeping your statements short and sweet

ACCESSIBILITY