We’re all nervous when it comes to interviews or even something as easy as sending your resume to a prospective employer. We don’t want to “show off” too much, but we don’t want to downplay ourselves, either. It’s what makes job-hunting one of the most nerve-wracking experiences. You’ll become more comfortable with applying and interviewing once you learn to exude the 5 traits of the best employees.
1. Confidence.
Confidence doesn’t mean kicking down the door and announcing that you “have arrived.” Employers are not blessed to be interviewing you — YOU are blessed to be interviewed. Overconfidence is a telltale sign of arrogance. Employers can’t stand that. They’re looking for someone who is comfortable with themselves. A great job candidate knows who they are, has clear career goals, and can actually accomplish what they claim they can accomplish.
Be sure of yourself. Be open and friendly. Be the person everyone regards as a pleasure to be around. Exude a sense of self-reliance, as well, because employers don’t have time to hold your hand. And for sure, they don’t expect to keep reassuring you that they’re glad they hired you. That said, on occasion, a good boss will do this naturally. But they won’t do it constantly. As a result, you will need to be self-motivated and confident.
2. Flexible and adaptable.
You need to be flexible in the way you work. This means that there may be some things you may need to change in accordance with the employer’s policies and company culture. Think of your work style as water. If it’s icy and stuck in its shape, it won’t fit into everything exactly in the desired way. But if your work style is liquid, then you can adapt it to fit the work situation. And speaking of adaptability, your work surroundings or the job itself may change frequently – or even daily. If you can’t keep up with that, you won’t be able to survive in your employment situation. The two go hand-in-hand, and if you can be flexible, you can certainly be adaptable.
3. Team Oriented.
Obviously, the ability to work well as part of a team is a “must” in most companies. Even if you’ll be working independently most of the time, you will eventually have to collaborate with co-workers. As such, you must be able to demonstrate an ability to work well as part of a team. If you can’t, employers will surely pass on you as a job candidate.
4. Dependable.
Employers want to know that you can be their “go-to” person. Likewise, they will want to be confident in your ability to get the job done. Moreover, they will want to know that you’re in it for the long haul and in it for the work you love to do, not just the pay you’ll receive.
5. Organized.
Employers tend to favor employees who are highly organized. That’s because they view organizational skills as a close cousin to productivity and efficiency. With this in mind, critique your resume. How easy is it to read your resume? Have you visibly stated your accomplishments and skills? Or are they buried somewhere on the third or fourth page? And why does your resume sprawl that many pages? Employers and HR directors do not have time to play a game of “hunt and peck.”
In fact, your resume will often be scanned by software that looks for keywords associated with the job. The best place for those keywords is at the top of the first page. And, speaking of pages, no matter how experienced you are, unless the job posting called for you to submit what’s known as a “CV” (curriculum vitae), you need to limit your resume to a maximum of two pages. Highlight accomplishments, not just job duties and responsibilities. Accomplishments tell employers what you accomplish for them, not just duties you can carry out.
It is important to realize that another part of being organized is arriving on time to job interviews. With this in mind, consider purchasing an online appointment scheduler that is mobile-accessible. Software Advice names EZnet Scheduler® as a top-of-the-line appointment scheduler. EZnet Scheduler offers robust features at a highly affordable price. And it will enable you to include an active link to your scheduler on your resume so employers can easily schedule an interview with you. The scheduler will send a confirmation text or email and the appointment will automatically appear on your calendar. EZnet Scheduler also enables quick, easy rescheduling of appointments. And the canceled time automatically appears on your calendar again being available. To be sure, it’s a great way to impress a prospective employer!