Career

5 Essential Qualities A Job Applicant Should Have

Job Applicant

January 28th, 2020   |   Updated on June 28th, 2022

Today, we’ll be talking about 5 key competencies one should have to increase their chances of employment in the modern labor market.

1. Knowing How To Sell Yourself: It’s The First Impression That Matters

team office

We frequently ask ourselves: How does a recruitment officer know they should hire a candidate if they interviewed them for only 10 minutes? In fact, it takes us 3 to 5 seconds to figure out if the person sitting in front of us is the one we need.

And in those 5 seconds, we don’t even talk! We do not say what studies we have done or what experience we have.

The smile, the look, the posture, the clothing, the smell, the way we say “Good morning” speak volumes about us.

Knowing how to sell yourself is an art itself. We should start with a careful self-analysis and then come up with a way to present ourselves in the most positive light to our interlocutor.

The classic and timeless advice — take a shower before the interview and put on clean clothes.

Some applicants consider it irrelevant, and yet the consequences of a missed shower can be quite disastrous.

You should pick your clean clothes according to the position you are applying for. Putting on a jacket and tie may not be the best choice if you apply for a warehouse worker vacancy.

However, it’s a must if you’re going to have an interview with a multinational company where everyone is always elegant and flawless.

Also, here’s an assignment for you: take care of your social accounts on Facebook, Linkedin, and Instagram. In the digital age, they’re our business cards.

Pay attention to the photos we publish: over 40% of employers check their candidate’s Facebook profile during CV screening.

2. Motivation And Proactivity

Responsible Business Summit

The first thing that companies are looking forward to seeing in candidates is not their degree or age. It’s their motivation.

Companies love passionate and proactive candidates. They also want them to invest in themselves and their skills. Why?

Because these are the exact qualities that all their employees should have. Simply saying, “I am motivated” is not enough.

You should project the things you’re talking about. Frequently, candidates’ motivation and proactivity are detectable even before the interview.

Being able to answer a question quickly, let your interviewer know that you visited their site and did some research. Talk about your future work with passion speaks volumes about you.

3. Competence And Professionalism

Travel Merchant Account

Passion for one’s work, curiosity, desire to learn, and continuous improvement of oneself are collectively known as professionalism.

Professionalism is not only the ability to manage one’s activity competently and efficiently. It depends on the ethical and personal qualities of the applicant.

  • Integrity
  • Credibility
  • Reliability
  • Sense of responsibility
  • Knowing how to keep commitments
  • Aspiring to trust relationships with customers
  • Striving for excellence

These are all the qualities employers look forward to seeing in their personnel. Referred to as “soft skills,” they’re valued much more than the so-called “technical skills.” Professionalism is the awareness that we are doing an activity with a specific purpose.

It is our commitment to do it in the best possible way and recognize ourselves as professionals not only from a technical point of view but also from a personal one.

Professionalism can manifest itself in many ways. For example, arriving on time for one’s job interview will make the recruitment officer think that you’re a punctual officer.

And it is not only about respecting other people’s working hours. By arriving on time, you show your respect for their company as well.

Being punctual is closely related to being goal-oriented, responsible, and meticulous. Can it be inferred from being 5 minutes late for an interview? Yes, of course.

4. Flexibility

Flexible Working Programs?

We keep hearing everyone say they are flexible. However, what we hear during the interview contrasts sharply with that statement:

  • “No, having to travel 20 km to work is a bit too much for me.”
  • “I’m going to do the interview only if your office is in the downtown area.”
  • “If no buses are running to your area, I should get up at dawn to arrive on time.”
  • “I cannot start at 8.00.”
  • “For a thousand dollars a month, I prefer to stay at home.”
  • “I’m looking for a real job.”

Flexibility is not just a word: flexibility should be demonstrated. It is impossible to imitate because it is perceived in the way one moves, speaks, or behaves with others.

Flexibility means being able to adapt to other people. Hiring a person who demonstrates flexibility means being sure they will be able to adapt to the continuous changes that the work requires.

It means finding a bus when the company is not reachable by a bicycle. Adaptability, proactivity, and problem solving — these are are the faces of the same coin. The one who wants something finds a way to get it. Others look for excuses.

5. Being Able To Work In A Team

Team

Being able to work in a team doesn’t mean being sociable, friendly, charismatic, or getting along with everyone.

It means being able to listen to others, adapt to the interlocutor, and never forget about the common goal: the company’s development.

Whether it’s the recruiter, your boss, a colleague, or a subordinate, you need to listen attentively to all of them. We often prefer to talk about ourselves rather than listen to what the interviewer really wants to hear from us.

Two seconds after shaking hands with them, we don’t even know what the name of the person sitting in front of us is!

Creating and maintaining a good network of working relationships and knowing how to be part of a group that communicates effectively contributes to creating a winning climate.

So, How Do I Improve Myself?

We can all acquire new skills by learning from our friends and colleagues, attending courses, reading books, and watching tutorials.

If you are an employee and you believe in life-long learning, you can sign up for courses in linguistics, digital, and cross-cutting areas. Good luck!