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Qualifications -- What Do Employers Look For?
When applying for jobs, it is important to read the job description carefully before submitting your application. Employers often state very carefully what they are looking for in a potential employee right there in the advertisement for the position. In fact, you should review your resumé against the requirements listed in order to make sure you have covered everything the employer is looking for. If you can address all the employer's stated requirements with the information in your resume or in your cover letter, you will be on the right track for getting the job.
However, there are also a number of skills employers look for that are never spelled out in the job description, but are simply presupposed of anyone looking for a professional position. These skills are typically referred to as employability skills, that is, skills that make you a reliable and productive worker in general, as opposed to being skilled in your specific professional field. Don't panic. You already have employability skills; you probably have never given any conscious thought to their role in getting a job.
Employability skills are generally grouped in eight broad categories:
- Communication skills
- Teamwork skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Initiative and enterprise skills
- Planning and organizing skills
- Self-management
- Learning skills
- Technology skills
As you read through these categories, you are thinking to yourself, yes, I have those skills. But did you ever think to demonstrate your possession of them on your resumé? Most people focus on their professional achievements and responsibilities, and they often scant these skills in favor of those that are job specific. However, more and more employers look for evidence of these skills in resumes. Your potential employer wants to know that you are a team player, that you communicate well, and will show initiative when needed. While you may think this is implied by your interest in the available position, employers like to see these skills called out on your resume or cover letter.
However, you don't want to simply state that you have them -- that is apt to look self-serving, and may actually undermine the credibility of your claim to possess them. The best way to demonstrate that you have these skills is to show them through your experience and your qualifications. Point out the projects you have participated in that required you to work as a part of a team, meet a deadline, or learn new competencies. Demonstrate your loyalty by showing how your accomplishments have benefitted your entire organization and not just yourself. You can showcase the employability skills in your cover letter by openly showing your enthusiasm for the available position, stating your commitment to your career objective, indicating your motivation and your integrity, and showing that you are above all un-selfish and credible. These skills are just as critical to your ability to do a great job as your professional experience and education -- employers are looking for someone who will be a great fit on their team and in their organization, someone who works well under pressure but also has a sense of humor and has a good balance between their personal and professional life rather than being one-dimensional.
Review your existing resumé. Does it convey a sense of any employability skills? If not, make revisions to highlight those employability skills you feel you excel in. If you are unsure, ask your friends or family for an objective opinion in order to get a better idea of how people around you see you as a person as well as a professional. Keep these attributes in mind as you compose your resumé and your cover letter, and especially as you are taking part in interviews. These skills can make a difference between merely knowing how to do a job and being qualified to excel in your career.
