When you go in for a job interview, you are maybe one of a dozen or so candidates who have been selected from a sea of maybe hundreds of resumes. Your resume obviously stood out well enough to get you in for that interview, but how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd once you are in front of the interviewers?
The top five things most interviewers are looking for are not usually things you will learn in school, and they may not even be explicit skills listed on your resume. Leadership, being a team player, written communication skills, problem solving, and oral communication skills are some of the most important things you have to demonstrate during a job interview.
Soft skills are those things you don’t typically learn about in a college class that are crucial to your success as an employee for the long haul. Good communication skills can be the difference between getting and not getting the best accounts or clients. Teamwork skills may be the difference between getting assigned to the next big project or not.
Taking the time to develop these and other soft skills is crucial if you are going to get ahead in your career. Lifelong learning doesn’t end upon graduation- it’s up to you to keep learning and growing as a person. Reading books is a great way to learn new ideas. Taking on a challenging side project at work is also a great way to show you are committed to innovation.
Having a degree is one part of the equation, but it is not the only part. Soft skills and finding the right fit are crucial to your ongoing success in the workplace. Learn more about setting yourself apart so you can get ahead in the job market from this infographic!
