Having certain skills can increase your marketability to recruiters. Employers look for certain skills in job candidates regardless of the open position.

Qualities Employers Look Out For:

Communication skills: It’s crucial to demonstrate your knowledge of this area through written, verbal, and physical communication. When communicating via email, make sure your message is crystal clear and succinct by reading it again before sending it.

Leadership skills: One of the soft qualities that employers seek in job prospects is leadership ability. Active listening and reliability are standard leadership traits to highlight on a CV. Flexibility and the capacity for giving and receiving feedback are two excellent examples of how to demonstrate that you are a team player.

Teamwork skills: When interviewing candidates for open positions, many employers look for candidates that have strong teamwork abilities. Collaboration, honesty, communication, and responsibility are a few examples of teamwork abilities to emphasize. During the interview process, employers will probably inquire about your ability to work well with others, so be prepared with experience.

Interpersonal skills: Possessing interpersonal skills enables you to communicate and collaborate effectively with others. You can develop relationships, speak clearly, and manage problems efficiently with the help of these abilities. In addition to other traits, businesses look for potential employees with motivation, adaptability, and empathy.

Honesty: Some job seekers are inclined to exaggerate their credentials in an effort to land a position, but this is not recommended. If your prospective employer learns of your dishonesty, you won’t ever earn their trust again. Beyond the interview process, honesty is a crucial quality to possess. Any organization benefits from having employees who acknowledge their errors and grow from them.

Self-reliance: Being proactive is a key quality that employers seek out and is simple to demonstrate. Ask detailed questions regarding the tasks you’ll be completing on the job during the interview process. This will demonstrate that you’ve given the job careful thought. Another way to demonstrate your self-motivation is by identifying requirements and taking the initiative on projects.

Work ethic: A strong work ethic is a top characteristic that businesses seek in candidates. Hardworking employees are always on schedule and on task. People will notice your work when you take pride in it.

Ambition: Don’t be shy to tell prospective employers about your great dream. They’ll probably think it’s valuable, and it will raise their opinion of you. Employers place a high value on ambition since it reveals information about the employee. It indicates that they are on a path to improvement and that they have a goal in mind.

Where do employers look for these skills?

Employers look for an applicant’s skills in a few different places, with the most important places being resumes, cover letters and interviews. Here are factors to keep in mind when highlighting your skills in each of these settings:

Resumes: The “Skills” section of your resume is the ideal location to highlight your strongest abilities. Your skills can be listed in a bulleted list with a quick summary or with examples for each. You can also highlight these abilities in the descriptions of your job responsibilities found in the experience part of your resume.

Cover letters: Two to three of your most marketable abilities that are relevant to the position you’re going for should be mentioned in your cover letter. Include examples of each of these talents in the body of your cover letter, along with a list of your qualifications for the position.

Interviews: An excellent opportunity to discuss your marketable skills with a potential employer is during a job interview. Give instances of how you’ve used your expertise in the past throughout the interview. Try to list all of the qualifications that are important for the job, especially those that were listed in the job posting.

Here’s how to make yourself more competitive in the job market:

1.  Improve your language skills: Learning a new language shows you’re curious about the world and shows your commitment to self-improvement. English is one of the most sought-after languages to master, but there are plenty of other ‘desired’ languages. Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish and German are just some of the top ten.
2.  Get cross-cultural experience: Whether it is working abroad or studying in a different country, living abroad helps you grow as a person. It makes you more adaptable and creative in how you solve problems and approach unexpected situations. Studies show that people who have lived abroad are more likely to have a greater ‘sense of self’.
3.  Complete further education: Having a university degree increases your earnings significantly and will help you land a job. Sectors like banking and finance, economics, politics and business often exclusively hire university graduates. Studying further education (online or in person) is a great way to continue expanding your skill set.
4.  Network, network, network: When it comes to finding the right job, it’s all about who you know. Networking, even though it may feel like a chore, is an essential part of growing your contact list. Attending networking events, signing yourself up for conferences and making polite, friendly chats with everyone you meet, are tips on how to network like a boss. You never know who might think you’re right for a certain job and put your name forward.
5.  Get relevant work experience: How do you get your first job? Secure some work experience in an internship or by volunteering. You’ll make yourself more qualified for a full-time role than many other candidates. Plus, you’ll get a good idea about whether that career path is right for you before you commit.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone

Our comfort zones offer secure and familiar mental spaces. We are susceptible to an elevated danger of stress and anxiety when we venture outside of our comfort zones. Even while it may be uncomfortable, this has certain advantages. As psychologists have shown, when faced with a challenge, we rise to the occasion. In addition, attempting new things can boost your creativity and help you stand out to employers, thus challenging yourself can help you perform at your best.

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