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What Employers Want in an Employee

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By Anthony Patete, JD, MBA
Faculty member at American Public University

You want to get that dream job in your career. Sure you have successfully passed, even excelled, in your academic career; however, the question you are faced with is “what do employers want?” The fact is, a degree is just the ticket to the movie.

After reading the job description you meet the employer’s needs because you have that degree. You feel confident you are perfect for the job and, in fact, you land an interview. What are employers looking for from you as a potential new employee?

Soft Skills

According to a Fox Business survey, employers want soft skills. I never remember studying that in school and not once did a professor mention it. Soft skills are essentially interpersonal skills, how you interact with others, communication skills (written, oral, and non-verbal), time management abilities, professionalism, and an ability to work with a team. You may think of them as people skills. In other words, do you fit into the company culture.

Social Media Is not a Soft Skill

Despite your persistent use of social media and texting, this is not true communication. Many employers complain that young employees revert to what they know best–texting or posting on social media to communicate. This is not business communication.

Businesses do participate in social media and many do text among colleagues, but when it comes time to communicate with the general public or a customer, pick up the phone and talk to them or compose an email that addresses the customer concern. Think of it this way, how would you feel if you had to return a defective item to a retail store and could not explain why to a live person?

Transferrable Skills

Transferrable skills is likely another term you did not hear while earning your degree. Transferrable skills are skills you learned and applied while attending school. These include, among other things, time management, how to write a sentence, and how to operate a certain related business equipment. Transferrable skills include both soft skills and hard skills.

Hard skills are specific technical skills that have to do with manipulation, operation, and maintenance of things or equipment. Examples include operating medical equipment, using Excel spreadsheets, keyboarding, and crime scene processing. You hopefully have perfected the skills needed in your field in school.

Communication

Communication occurs on many levels and involves sending and receiving messages. In other words, communication needs two people and can be written, oral, or non-verbal. Communication is sharing information.

Employers want networking skills, effective writing, presentation skills, and collaboration skills. Next time you read a job description, notice the communication traits that are listed. It is advisable to address these in your cover letter and again at the interview.

Ethics and Professionalism and More

The acronym-CAR: communication, accountability, and respect sums up what employers want from you as a professional. Combined, these attributes are the basis for all professionalism and ethics.

Other elements to keep in mind include:

  • Dress for success!
  • Be on time
  • View things from a positive point of view and provide positive feedback
  • Motivation
  • Enthusiasm

ABCs

Here are your ABC’s of job hunting: adversity builds character. It is a full-time job to secure a full-time job. Hard skills get you the job; soft skills allow you to keep the job. Be a continuous learner at work, be adaptable to change, respect different points of view, lead others by doing the right thing, and never be afraid of change. Change can and does lead to growth, like that dream job you always wanted.

About the Author: Anthony Patete is a faculty member at American Public University in the business department. He has been teaching law and business for more than ten years online and on campus at various schools and has been an administrator in post-secondary education. Dr. P, as his students affectionately call him, provides his students with seasoned instruction and career guidance.

 

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