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6 Factors Of Career Success
What do employers look for in potential employees? That was thequestion that was posted recently on a career discussion forumonline. Naturally, for each different position, the particularanswers to that question would be different. However, there aresome common skills that employers look for in all employees,whether the employee happens to be a network engineer or a frycook.
In-Demand Skills for Success
1. BASIC SKILLS, Reading, writing and arithmetic! Believe it ornot, a good portion of high school graduates (and some collegegrads) do not read at an 8th grade level and cannot domultiplication in their head. Employers are seeking employeeswho can read well, can write coherently, and who can calculatemathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages,etc.) Add to that the modern basic skills of keyboarding skill,basic computer knowledge, and ability to use most computerizedtools (e.g. fax machine, basic word processing program, etc.) toround out the basic skill sets needed for employment success.
2. PERSONAL SKILLS, Can a potential employee speak well? Canhe/she answer questions of customers in a positive, informativemanner? Can the prospect provide good customer service? Whilenot everyone has an outgoing sales' personality, successfulemployees can communicate in a non-confrontational, positivemanner with their coworkers, team members, subordinates,management, and customers. Being able to work well with othersis a vital skill for success in all jobs.
3. JOB ATTAINMENT, Job search is a process that requires a greatdeal of dedication and attention to be conducted successfully.It follows the old principal that many veteran programmers referto as GIGO , Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put lousy effortin, you will receive lousy results. Employers are seekingemployees who know how to present themselves in a positivemanner and who display enthusiasm and knowledge about thecompanies they approach. Not only do candidates get evaluated ontheir skills and experience, but also on how they areapproaching the job search. Enthusiastic candidates with fewerskills have an even chance of getting the job as dull candidateswith better skills.
4. JOB SURVIVAL, Now there's a hot topic in this period oflayoffs. Who gets the ax and who doesn't is often a
matter ofnumbers, but it is also often a matter of performance. Employeeswho have consistently demonstrated their worth, takeninitiative, and made themselves a valuable asset to the companyhave lower incidences of being downsized than employees who putforth mediocre or average effort in their jobs. Surviving withina company through layoffs or moving up the career ladder is asuccess skill that is learned and is consciously cultivatedamong successful professionals.
5. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, As all high tech and engineeringpros know, it's learn or burn in today's work environment.Attaining new skills, applying new concepts, updatingestablished skills is an absolute necessity to succeed intoday's work force. The successful individual is constantlyattending seminars, taking classes, attaining training on newproducts or releases, and otherwise learning new skills thatwill keep them marketable in their careers. Successful peopleare lifelong learners. Employers are looking for people who havethe training necessary to fulfill their needs.
6. CAREER DEVELOPMENT, Career Development differs fromProfessional Development. Professional Development is learningwhile Career Development is a planning and goal setting process.Successful individuals design a career plan with written goalsfor short term and long term. They lay out the steps needed tomove their careers from Point A to Point B within Time Frame Cand plan how they are going to achieve those steps. Successfulpeople have someone to whom they are accountable for theirprogress and who will monitor their success in achieving theirgoals. Employers are seeking individuals who (believe it or not)wish to commit to the company for a long period of time. Goodcareer progression is a high selling point of candidates toprospective employers.
How do you measure up? Do you have the 6 In-Demand Skills forSuccess? Feel like you need some help? Give us a call!
About the author:
Published in 25 career books, Alesia has been cited by JistPublications as one of the "best resume writers in NorthAmerica" and quoted as a Career Expert in the Wall StreetJournal. Serving as the Resume Expert for over 50+organizations, she has numerous media appearances to her creditand is a frequent keynote speaker. http://getinterviews.com
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