7 Ways to Make Yourself a More Appealing Employee
Job hunting isn’t getting any easier. Now that everyone has a degree, you need to find ways to stand out. This post looks at seven different things you can do to raise your profile while job hunting!
1. Get Used To Working Within A Process
Employers love employees who respect step by step processes, especially if you’re applying for a management position. Most organizations want someone who is process driven and able to clearly outline a series of actions to achieve the desired results. Your ability to use, manage and work within systems is a huge asset to potential employers.
You can demonstrate your ability to execute within a process starting with the application process. Make sure you read the full job offer and speak to specific things that the company says they need. Pay attention to the instructions for submitting your resume, making a mistake reflects poorly on your ability to follow a process.
2. Develop Your People Skills
Improving your communication skills is always valuable. The higher up the management totem pole you go, the more you’ll rely on your communication skills to problem solve and build relationships. Your people skills don’t stop with how you get along with your teammates, but also how you interact with customers.
If you’ve worked on projects dealing with social causes or other community work, make sure you highlight them on your resume. Volunteer experience also reflects well on your ability to communicate.
3. Find Joy In Solving Problems
The better you are at problem-solving, the easier you’ll find it to succeed in your career. If you want to be an attractive employee you need to approach problems from the perspective that they’re a challenge and an opportunity to improve. If you shy away from difficult tasks, it reflects poorly on your desire. Think of some times where you solved a problem without sacrificing your ethics to tell in the interview.
4. Invest In Your Education
Improving your skills will also make you a more attractive candidate. Even for trained professionals such as dentists, dental hygiene continuing education courses are excellent for raising your profile as an employee. Employers are going to take note of you if they see you invest in your education.
Look for training in your industry that will teach you skills that help you do your job better. The more related skills you have, the more opportunities are open to you. Developing your technology skills can never hurt no matter what industry you’re in.
5. Prove You Have Tangible Experience Using The Skills Necessary For Your Job
Saying you have a certain skill isn’t enough, you have to prove it. Show up to interviews prepared with multiple examples of times you used the skills desired for the position. This is especially important in management positions where you need to prove you’ve used your leadership skills at a high level.
6. Make A Strong First Impression
The very first thing you can do to make a strong impression is to fix your resume. A clearly formatted resume is much easier and appealing to read than something just thrown together. Make sure you’re using professional fonts and proper grammar. When you show up to the actual interview, pay attention to your outfit and body language.
7. Spend Time Looking For People To Give You References
References from a specific person can mean more than just someone you know. For example, getting a reference from someone respected in your industry reflects highly on your skills. Having your most recent boss give a reference also looks impressive. Spend some time hunting for a quality reference instead of just using anyone.