How to Take a Hiring Managers Breath Away

How to Take a Hiring Manager’s Breath Away You’ve been to interview after interview and still have no job. When your inbox is empty and your phone’s not ringing, it’s easy to feel like the air has been let out of your tires…well, it’s time to get pumped up! As exhausting as the job hunt can be, it’s your job to stay upbeat and enthusiastic (in the interview chair, at least). After all, all it takes is one fantastic interview to end your savage search. Read on to discover the three steps of landing a job by taking a hiring manager’s breath away: 1) Get Your Mind Right: Interview after interview you go through the same routine: you shake hands, answer the most common questions known to mankind, you might even wear the same suit. If the process has become routine for you, consider how vanilla it’s become for a hiring manager. With that being said, it’s time to get your mind right. You’re not going on yet another interview, no way! You’re going on X interview, at X company, which fosters X culture and has an X attitude while holding up X ideals. The inputted variable here is to remind you that while each interview may be the same, each job and work environment is uniquely different. If you want to land a job (any job) then you’ve got to match your attitude, outlook and interview answers to the X job at hand. Achieve this by taking one hour out of your life to research the job and company for which you are applying. Thanks to the sometimes-beautiful invention known as the Internet, you can find out a lot. Display your learned knowledge during your interview by working into the conversation tidbits about the evolution of the company, its mission and how you fit into it’s future. READ MORE:  How To Best Prepare For Your Job  Interview 2) Customize Your Resume: Yes, you’ve got a standard resume with a standard objective. Do you know what your hiring manager has? A big ol stack of others just like it! By making the extra effort and tiny tweaks to your resume pre-interview, you can not only stand out from the crowd, but you can get the hiring manager to picture you as the position holder. Here’s how… Before your next interview, open up your resume and get ready to add one very important line to each job experience you have listed. Each line should start: This position taught me… and as you fill in the meat of those sentences apply them specifically to the job for which you are applying. For example, I’m a writer applying to a blogging job and my last job experience was as a special event manager. Completely unrelated, right? Wrong! My sentence under that job description would look like this: This job taught me how to stick to timelines and the importance of client-vendor-owner communication. Interesting while in my last job I was party planning, the tools I learned there (like sticking to a deadline and communicating well as a middle man) can be really helpful for a blogging position. Take the added extra step to highlight these lines and provide a fresh copy for the hiring manager when you meet. Not only will the added lines afford those “unrelated” jobs a second glance, they are also a great jumping off point for you and your interviewer. RELATED:  30 Second Screening: Will Your  Résumé  Survive? 3) Provide a Plan of Action: So, when you go on your next interview you’re going to pack a positive attitude, enthusiastic smile and a fresh resume…after all, that’s what most people bring.  Hmm, see the problem here?  The only way you are going to take a hiring manager’s breath away is if you stand out from the rest in an overwhelmingly positive way.  How do you do that?  Provide a plan of action. Between the job description and the research you’ve already done on the company, chances are you can find some areas where you could bring improvement.  Continuing with that last example of applying for a blogging position, I might research the current content that the company has produced and come into the interview prepared with formal suggestions of what I would bring to the position.  I.e., “I love how insightful and thorough your current blogs are, I might suggest posing a question at the end of each though- as a way to increase audience interaction and in turn, their loyalty to your brand.” No matter what kind of job you are applying for, with some creativity you can show where your value can and will be (once they hire you) inserted.  If I’m going for a social media manager job, you bet your bottom dollar I’ve done my own research on their stats and platforms where they are lacking.  If I’m going for a customer service job, you know I’ve already checked out customer reviews to find out the most common and recent complaints.  It’s all about being creative, proactive and showing your initiative.  No hiring manager is going to hold your hand and try to convince you to take a job.  You’re the one who wants it, so get hungry and prove just how ready you are to dive in! Despite how discouraging the job hunt can be (and trust us, we’ve all cried in our pajamas in between jobs on a Tuesday afternoon) you’ve got to pull it together for the 30-minute interview.  Get excited and make the extra effort that will get a hiring manager to remember your face.  At the end of his or her day the person who did their research, showed their commitment and found a way to fit in is the person who is going to get a call back.  Put in the time and necessary extra work now, and let that person be you. Happy Interviewing! What other tactics can take a hiring manger’s breath away? Let us know in the comments! Author: Kelly Gregorio writes about career trends and tips while working at advantagecapitalfunds.com, a merchant cash advance provider.

What Statistical Test Is Worth Forking In The Medical Writing Resume?

What Statistical Test Is Worth Forking In The Medical Writing Resume?Statistics is an interesting subject for a career based on statistics. Statistics is used in all kinds of industries to find out the probability and also possible factors that can influence the productivity of the company. This is a scientific method that is helpful in determining the expected output from an individual or a firm.For a resume to be used in a medical business, it must be able to answer the question of what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume. Statistics may be displayed in various forms in the resume. It is a great way to measure how productive you are, what is your work efficiency, your potential and ability and also your raw statistics of professional performances. The questions may be expressed as this way: what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume?To get the answers of what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resu me, the sample resume that will be used in the company must be able to show the answer. In doing so, it must be written so that the objective is achieved. In the past, a sample resume was made by gathering all the needed statistics to provide information about the candidate. Nowadays, there are tools that can provide data about the candidate's background. These tools are customized to suit specific needs.There are a lot of questions that may be asked about what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume. These questions may be the use of laboratory tests, the number of hours and sometimes the actual statistics that are not really useful. They may be important but some may still not be required in making a resume.The answers of what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume can be more easily defined when these are measured by statistics from others. Forexample, some may say that they are valuable because of the type of tools that they carry. Others may say that they are valuable because of their expertise.There are other questions that may be asked in answering what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume. One of these questions is the value of the client. Another is the value of the past client. There are many ways that a person can have a relative worth of value.The answers of what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume will be based on the opinion of a person. A person should be able to draw from his own experiences and expertise in deciding what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume. There is no right or wrong answer for this question; it is all a matter of opinion.When someone looks for answers of what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume, he should consider the opinions of his colleagues and supervisors. This is the best thing to determine the reliability of a resume. If this can be done, then the answers of what statistical test is worth mentioning in the medical writing resume will be easy to find. Just make sure that the ones who write the resumes do so with their own perspective in mind.

Take more advice. It will help you.

Take more advice. It will help you. In the last week I have written three blog posts that my editor told me are stupid. The first one was about the Olympics. April Ross, a silver medalist in beach volleyball, said that she quit playing indoor volleyball because the practices were too regimented. That made me realize that there are some professional sports that are entrepreneurial. Beach volleyball is one. The coach works for the players, instead of the other way around, and the players drum up their own money instead of receiving a paycheck from the team. My editor said, I hope you have a great photo for this post, because your readers generally dont respond with much gusto when you write about entrepreneurship. This is true. So then I wrote a post titled, I hate USA Today and I dont fucking care if youre sick of me ranting about how women cannot have it all. Im still writing about it because Im so pissed. I thought my editor would tell me to make the title shorter. But instead he told me that the only good thing about the post was the title. Youve said all this before, he told me. Which is true. So  I got rid of the whole post, but I just want to tell you that what really pisses me off is USA Today has a front page article titled Tech Moms Say They Have It All!  and in the photo of women who are examples of this is a women who is totally obese, and I just want to say that USA Today insults my intelligence when they think Im going to believe that she has it all. My editor got nervous that I was going to have another week with no post. I think he is feeling a little responsible at this point, since he keeps telling me my posts suck. He reminded me that people like when I tell stories.  He tried to write me some helpful emails where he suggests topics but I hate all his topics. I mean, I was a beach volleyball player because I dont like to work for anyone, and that is true for writing, too. I never think other peoples ideas are good. And even if I do, I can somehow do mental gymnastics to believe the ideas are mine. Melissa reminds me of this all the time. Like, I told her I have an idea for how to use Pinterest to drive traffic to my blog. And she said, Yeah. Thats a good idea. Its the idea I suggested to you a month ago and you said it was a bad idea. Oh, I said. Well, its a good idea now. So will you do it? And she did. She is used to me taking her ideas and saying they are mine. So I told my editor that Id write a story about what happened in the last week. I said, I think Ill write about how you had a nervous breakdown and I told you to go on meds. He said, Okay. Its unclear if its really okay because he told me that his wife is sick of me, which I can understand. I mean, I did, at one point, tell him to quit his day job and come work at my startup and then I declared, in our office, and  on 20/20 (yes,  on 20/20) that he was overpaid and then I fired him. So of course his wife hates me. And I dont think she wants to hear that I told him to go on meds, but really I care about him so much. I mean, look, hes the guy who can edit a story about me getting beaten up without asking me if Im okay. I really love that about him. So what happened this week is that things really felt like they were going to hell for me. First, I wanted my kids to see the Olympics, but we dont have a TV. At this point, Im not sure why we dont have a TV except that Ive never had one. My parents were pretty much just too negligent to get a TV. They just didnt realize that every other family had one and also they just left me and my brother a credit card in the drawer in the dining room to buy whatever we wanted but we never thought of buying appliances. Which is what I think TVs were called in the 70s. So we dont have a TV at my house now, but I want my kids to understand the importance of aiming high and specializing,  so I wanted them to see the Olympics. So the Farmer suggested that we take them to the bar. What? What are you talking about? He reminded me that in Wisconsin, you can take your kids to any bar. Its like owning a gun. Its your god-given libertarian right to mess up your life with firearms or alcohol or whatever you want. As long as you dont need an abortion. I told the Farmer no. And that hes insane to think we are going to the bar. I mean, the next thing you know the kids will grow up and run a meth lab. You know where we saw US womens soccer win? The bar. I told my kids no Sprite. I let them drink soda on special occasions but I didnt want them to associate bars with great drinks. Thats where I drew the line. I have to say though that the bar was great. It turns out that all the games the drunkards like are games that kids like. And all the food that goes well with beer also goes well with TV. Which brings me back to my editor. He is having a breakdown and he told me he needed a coaching session. I said, Okay. I charge $250 an hour. I told him I was just kidding. I told him he gets the friends and family discount (free) even though he tells me all my posts suck. (Wait. Please, before 500 of you email me asking for the friends and family discount, unless I have been to a bar mitzvah that you either chanted in or paid for then you dont count as family or my friend and you dont get a discount.) So he tells me that he hates his job. How can you hate your job? You are a compliance enforcer, which is perfect for your controlling nature. And you have tons of time to edit my posts during the day. I dont try at anything I do. Really? I thought the only time you did that was when you worked for me. No. Its just that you were the only boss who ever noticed. Why dont you try harder? I dont know. Ive been telling myself I have to care, that I should be able to care. Ive been telling myself not to check out just because I can. Now there is a big part of the conversation I am not writing, where he talks about his home life falling apart because, basically, he is an asshole to his wife, inadvertently, because he checks out every time marriage gets even a little bit hard. So I say, Why are you such an asshole to her? He says, I dont know. Ive tried talk therapy. I know I dont want to be like this. I want to care more. I love her so much. Thats my cue. I know that if you want to care and you cant care its probably depression. So I told him to get medication. It turns out that I was not the first person to suggest medication. He had a mother with a mental disorder (example: she left him alone in the house for whole days at a time when he was four). And a lot of people with very poor parenting are chronically depressed. So he finally took the advice hed been getting for a while. And he says he is happier. And although he has not expressed that in the editing of my posts, I believe him. Because in five years I have never heard him so upbeat about himself or the future. We have a rule with my blog posts that if they are not useful to the reader then they go in my diary, not on the blog. The blog is a conversation where I am useful to the reader in exchange for me having someone to talk to. So my editor is going to ding this post if I dont get useful right now: You have to take advice. A lot of people want to do things alone, they know everything. Other peoples ideas are stupid. But I have to tell you that the reason I do so well in life even though Im not always conventional or tolerable or right. I take advice really well. I let my editor cut my posts. I let Melissa tell me how to use Pinterest. I let the Farmer tell me when Im acting like a rich-kid snot-face and I should get off my high horse. And its not just me. Everyone can benefit from listening to other peoples advice. Look: My editor is happy and hes letting me run my post.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Juggling Multiple Tasks, Bosses

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Juggling Multiple Tasks, Bosses Its no secret that many of us are doing twice -- if not three or four times -- the amount of work we were doing a few years ago. Downsizings and layoffs and the reliance on teams have caused organizations to ask each individual to perform a multitude of tasks, many of them simultaneously.And, of course, with all that works comes a lot of stress. Trying to find enough hours in the day to complete demanding projects while trying to please bosses and customers is a daunting task.But many time management experts say there are ways we can do the work that needs to be done, while maintaining our sanity and pleasing the top brass.The key, they say, is being able to negotiate and debate with others so that it is clear to everyone what the priorities must be and what you have going on. Also, it's critical that you become an entrepreneur -- that you own your job and determine what work yields the most value.For example, you should should have a calendar or planner to list the top three tasks f or a day with the highests risks and payoffs, weighed against your goals. These tasks should be scheduled during your best times of the day (some people just dont do mornings well), or when you know you can get the privacy or the technical access you need.Remember: Be diligent to make sure you don't schedule anything else until these top three priorities have been allotted time.Then, try to leave the rest of your schedule loose enough to handle unexpected jobs or other tasks that need attention. Don't let any unimportant tasks come between you and the top three achievements.Of course, if you work for more than one boss you may be forced to bump one of your top tasks, since each manager can have a passion for what he or she does, leading to your plate really being overloaded.If that happens, then mark it down. Several bumpy weeks may convince you that your job has changed to the point that you may see you need help, or realize that its only a temporary crisis. And theres always the c hance youll discover things arent going to change -- and you may want to explore finding a new job.One of the best suggestions I've heard for gaining control over multiple tasks and multiple bosses is posting a board that everyone can see -- either near your worksite or online -- that shows requested jobs on the left side of the board, and committed jobs on the right side. By keeping a clear picture, you can see what deadlines need to be negotiated, and what tasks need to be delegated.With everyone able to see this list and what you have to do, your boss can see that he or she needs to be flexible. You can then clearly lay out what task is committed to be done, and how many hours it is going to take. A senior executives sole job is to direct people and make decisions. So by showing the board, you look at the list of projects and let them make the decisions about what task are your priority.At the same time, other people can look at your workload and not even bother you if they see y ou dont have any free time. (At the same time, the board gives you something to gaze at raptly as an angry or frustrated boss tries to figure out how to juggle the workload.)Remember, your hesitancy to negotiate the work load is what enslaves you. When you present a clear picture of what you have going on, then you can receive some help from your boss. Once you give up the debate, then you've conceded defeat.del.icio.us

Professional Writing on Resume

Professional Writing on ResumeProfessional writing on resume is a vital part of any resume writing. Before you write any resume, you should read the hiring manager's manual and get familiar with the resume writing.Professional writing on resume is the way of writing. Most resume writers believe that they have got an edge over the others by knowing more about the job. They believe that only they can write a good resume. However, the only way to get ahead in the job is by writing a good resume.Professional writing on resume should be done well. It must be written in such a way that the hiring manager can get the information easily from it. When it comes to professional writing on resume, one must have a professional mindset. You should not be in a hurry to finish the resume in one day. You must finish the resume in a week.Professional writing on resume is very important because it gives the impression that you are a professional. The professional resume must have a high quality. It mus t contain proper grammar and punctuation. It must be able to show the qualities of the candidate that will be hired. It must be able to show the positive attributes of the person.Professional writing on resume must also be prepared in such a way that it presents a balanced picture of the candidate. A balanced resume includes the strengths, weaknesses and responsibilities of the candidate. The professional writing on resume should make the hiring manager comfortable about hiring the candidate.When writing a resume, the applicant must think of the hiring manager as an expert. The resume must include the strengths of the candidate. However, the resume must also be able to show the weaknesses of the candidate so that the hiring manager is also comfortable about hiring the candidate. Professional writing on resume includes the skills of the candidate. This is very important for every resume. A resume needs to be filled with all the information in it, including the skills, technical knowl edge, professional experience and many other things.Another aspect that a professional writing on resume includes is the organization of the resume. The resume should be organized so that it will look professional. It should not be too long but should also not be too short.

How to Compare Your Salary With the Market Average CareerMetis.com

How to Compare Your Salary With the Market Average “Do I make enough?” Any professional asks himself this question sooner or later. Often in companies, employees in the same positions receive different salaries, and switching to another industry can increase income from 20 to 50%.Why are unrealistic demands dangerous?evalAlready on the first interview, the recruiter is usually interested in what kind of salary the applicant expects. The approximate amount is usually indicated in the CV. In this case, each applicant is faced with a question: what kind of salary should be negotiated in order to secure material comfort, and at the same time, not frighten the employer away with unrealistic demands?evalIt is worth saying that recruiters are scared away by salary requests that are both too low and too high: in the first case, they fear an insufficient level of work experience and lack of professionalism, while in the second, they are weary of excessive ambition and an unnaturally high self-esteem.In other words, for successful employme nt it is necessary to calculate in advance an adequate level of earnings suitable for you as a specialist with particular experience and skills. It will be easy if you use the recommendations.Who gets paid more, and where?The starting point of the calculations is given by your specialty. It is well known that in the labor market, some professions are valued more than othersâ€" such is the general market law of supply and demand. So, if there are not enough competent IT specialists today, then their work will be better paid.On the contrary, if there are more CVs for the position of journalist than vacancies, you cannot count on a high salary, especially if you are not experienced enough.The second important factor for calculating an adequate salary is the city or town where you are looking for work. Everyone knows that in large cities they pay more than in small towns, but how do you calculate the acceptable salary level in your region? You can independently conduct a small market re search: view vacancy announcements and CVs of colleagues and competitors of the specialty in your city.Adjusted for experienceSo, the average level of remuneration in your specialty and in your city has been determined. However, do not rush to write the resulting number in the CV â€" this is simply the average temperature in the hospital.Correct the averaged value obtained taking into account your experience: lower the bar if you are a beginner, and, on the contrary, increase it if you have already become a pro.evalThere is no uniform method here â€" the calculation strongly depends on the specific specialty, therefore we recommend that you rely on common sense.Experience in a particular industry or with specific issues is also important for calculating the level of salary. For example, a PR manager with deep experience in the construction industry will cost significantly more than a competitor who previously worked in show business.Does higher education affect salary?What else is i mportant when calculating an adequate salary level for you?Education influences your salaryto a certain degree, such as studying in a prestigious university, or obtaining an MBA degree for managers However, it should be borne in mind that the employer is paying for the work, and not for diplomas. When working as an accountant, be prepared for the fact that a second degree in psychology will not affect your income. It is unlikely that an academic degree will raise your salary if you are not working in the field of science or higher education.evalCertificates, diplomasParadoxically, a labor-intensive and expensive higher education on secondary fields many not have a much greater impact on your salary, but instead, short-term courseson the most pressing issues of your specialty will â€" such as those that are not yet in the program of universities.For a marketing manager today, a certificate of participation in a seminar on the promotion of goods and services in social networks can be extremely useful Advantages are that in addition to the level of wages, they will tell you in detail about the vacancy, features, and employment opportunities, and an experienced recruiter will give detailed feedback. The disadvantage is that despite the fact that agencies are well aware of the market, the depth of their knowledge is limited by their circle of clients. Therefore, hoping to only have to receive their help is not worthwhile.You can ask a question about the expected income: “You know, I just started the search. Can you orient me to an approximate salary for this position?”Outsource servicesFind out how much your function costs, transferred to an external provider. This is especially true of services and back office units.Outsourcing deals with office work, personnel and military accounting, technical support, setting up advertising and buying traffic, writing articles, legal support, and many other areas and functions. Therefore, if you are doing standard work, urg ently strengthen your expertise.Industry reviewsEvery month, a variety of studies are published which include salary levels, compensation packages, and ratings of the highest paid positions. It is unlikely that the study itself will help you in a particular career problem, but it may push you into an interesting solution.evalWhatever the results you may receive for your small study, remember that fair wages do not exist. The higher the income, the more difficult tasks you will have to solve.A good result of this homework will be ascertaining answers to the following questions: What value do you create? What are companies willing to pay more for? What amount will be adequate for your work? By improving your negotiating skills, you can negotiate the best conditions for yourself.However, this alone is not enough â€" you need to confirm your level of professionalism every day. But if you are ready for this, then act!

Dont Be A LinkedIn Collector or User - Pathfinder Careers

Don’t Be A LinkedIn “Collector” or “User” - Pathfinder Careers Don’t Be A LinkedIn “Collector” or “User” One of the most valuable career assets any of us  can possess is a high quality business and professional network composed of people we’ve worked  / collaborated with (or connected to) at some point in our careers. By taking this approach, there’s something at stake with this LinkedIn approach: the people that we choose to connect with  have integrity and quality, we know them and they know us, and we feel comfortable helping them out if they ask for assistance. Let’s take this one level deeper: these people are also the ones with whom we have meaningful relationships and a general level of mutual respect from personal knowledge / connection. One of my biggest personal pet peeves includes receiving a request from a random person that I don’t know… and especially when this person doesn’t even bother to take a moment to let me know why they would like to connect. You know the types… they cruise LinkedIn looking for people to add. Frequent criteria for these folks include looking for potential connections who have a lot of contacts in their network… or are a mover and shaker with whom they would like to be associated. So the LinkedIn cruiser sends a request to connect… with nary a courtesy introduction as to why they would like to do so in hopes that the recipient just simply clicks accept invitation. Bingo! Another connection added, thinks the LinkedIn cruiser. Then they move on to the next contact target. I call these people “collectors” â€" it seems that their request is all about the number count and getting another notch on their belt to boost their network size. But what they are actually doing is creating a pretty flimsily-assembled group of people with whom they have no real meaningful connection. Fortunately, most of us don’t operate that way. And we don’t like being someone elses  statistic, either, if you know what I mean. Most business people are probably actually quite open to connecting to new contacts, but if a unknown person wants to be a part of your network, having a basis for which to establish a relationship is critical to establishing a meaningful connection. And when someone doesn’t even take the time to write a short introductory note, then this kind of request screams: “Collector!” And the sad part is that anytime someone sends a request, they are actually missing a true opportunity. A short note explaining how they found you or the reason why they would like to connect is a genuine basis to start a conversation and business relationship. The personalized note  acts to authenticate the connection request. And these days, it’s not so much about the quantity as much as it is totally about quality. But even after that point, some people simply don’t get it. An example just from today: I received an email from a stranger without any mutual connections  that was nothing more than the basic: “I would like to connect with you on LinkedIn.” Sigh. So, I emailed back: “Thanks for your request to connect- I only accept invitations with people that I knowcan you help me by providing some information on where we might have met before? Thanks for understanding!” This person then emailed back and told me to go visit  their company  website which should be a compelling enough reason for us to connect. Additionally, they mentioned that their company  has had a ‘surge in clients worldwide’ … yet at the same time they told me that they had ‘decided to use LinkedIn as a means to find and connect with potential associates around the world who might be able to help me service their requirements.’ Yeah, right. How motivated would I be to help this person? I basically got hit up with first an anonymous request, then a follow-up one asking me to help someone I don’t know find people to help them with their marketing effortsand  the kicker was that this person  was too lazy to even make a compelling reason in  the personal message to me why I should help them. they simply told me to go to their website! Ouch.   Way off the mark, and totally ineffective. We all gain something from cultivating strong relationships with our colleagues, co-workers, and professional contacts.    Maintaining a quality and personal connection to each one of these people is critical to our mutual success and builds the synergy that  composes the give-and-take cycles  of healthy relationships. But when it comes to adding meaningless connections just to ‘get numbers,’ strangers cant simply just show up  to take, and even more so when they offer to give  nothing in return. This isn’t an effective use of one’s time nor effort, and ends up missing the critical  benefit  of LinkedIn. Simply put: We do business with people we know and trust. There is no ‘easy’ button in estabishing relationships, but an effort needs  to be made to personalize a request.   It takes time and social skill to define and develop those relationships, and by  being a collector or user, you are cutting yourself out of working with a beneficial tool that could make the difference in your career advancement through people motivated to help you by virtual of personal association and knowledge of who you are. Choose your connections carefully- and when they connect, that means that they have chosen you, and there is weight in their trust  of your integrity and personal relationship and that they have voted  yes by connecting to you.

Soft skills help you get the job -

Soft skills help you get the job - Landing a job requires a lot more than just the right degree, experience or series of technical skills. Soft skills, otherwise known as emotional intelligence, may make a difference between an employee who can do the job and one who does it well. Soft skills include: leadership, written and verbal communication, problem solving, motivation, interpersonal skills and creativity. They arent usually skills we learn in school (although some business schools now have programs to try to help their students improve in these areas). When it comes right down to it, soft skills are characteristics that make us more likable. Whether or not anyone wants to admit it, likability is an important factor in the hiring process. A Harvard Business School study from several years ago found, Generally speaking, a little extra likability goes a longer way than a little extra competence in making someone desirable to work with. In other words, when given a choice between competent jerks and lovable fools, lovable fools won out. Its not surprising that soft skills continue to play a big role in hiring decisions. Employers realize that they can teach hard skills, such as how to use a software program, but its virtually impossible to retrofit employees with soft skills. A recent study from Millennial Branding showed soft skills topped the list of must have skills that employers want, with 98 percent of employers saying communication skills are essential and 92 percent naming coordination skills. Mark Miller, author of Hiring for Attitude, notes for Forbes that 92 percent of employers believe attitude is key, because candidates need to be motivated to learn new skills, think innovatively, cope with failure, assimilate feedback and collaborate with teammates. What are some important soft skills you want to be sure to try to develop? Consider this list and make a point to pay attention to where you rank with these key soft skills: Listening. No one wants to work with someone who isnt a good listener. If you cant follow instructions, it doesnt matter how brilliant or talented you may be; youre going to mess something up. How can you show youre a good listener? Follow directions carefully when you apply for the job. Practice listening actively when you talk to people. Could you repeat most of the details of a conversation you just finished? If not, try to focus more carefully on your everyday interactions and you could improve this important skill. Adaptability. No one loves change, especially at work, but today, being flexible and having a good attitude while welcoming the unexpected is a valuable skill. Are you the first to complain if plans change? Do you sulk and brood when things dont go your way? If thats you, think about how you can be a little less rigid. It will make you a more marketable job seeker. Teamwork. Its hard to find a job description that doesnt mention working with a team and collaborating cross functionally. It might as well say, Must play well with others. You can practice being a team player by actually joining a team outside of work. Consider joining a sports team or volunteer to work for a nonprofit organization on a joint project to practice and improve your teamwork stills. Judgment. You cant teach someone to have good judgment. This is why using social media sites to illustrate you know what to say and what not to say online can work in your favor. This is tough to self-assess, but if youve ever posted something on Facebook and lived to regret it, you could probably use some extra practice on the good judgment front. Think before you act, and youll be on your way to improving in this area. Integrity and work ethic. Your reputation is everything when it comes to getting a job. What do people say about you? Are you willing to work until the job is done? Do you pitch in and show initiative, even when its not necessarily your job? If so, you probably dont need to worry about your reputation because you have a strong work ethic. If that doesnt describe you, think about how you can change. Communication. Probably the root of all soft skills, if you can communicate well, you are halfway there to many jobs. Employers evaluate this from the start. How do you handle yourself on the phone? What does your application look like? Can you send a strong email message? The interviewer will know right away if you can communicate well by how you introduce yourself and how you address questions. You can practice by preparing what you will say in the interview. Think about ways you can communicate succinctly, because this is an important skill, even for people seeking highly technical jobs. Positive demeanor. Its just another way to say nice to be around. If youre rude to the receptionist and dont hold the door for the person walking behind you, its likely you arent winning a lot of nice points. If youre the office complainer, the Negative Nelly who always sees the glass half empty, your attitude and behavior are probably hurting your job search. picture by bluekdesign