Tuesday 3 April 2012

Importance of Skills Emphasis on Job Interviews



Skill emphasis during the interview is important to show the employer what makes you different from all the other job candidates. In this competitive world, companies search for the most qualified employees by weighing skills of the candidates and determining how they would benefit the company.

Majority of the top companies search for employers who stands out based from their expertise, ability to give new developments, and pleasing personalities that would enhance the organization.

Skills are grouped into three kinds – knowledge-based, transferable, and personal traits.

1) Knowledge-based skills are those learned from experiences. These may include educational attainment, additional training, seminars attended, and other practices that you have studied to enhance your expertise.

Knowledge-based skills include computer and communication skills, marketing or managerial knowledge, product development, and many more. These skills vary depending on the field of industry of each job candidate.

2) Transferable or portable skills are those you bring to a specific job. This is the reason why interviewers ask, “What could you offer the company?” Transferable skills are important because companies strive to look for quality employees that would improve the development of the workforce.

Portable skills include problem solving, team leader potential, organized, writing and communication skills, customer service oriented, time and project management, and good with numbers and budget. This kind of skills varies depending on the experience and versatility of each job candidate.

3) Personal traits determine who you are. In a job interview, one of the most common things an employer says is “Tell me something about yourself.” Your response is vital because it would set the tone for the rest of the interview.

Personal traits include good judgment, well organized, analytical, goal oriented, flexible, creative and many more. Try to sell yourself in as modest as possible within a limited time.

* Self-assessment. In order to provide an impressive presentation, examine your resume and list all the skills you have used for each past job experience. Make a comprehensive list of your skills and strengths including personal traits, knowledge-based and transferable skills. This would be the basis for your personal commercial.

* Once you have completed your script, you are now ready to face the interviewer. Remember that employers are interested in your accomplishments. Use words that are concise, direct and clear.

Although many companies require a unique set of skills, you should still highlight your technical skills in the interview. These skills, which top companies usually seek, include leadership, communication, confidence, flexibility, problem solving and energy.

Emphasizing all of your strengths and skills on job interviews would increase your chances of landing the desired job.

Should You Apply to All the Jobs That You Come Across?

Are you in need of a job?  If you are, you will likely start examining all of the open jobs in your around your area, possibly even right away.  When doing so, you may be surprised with what you see.  Depending on where you reside, you may have hundreds or even thousands of job listings to sort through.  While doing so, there are many individuals who make the decision to apply to as many jobs as they possibly can, but should you do the same?

When it comes to determining whether or not you should apply to all of the jobs that you come across, there are a number of important factors that you will want to take into consideration.  One of those factors is your work related experience, training, and education. This is essentially the career field that you specialize in. For instance, if you have experience working the medical field, a job listing for an automotive technician may not be right for you, and visa versa.  While you may want to apply for as many jobs as possible, you will want to try and make sure that they are ones that you are somewhat qualified for.

Another factor that you will want to take into consideration, when applying for jobs, is location.  If you use your local newspaper to examine job listings, you will likely find that most job listings are for local positions only. On the other hand, if you use the internet, namely career searching or job posting websites, you may be presented with job listings from all across the country. As nice as a job may sound, you will want to refrain from applying for it if you cannot attend an interview or if you have no intention or relocating.

Another one of the many factors that you should take into consideration, when trying to determine how many jobs you should apply for, is your need for a job.  If you are currently unemployed and not receiving any unemployment compensation, you may need to find a job right away. This is particularly important if you have bills piling up or if you have a family to support.  If that is the case, you may want to increase your chances of finding a job by applying for as many jobs as you can.  With that in mind, remember to only submit your resume or job application for job positions that you are somewhat qualified for.

The impression that you will end up creating is another factor that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to apply for as many jobs as possible.  What you will want to remember is that it can reflect poorly upon you if you are regularly found to be submitting job applications or resumes to companies that you are unqualified for.  It can be harmful to your good name and reputation. This is particularly important if you submit multiple job applications to the same company, but for different jobs, namely ones in which you are not qualified for.

The above mentioned points are points that you will want to take into consideration, when determining how many jobs you should apply for and which ones.  In all honesty, you are advised to just use your best judgment, as it is one of the best guides to follow.