In today’s highly competitive market place, having the right qualifications, technical skills and experience is not enough. In order to be an outstanding candidate, it is also necessary to have interpersonal skills. Although these kind of skills are very often undervalued, they are extremely important, as are the skills that relate to personal behavior, social grace, communication, language, personal habits, presence and positive attitude.
During a job interview, it is essential to communicate your interpersonal skills to your potential employer, but even before the interview, your resume and cover letter should transmit the following skills to the recruiter.
To make the process easier, this is a checklist with the main 10 interpersonal skills that you will need to have to land your dream job:
1. Self-confidence
Be confident that you are the right person for the role. The best way to feel confident about this is by doing research on the company and the job you are applying to. If you do your homework, you will get that inner sense of assuredness that will help you answer the difficult questions during the interview.
This is important because finding the right words to answer the questions will leave a great first impression on the prospective employer.
2. Positive attitude
Always show your positive attitude not only towards the role and company but also towards life in general. A good tip to do so is to never say anything negative about your previous company, colleges or employers.
3. Communication
The ability to read, write and speak is essential to get a new job, but when trying to get a promotion, the ability to communicate is in many cases considered more significant than ambition, education or capacity for hard work.
4. Team player
People who go beyond working in their area of expertise, demonstrate big picture thinking, take leadership roles when necessary and work for the greater good are considered a great asset to any organization.
5. Problem solving
The ability to think critically and be a resourceful person is also highly valued by employers. This doesn’t mean that you need to have the right answer to every question. It is about having the right thinking process in place and a mindset that helps you with solving problems in difficult circumstances.
6. Time management
Time management is an art form in and of itself that you can improve with practice and experience. It is important to develop strategies to manage your time and balance the conflicting demands that you may get from your employers, colleagues and clients.
7. Coping with pressure
Generally, the higher you get in your career, the more pressure and stress you have to deal with. That is why it is so important to learn how to cope with it. A great tip is to correctly manage your employer or clients’ expectations. For instance, having deadlines is necessary to get the work done, but knowing how to manage the deadlines and timeframes will be critical to reduce the levels of stress.
8. Flexibility
Organization and flexibility are becoming increasingly important as the demand for flexible working arrangements continues to rise. Therefore, it is key to show your ability to adapt to these changes.
9. Accept feedback
Although it may be difficult at the beginning, you should never take any form of criticism personally. To prepare yourself for this, you can think about how open you are to training and advice, how would you react if a senior manager makes a suggestion and how would you thank an interviewer who points out an error.
10. Strong work ethic
According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, companies are finding it harder to find punctual, reliable workers today than years ago. Showing your professionalism and strong work ethic to your employer will help you take the next step in your career to land that dream job.
