Daily Archives: March 14, 2016

The Top Skill Employers Want May Surprise You

interview_showdown_webIn a recent survey from Express Employment Professionals, employers shared which soft and hard skills are the most important for a job applicant to possess.

When asked, “What are the five most important soft skills an applicant should have,” respondents answered:

  • Dependability/reliability – 72%
  • Motivation – 48%
  • Verbal communication – 44%
  • Teamwork – 39%
  • Commitment – 39%

When asked, “What are the three most important hard skills an applicant should have,” respondents answered:

  • Experience – 95%
  • Technical ability – 67%
  • Training – 60%

The fact that employers find experience important when it comes to picking a job candidate isn’t too surprising, but did you know that reliability mattered so much to potential employers? Dependability, punctuality, and trustworthiness are important skills you should possess if you want to stand out from the competition and land the job.

Demonstrate Your Dependability
Because resumes and cover letters are important parts of your job search process, make sure your resume illustrates your dependability as much as possible. If you worked at the same place for a long time, put that on your resume. And, use words like consistent, diligent, reliable, and persistent to show off your skills.

To get started on the right foot, make sure you show up to your interview on time. When you’re in an interview, give examples of times you went above and beyond your job duties to help someone else, and think of times when people relied on you.

How do you show your dependability in the workplace or in your job search? Let us know in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.