Who do employers want

Employers want to see the following qualities in prospective candidates:

• Drive – self motivation – willing to jump through the hoops on their own power, without having to be asked, to achieve whatever goal is in front of them. Candidates should show something that they have done, not been part of or been involved in, either in a job or outside of a job.
• Curiosity – loving what they do – always curious about their job, field, profession. They read about it, study it, talk to other people about it, do it continuously. They work hard to stay current in it, not because they have to, but because they love to.
• Ethics – unethical person is not desired by any employer. Be honest, if you do not know an answer, say so. Discursive discussion on interview indicates that you are likely to do it if hired.
• Dedication – be willing to go above and beyond. Employers want someone whom they can count on, someone who truly cares about their job.

Candidates behavior during an interview matters as much as the skills they bring.

• If candidates never laugh – they are probably hard to get along with.
• If they constantly interrupt – they are egomaniacs, not welcome.
• If their facts are not straight – they are manipulating.

Reference calls are important. A good hiring manager will be on lookout for the following statements:

• Sometimes wasn’t that motivated – a candidate is a slow starter.
• Could sometimes be a little hard to get along with – is unpleasant.
• Had an easier time working with men than women – is a sexist.
• Was sometimes a little moody – likely suffering from a depression.

Most people downplay deficiencies in people they’ve worked with, so make sure references are good and given heads up. CareerJournal is an excellent resource for all aspects of job search process.