What do recruiters really want?
Why do "less intelligent" friends get hired
How can you gain a ticket to the C-Suite?
Do you have enough Emotional IQ and Interpersonal IQ?
Many job seekers both new graduates and seasoned professionals focus too much on their technical or "hard" skills. Often, this is done to the exclusion of their "soft skills." "Hard skills" can be taught, but "soft skills or interpersonal skills" must be developed over time.
Below is a recent, Executive Job vacancy which our MBA career team was asked to post on our job-board. We were asked if we knew of any candidates who met this profile. Of note: the technical skills required for this posting only included 4 bullet points, all the rest are the skills you see below. Think about how you can ace your next interview, leverage your personal charisma and your interpersonal IQ. In a knowledge economy, success and promotions are increasingly tied to relationships with stakeholders, staff, competitors and customers. At the Executive and C-Suite level, if you do not already have these skills you will "flame out" and either quit, get demoted or eventually be fired. Begin developing these skills early, before your job depends on them!
Executive Job vacancy (company name, title kept confidential)
ESSENTIAL BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS (what employers want)
--Negotiation Skills - Can reach outcomes that the customer will consider Win/Win.
--Results Oriented - Sets goals. Conducts activities to reach the goals.
--Financial Acumen - Has financial skills to engineer the outcome. Knows how to reach the bottom line.
--Persistence and Tenacity - Sets priorities. Manages activities to reach top priorities.
--Interpersonal Skills - Is able to grow relationships. Acts in a way that brings value to the customer.
--Business Building Skills - Has prospecting ability. Handles multiple sales activities simultaneous without losing control.
--Mental Agility - Gathers, analyzes lots of variable data and understands interactions to derive at appropriate conclusions.
--Presentation Skills - Can get point across in clear persuasive manner by telephone, email or in person.
--Achievement Oriented - Driven to achieve.
--Strategic vs. Tactical - Can think long-term but can do the tactical short-term business.
--Composure - Can handle pressure, confrontation, conflict and stress well
ESSENTIAL SKILLS/ABILITIES (additional personality traits which are highly desirable)
High potential individual that is driven to succeed. The successful candidate for this position will have a long history of setting challenging personal goals and achieving them. This position that requires a winner.
--Ability to exercise strong judgment in analyzing, appraising, evaluating and solving problems
--Ability to work well in a team environment
Additional reading
What Are Your Strengths & Weakness'? : Conduct a SWOT Analysis to Find out!
Career Skills Triangle: Essential Skills for Career Transition
How can you gain a ticket to the C-Suite?
Do you have enough Emotional IQ and Interpersonal IQ?
Many job seekers both new graduates and seasoned professionals focus too much on their technical or "hard" skills. Often, this is done to the exclusion of their "soft skills." "Hard skills" can be taught, but "soft skills or interpersonal skills" must be developed over time.
Often, the candidate who is hired, is the one with the best "soft skills." Counselors do not like these arbitrary labels of hard or soft - which imply a value hierarchy. One of my most in demand skills is coaching job seekers on how to improve and/or present their Emotional IQ or Interpersonal Intelligence in the best light. See post on Career Tune-ups...
Below is a recent, Executive Job vacancy which our MBA career team was asked to post on our job-board. We were asked if we knew of any candidates who met this profile. Of note: the technical skills required for this posting only included 4 bullet points, all the rest are the skills you see below. Think about how you can ace your next interview, leverage your personal charisma and your interpersonal IQ. In a knowledge economy, success and promotions are increasingly tied to relationships with stakeholders, staff, competitors and customers. At the Executive and C-Suite level, if you do not already have these skills you will "flame out" and either quit, get demoted or eventually be fired. Begin developing these skills early, before your job depends on them!
Executive Job vacancy (company name, title kept confidential)
ESSENTIAL BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS (what employers want)
--Negotiation Skills - Can reach outcomes that the customer will consider Win/Win.
--Results Oriented - Sets goals. Conducts activities to reach the goals.
--Financial Acumen - Has financial skills to engineer the outcome. Knows how to reach the bottom line.
--Persistence and Tenacity - Sets priorities. Manages activities to reach top priorities.
--Interpersonal Skills - Is able to grow relationships. Acts in a way that brings value to the customer.
--Business Building Skills - Has prospecting ability. Handles multiple sales activities simultaneous without losing control.
--Mental Agility - Gathers, analyzes lots of variable data and understands interactions to derive at appropriate conclusions.
--Presentation Skills - Can get point across in clear persuasive manner by telephone, email or in person.
--Achievement Oriented - Driven to achieve.
--Strategic vs. Tactical - Can think long-term but can do the tactical short-term business.
--Composure - Can handle pressure, confrontation, conflict and stress well
ESSENTIAL SKILLS/ABILITIES (additional personality traits which are highly desirable)
High potential individual that is driven to succeed. The successful candidate for this position will have a long history of setting challenging personal goals and achieving them. This position that requires a winner.
--Detail oriented in workflow processes and resolution
--Self-motivated, independent thinker--Ability to exercise strong judgment in analyzing, appraising, evaluating and solving problems
--Ability to work well in a team environment
Which skills can you prove? How will you prove them? Consider - would you hire yourself?
Additional reading
What Are Your Strengths & Weakness'? : Conduct a SWOT Analysis to Find out!
Career Skills Triangle: Essential Skills for Career Transition
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Author: © 2011 - All Rights Reserved - Sharon B. Cohen, MA, Counseling Psychology, CPRP.
Licensed Counselor. Virtual Career Counselor, Career Transition Specialist, Social Media Job Search Coach. "Helping business professionals, reach their career potential!"
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• Complete Archive of articles on My Career Manager
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