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Looking for your first job is one of the most overwhelming experiences any person can ever experience. It isn’t just about navigating the onslaught of emotions, or spending hours trawling through job postings, it is having to handle the pressure you heap on yourself.
Most of this pressure is about the skills a job requires that you haven’t yet got. But don’t despair too much, because employers that are hiring for entry-level jobs know what they want, and there is a benefit in hiring someone who has yet to be employed yet. You are a blank canvas to them.
That doesn’t mean you can’t improve your chances. After all, there are certain qualities all employers are looking for:
A Positive Personality
When an employer brings someone into their
Manners Maketh Man
And woman, of course. You see, if you have good manners – opening doors, holding eye contact, shaking hands, saying please and thank you – then you are going to start to win your potential employer over. How? Simple. Not only will you be halfway there in terms of professionalism, but good manners will help when meeting clients and customers, and that could carve out an opening for you.
Looking for your first job is one of the most overwhelming experiences any person can ever experience. It isn’t just about navigating the onslaught of emotions, or spending hours trawling through job postings, it is having to handle the pressure you heap on yourself.
Tweet ThisBe Proactive
Employers don\’t have the time or patience to hold someone’s hand for too long, so they are going to want to know that you are proactive and use your initiative. This could be something as simple as demonstrating how you were proactive at school with specific examples. However, it could be that you go one step further and try and add something specific to
Realistic Ambitions
You may have huge dreams, and rightly so, but how you go about achieving these dreams needs to be realistic, and your employer needs to know you understand that. What do we mean? Well, to an employer, big dreams can make you look like a dreamer, and that may not go in your favor at a manufacturing plant. Big dreams can also make it look like you want to skip a load of the necessary steps to make it to where you want to be. That isn’t an attractive proposition to an employer either. As such, you need your potential employer to know that you are there to do a job and to do it exceptionally well. You may not plan on being there forever, but you need to perform at a high standard while you are.
Teamwork
A lot of companies operate according to a teamwork culture which prioritizes employee participation across the board. On the other hand, you have companies that place an emphasis on keeping the workplace casual while others prioritize the firm implementation of rules and regulations.
Communication Skills
Interviews are short in nature and you will have a limited time to communicate much to the hiring manager (why you are the best person for the job, why you will be a great fit for the company, your relevant experience, etc.). If you can’t get your point across somewhat quickly, you will most likely not be getting a job offer. Besides having the required experience and qualifications, interviewers look for a confident personality with strong communication skills. Practice makes perfect and you should find friends or relatives who will practice mock interviews with you.
The Job Interview Style Guide is a conversational step-by-step manual for men and women who want to learn how to dress for an interview and automatically attract employers in a way that will make them stand out.
