The Top 4 Qualities Desired by Managers

There is more to you than just your skills and experience. What your interviewer is really trying to work out is how you interact in a workplace situation.  Make sure you demonstrate these 4 qualities that are desired by hiring managers in your next interview.

1) Self- motivation: 

Employers want to hire someone who has the drive and enthusiasm to succeed in whatever task they do. Show the interviewer your desire to be successful and how you can set goals in order to get the job done. It’s all about high energy levels and productivity! Things that you can talk about in an interview that demonstrate self-motivation could be:

• being a an active member of a professional organisation
• taking part in a short course to enhance your professional development
• being involved with a volunteer organisation
• taking on extra responsibilities in previous positions, or
• providing an example of a personal goal that you have set yourself and worked hard to achieve. This could be anything from sporting achievements, saving for a house or even fundraising for a charity.

2) Flexibility: 

Your abilities in adapting to new and changing environments are key to making a big impression on your potential boss. Therefore, try to demonstrate situations where you have shown flexibility in the workplace. This could have been that time where you adapted to a new procedure in the workplace, were open to change, picked up extra hours for the benefit of your team or when you persisted through unforeseen issues on a project. Demonstrating these things will highlight that you are not resistant to change and can move with the business.

3) Creativity: 

Employers are sizing you up, trying to figure out if you can add value to their workplace. Even if your job isn’t an inherently creative one, there were probably still a myriad of times where you have had to think outside the box. Think of a time where you added value to the way in which your workplace functions. Chances are you had to be creative and generate a new strategy or idea. Take advantage of this and show your potential employer how you can bring fresh ideas to take their company to the next level.

4) Integrity: 

Employers want to hire people who are honest and reliable. Focus on providing examples of when you have dealt with sensitive and confidential issues; or, when you have had to handle an ethical dilemma. Perhaps one of the greatest ways to show your integrity is to remain authentic and honest throughout your application and interview. In other words: be yourself!

So, get ahead of your competition the next time you’re going for that big job interview by demonstrating these 4 desirable qualities.

Starting a career blog – to blog or not to blog?

‘To blog or not to blog, that is the question!’

Blogging is rapidly emerging as a great new way to advance your career. Blogs have become a ritual reading, an indication of a person’s professional reliability and at the very least an opportunity to have your name on the internet other than on a Facebook account. As the saying goes ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. With the added bonus of introducing you to a whole new circle, establishing a strong base of professionals who read your articles frequently and can be beneficial to you, and your career.

When’s a good time to start blogging?

There is no time like the present!

• You will be giving the readers a chance to read about your journey and connect with you throughout your career- if you keep them interested that is.
• Taking this initiative looks great on a resume!

Whether you’re a freshly graduated professional or have been employed for a while, everyone has experienced situations similar to yours and there is always going to be someone else who is experiencing what you’re going through. Blogging will become a source of comfort for your readers, although be sure to follow our guidelines to prevent anything career damaging from ending up on the internet!

Establish Yourself

Showing readers that you’re a reliable source is how you strengthen the degree of respect that’s associated with your name, and subsequently this could open up avenues for media sources to contact you- a little publicity never hurt anyone. For example, if you’re an early career Allied Health Professional, writing material relating to current issues in the field is one way of establishing yourself and giving yourself some credibility when you walk into your next interview.

Passion

Be passionate about the topics you blog. The more engaged you are with the content, the more engaged the reader will be.

A blog is not the same thing as a personal diary:

• If you are relaying personal experiences, make sure it still has something of value. Ask yourself, how would my readers benefit from reading this?
• Though you are dealing with social media, try to make sure your spelling, grammar and general flow of text allow readers to take you seriously.
• If you’re not the most creative and influential writer (you don’t have to be!) be sure to share your work with friends or colleagues before going live. This is especially helpful in identifying passages that don’t make sense to others, but that may seem perfectly normal to you.
• Be careful not to reveal any confidential information or inadvertently expose people.

Happy blogging!

Starting a career blog – to blog or not to blog?

 ‘To blog or not to blog, that is the question!’ 

Blogging is rapidly emerging as a great new way to advance your career. Blogs have become a ritual reading, an indication of a person’s professional reliability and at the very least an opportunity to have your name on the internet. As the saying goes ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’- With the added bonus of introducing you to a whole new circle, establishing a strong base of professionals who read your articles frequently can be beneficial to you, and your career.

When’s a good time to start blogging?

If you’re a university student or coping with pre-career decision struggles, this is the best time to start blogging. Why?

• You’re more likely to connect with countless students who are experiencing the same highs/lows as you are
• Just as many people do, you’re giving the readers a chance to read about your journey and connect with you throughout your career- if you keep them interested that is.
• Taking this initiative looks great on a resume!

Whether you’re a university student, a graduate or an employed professional, everyone has experienced situations similar to yours and I can guarantee that someone else is going to experience what you’re going through. Blogging will become a source of comfort for your readers and subsequently an outlet for your own frustrations, although be sure to follow our guidelines to prevent anything career damaging ending up on the internet!

Establish Yourself

Showing readers that you’re a reliable source is how you strengthen the degree of respect that’s associated with your name, and subsequently this could open up avenues for media sources to contact you- a little publicity never hurt anyone. For example, if you’re an early career psychologist, writing material relating to current issues in the field of psychology is one way of establishing yourself.

Passion

If you’re not passionate about blogging, then don’t do it. Your blogs will receive a lot more positive feedback if your passion for your work is portrayed through your writing. Blogging will become nothing more than a daunting task and a reason for procrastinating in any way possible if you don’t enjoy it.

A blog is not the same thing as a personal diary

• If you are relaying personal experiences, make sure it still has something of value. Ask yourself, what would the reader take from this?
• Though you are dealing with social media, try to make sure your spelling, grammar and general flow of text allow readers to take you seriously.
• If you’re not the most creative and influential writer (you don’t have to be!) be sure to share your work with friends or colleagues before going live. This is especially helpful in finding areas that don’t make sense to others that may seem perfectly normal to you.
• Be careful not to name names or expose companies. If you need to vent, mention annoyances at the general department or type of worker, not the person or company. This will help people relate to you more which is what you’re trying to achieve!

Happy blogging!