Soft skills you want to emphasise in an interview with a recruiter
What are the soft skills? Why are they important? How to tell a story to show your personality strengths and make a recruiter confident you can not only handle a new job, but succeed and help it flourish?
It is a short experience-based article from the recruiter’s side. On a daily basis, I meet candidates in search for a new job. I want to share with you some insights. Yes, we do pay attention to your handshake! (Joking, but just half joking) We are interested in your decision making style, leadership skills, stress-management, perseverance and how well you know what you want to do and how much you want to get paid for that.
It may look as a chat and we do love talking, however, we prefer listening. My colleague says — come to the interview to inspire! Impress the recruiter, share your story the way that you will be well remembered!
In the UK market, there is a strong focus on matching the dynamics between the organisation and candidate, as well as on matching the values. Most of all, the organisation wants to know what you will bring onboard with you, what contribution to the success you will make. Here is a tip — do find a test online that will help you understand your strengths, or ask your friends/colleagues — what do they have from spending time with you, how you make them feel or what new ideas you generate together. Maybe, they come to you to ask for an advice, maybe you are very supportive or know well how to prioritise things and focus on a task. Find your strengths, recognise them and give them power.
Soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits, inherent social cues, and communication abilities needed for success on the job and life indeed. Soft skills characterise how a person interacts with others and how he/she builds relationships with co-workers and management. Soft skills include attitude, communication, creative thinking, work ethic, teamwork, networking, decision making, positivity, time management, motivation, flexibility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and conflict resolution.
People are the main asset of any organisation. Especially, when employees are seen, valued, engaged, thriving, positive, willing, and aware. In an ideal world, we all wish to work in a company that will allow us to be true self and support us on a journey. That might not be true in some cases, but what are you ready to do as a very first step to improve the dynamics within a team, with a line manager, co-worker and the self. Basically, to help companies raise awareness, invest into improving relationships, and recognise strengths, not only focus on targets. They say there is always room for improvement. But let me return to the topic of this article — how to stand out at a job interview.
When you prepare for an interview, look back at your experience, scan it for the highlights, think what you have learnt through a challenging situation, how it has changed you or how the relationships with another person have changed. Share the stories that will help us understand you better, see your strengths clearly and give us that confidence that you will do a great job if you join our client’s organisation!