#ProInterns: Skills You Need To Get Hired

It is undeniable that forces such as increasing globalization, the paradigm shift from the primary or labour intensive to service oriented industries and the evolution of technology and the internet have disrupted the labour market. These have further influenced the way employers take on prospective candidates in order to boost their profits and maintain their reputable corporate image.

Graduates might have just the hard skills from their various courses with hardly any soft skills to obtain the job opportunities. According to the World Economic Forum (Thompson, 2016) and Hays, a global HR and recruitment company (GIS, 2016), some of the most demanded skills for the future include the following;

1. INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

This is the ability to relay information not only verbally but also using non-verbal cues such as body language, eye contact, gestures and facial expressions. There are a number of attributes tied to communication, of which some include the following;

• Confidence: As fresh graduates, it can be daunting to get immersed into the professional environment especially clearly expressing oneself during interviews, introducing oneself during networking events or even making new friends at work.

However, believing in yourself and your ability to succeed is imperative during your job hunt and at the workplace too while refraining from arrogance or aggression.

• Proactive listening: Most people are often quick to speak than to listen. As someone new to the workforce proactive listening involves paying close attention to your superiors at work, asking clarifying questions to ensure understanding and an appropriate response from both parties.
• Non-verbal communication: Numerous signals are conveyed by our bodies and can inform the recipient about what we are ‘saying’ without using our words for example, a firm handshake exudes confidence; maintaining eye contact (not staring) while nodding demonstrates listening attentively and in agreement; and a face-palm suggests frustration.
• Constructive feedback: From the employee’s perspective, this is very crucial to highlight which areas to improve upon while in the workplace or also after an interview. Implementing this response, say in one’s resume, can further better their chances at landing a job.
• Emotional intelligence: The workplace is an arena of different perspectives and personalities and disagreements are inevitable. A combination of self-awareness and self-control as well as empathy, friendliness and respect for others will enable one to thrive in the workplace.

By using social skills in the professional context, candidates are able to build rapport with colleagues, express needs and understand those of others, facilitate the decision making process, empathize with others, form new relationships, negotiate and close sales.

2. TEAMWORK SKILLS

To quote Aristotle, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts” – the ability for people to integrate their varying dynamics such as educational or professional backgrounds, nationalities, gender and personal experiences to magnify their strengths and minimize their individual weaknesses. In a sense, diversity inspires innovation in the workforce.

Working cohesively enables teams to address the employer’s pain points and possibly identify opportunities to generate more revenues as well as fosters one’s personal and professional development through being a versatile team player, an agile learner and a capable leader.

Stepping up and taking the responsibility to lead teams in the work environment is an exceptional gift. This entails one prioritizing and comprehensively planning work assignments, co-ordinating the team while keeping them motivated and inspired to bring their best to the table.

3. COMPLEX PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING

The proliferation of information and data demands for people who can analytically make sense of it to draw feasible solutions. This presents the opportunity for fresh graduates to apply some of the concepts they learned from school and also research and insights drawn from their chosen industry.

Employers are keen on knowing the candidate’s thought process when faced with an industry or company challenge. Candidates should be able to formulate plausible recommendations and logical reasoning by assessing the available information, raising questions affiliated to the topic and building a strong argument.

Hungry job seekers usually make the mistake of simply stating some of these highly sought out skills instead of illustrating these with past accomplishments as selling points.

At ProInterns, we equip interns, recent graduates and those entering the workforce with frameworks to demonstrate these competencies when writing their cover letters, resumes and during interviews to have an edge over their competition. We implore you to join us for a workshop covering vast areas that will help you get your foot through the door.