While I’m not sure about the wording of this question, I think it’s always important to look at how your skills can help other people. (And of course know what those skills are exactly.)
Question
What are your three strongest career superpowers? I’m looking to see how reframing our strengths as superpowers actually makes career development more fun and less frustrating.
- You gotta love Flickr, man. How amazing is this photo?
My Answer
I’m actually just putting together an article on the traits employers find irresistible. I interviewed about 10 different HR consultants/employees/whatever and their 3 most interesting answers were:
1. Make OTHER people – whether interviewers or coworkers – feel important and special. Stop trying to be impressive, stop trying to make yourself feel important. Instead, spend time making the people around you feel special and it will all come back to you.
2. Use social media to highlight and/or reinvent yourself. Stop freaking out about your blog or Facebook page. Instead, use it to really market yourself as a potential employee or highlight your expertise as an important part of your industry.
3. Eye contact. Seriously. It’s that simple.
Other traits the HR managers mentioned:
- “Thank you notes can ruin everything if they are long and complicated or if you are trying to make up for your bad performance during the interview. Don’t use thank you notes to offer better answers after the interview is over.” ~ Berit Brogaard
- “Bring a 90-day plan to the initial interview. One candidate brought in a complete customized plant turnaround plan for an Operations Manager role. He got the job.” ~ Kendra Schultz
And my favorite…
- “Usually applicants are ashamed to list restaurant experience when entering the corporate world, but my best performing employees have come with a restaurant background. If you have ever waited and served the hungry general public, you can multi-task, handle stress under pressure, possess a sense of urgency, understand the importance of deadlines, possess excellent customer service skills and, most importantly, no sense of entitlement.” ~ Patty Sharkey
Gonna keep it short and sweet today, but I’ve never hired anyone. For those of you who have, what “superpowers” do find most important?
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