Hello people, I have been silent for some time now.  It was due to some other competing needs. Good news is that I am back and will be bringing some wild information here. Target audience is young business executives. Watch this space......

Four attributes you should demonstrate when pursuing your dream job

By Wisdom Kwame Nuworkpor FCCA, ICA, MBA

In my previous article, we looked at Six (6) attributes you should not exhibit when pursuing your dream job.  In this article, I will be highlighting four very vital attributes you need to demonstrate when pursuing your dream job or a career progression.  

In his book "I Got My Dream Job and so you can", Pete Leibman1 maintains that every employer needs four variables from potential employees.  Your task as a job seeker is to prove that you can deliver these four needs better than anyone else. These four needs are discussed below:

1. Belief

Employers want people who believe in themselves and people who believe in the mission of their organization.  It is very surprising to see candidates or prospective employees who have no clue about the mission of organisation they intend to work for.  I am not sure how anyone can support in achieving the mission of an organisation if they do not know what it is.  Knowing the mission is one thing and believing in it is another. Both current and potential employees must know the mission of their organisation and believe in it.

One of the questions you will be asked (directly or indirectly) in any interview is “Why do you want this job?” If you don’t have a great answer to that question, that’s a sign you should be looking elsewhere.

2. Excellence

It doesn’t matter what your GPA is or how talented you are if your integrity is questionable or if you look like a slob.   Excellence is essential for getting hired and for achieving career success.

It is very easy to stand out in an organisation because most employees just do the bare minimum or worse.  A little extra effort multiplies quickly over time, and it is always noticed by the people at the top.

3. People / Communication Skills

Regardless of your employer, you will have a boss, you will have colleagues, and your organization will serve other people, whether they are clients, customers, patients, donors, voters, subscribers, or students. To achieve career success, you must get along well with other people, and you must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with them.  

4. Results

Employers hire people for one reason and that is; to solve problems. When you demonstrate that you deliver top-notch results, you will almost always get hired faster and promoted faster. Simply put, if you aren’t solving problems, you aren’t getting hired or promoted. It is therefore very important to be prepared to embrace opportunities to solve problems whenever they arise (for example, an opportunity to provide cover for a colleague in his/her absence).   

I believe strongly that employees who demonstrate these attributes get hired and/or promoted faster than those who do not.  

As you pursue your career aspirations in 2017, I urge you to take these four variables into consideration.  I wish you a very Prosperous 2017.

References:

1. Pete Leibman (2012), I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College.

Six things you should not exhibit when pursuing your dream job

By Wisdom Kwame Nuworkpor FCCA, ICA, MBA

Having been in industry for over 17 years and sat in several job interviews, one thing most job seekers are not aware of is the answer to the question “what exactly do employers look out for”.  In this article, I will attempt to highlight some things you should not exhibit when pursuing your dream job.

Pete Leibman1 in his book, "I Got My Dream Job" defines a dream job as one that combines your talents and passions in a way that is meaningful to you.  This definition is quite different from a career in that, a career describes an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life, usually with opportunities for progress2.  

Whether you are pursuing your dream job or your career, it is important to remember that you are not the only one nervous, the employer is nervous too.  As a matter of fact, a bad hire can cost employers thousands of dollars.  As such, employers want to be sure they are hiring the right person.  For this reason, ensure that you don’t give employers the reason to believe that you have any of these six attributes identified by Liebman:

1. Dishonest – If an employer doesn’t think you can be trusted, you aren’t getting hired.  It is very easy to pick up hints of dishonesty from the candidate at the interview.  Usually, the follow-up questions asked at the interview will bring this out clearly.  My advice to you, the prospective candidate is that, make integrity one of your personal values (that is if you have not done so already).  
2. Lazy – No employer wants to recruit a lazy person.  If an employer thinks you will not work hard or you will give excuses for every assignment given to you, you aren’t getting hired.  
3. Difficult – If an employer thinks you are going to antagonise any strategic initiatives or that you are going to be difficult to manage, you aren’t getting hired.
4. Uncommitted – If an employer senses disloyalty and thinks that you might bolt for another job one month into your employment, you aren’t getting hired.  
5. Unprofessional – A good hiring manager will review your profile not only as stated on your CV but also online.  If an employer thinks you might be a source of embarrassment (in person or online), you aren’t getting hired.  With the explosion of social media, this is becoming more of a concern.  It is therefore critical for prospective employees to be very mindful on posts they publish on social media.
6. Unqualified – If an employer doesn’t think you can get the job done better than anyone else, you aren’t getting hired.  According to Leibman, if you satisfy the first five fears, this last concern can often be eliminated.  This is because employers hire for attitude and train for skill3.

My next article will address what employers look out for.  Keep your dial on this page and please remember to send me your feedback.  They are very important to me. 

Remember to share this link so we can equip the corporate world with people with the right attitude and skill.

I wish you a prosperous 2017.

References:

1. Pete Leibman, I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College, 2012.

2. Concise English dictionary
3. Tom Peters, AZQuoates, http://www.azquotes.com/author/11575-Tom_Peters