JobSync

Don't Let Hiring Managers Flunk You

December 8, 2011

You’ve researched a company. You’ve donned your best suit, fresh from the cleaners. You’ve never felt calmer and more confident, ready to go in and wow a potential employer. And then you ace the interview.

Or did you?

Chances are you did not, at least according to a new survey of 734 candidates and 540 hiring managers commissioned by DeVry University’s Career Advisory Board. According to a recent story in the Orange County Register, the survey found that although 72% of job applicants believed they performed well in their interview, only 14% of hiring managers believed that most or nearly all of the candidates had the skills and traits they wanted in an employee. Why the big gulf between the two?

As it turns out, the problem isn’t in the lack of hard technical skills possessed by jobseekers, but rather their lack of soft skills. As one member of the University’s Advisory Board explained, most candidates fail to convey they possess commanding communication skills, problem-solving, and business acumen. Specifically, high on the wish list of hiring managers were a strategic perspective, high integrity, a global outlook, a strong work ethic, dependability, and accountability. However, as another Advisory Board member explained, rather than bring these attributes to the forefront, jobseekers have a tendency to describe themselves in terms which hiring managers would find important for entry-level positions. The result? Automatic disqualification from the hiring process for positions that are clearly not for the inexperienced.

In today’s competitive job market, sophistication and character are keys to portraying yourself as a savvy and seasoned worker. By highlighting your soft skills in an interview in a convincing fashion, you may just spare yourself an unexpected hard landing.

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