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What makes a good job candidate?

As someone going into the work field and a little brother who's going to as well I want to know the basic requirements for a good job candidate so that I might be able to help him and myself. #job-search-strategies #career-counseling #career #job-search #resume-writing #interviews

career-counseling job-search interviews resume-writing job-search-strategies
Thank you comment icon Hi! Although I am not an employer, I am a student who works at the Career Center of my college - if you are in college I would recommend checking to see if you have a career resource center for students on campus as well. Making sure that your resume is honest and formatted professionally would help. Creating profiles on websites like LinkedIn and Handshake may help as well. Sabina
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Cindy R.’s Answer

Hi Madison,

Great question! By asking this question you have already taken the first step. Every organization is different in terms of their preferences. However, the one key factor is that they are all looking for someone to fill a position and I believe that there are some similar qualities that they all look for.


For every position that you apply for, I recommend that you do your research on the company and the position to learn what they are looking for to better assist you in matching your skills and experience to their requirements. The number one thing that makes a good job candidate, is meeting their requirements. This along with a few other qualities that are actually summed up nicely in the article, "What Makes a Good Job Applicant" found at http://work.chron.com/good-job-applicant-4935.html.


Thank you comment icon Your answer is great Cindy, thanks so much for sharing your expertise! At this moment there are more than 800 unanswered questions so I wanted to encourage you to keep going! So many students will benefit tremendously from hearing from you. Keep up the great work! Jordan Rivera, Admin COACH
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Ayush’s Answer

A good Intelligence quotient, Emotional quotient, team spirit and modesty, specially at the early stages of your career are key ingredients that organizations look for in new candidates. Organizational fit is also a big factor while hiring candidates. In context of getting jobs straight out of college, try to be skilled technically if going for a highly technical job profile like Software Development. In case of a more client facing or business oriented role, good communication and presentation skills are extremely essential. Every job has a set of requirements and expectations, do not be disheartened if you do not possess them already. It is never too late to start learning!
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Lashay’s Answer

A good job candidate possesses several things
: Knowledge about yourself (your tendencies to behave I'm certain situations, your likes and interests as well as dislikes.... tasks you like to do and dislike doing as well as what you are naturally good at doing as it relates to work). Then you need to have a good knowledge base about the type of work you are pursuing and what skills, knowledge and experiences are important to it. One way to learn about what certain careers require and desire is through studying various job descriptions. Also, go to occupational outlook handbook I'm Google and type in careers you're considering one at a time in the search box. Read the details about each to help you learn more and compare your skillset and education (individual classes you've had). Similarly, review onet.org to learn more about various careers of interest to help you use the correct language in interviews. Next, practice interviewing to gain comfort and have your resume reviewed by a professional. Good luck!

Lashay recommends the following next steps:

Study company values, mission, goals. Check your own values for a match.
Get experiences through interning, work study, part time work, volunteering, and club leadership positions. These will set you apart from average student who only went to class.
Review job descriptions, onet.org, and occupational outlook handbook online to gain info on important aspects of the careers you are considering.
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Robert’s Answer

I like to think about the ideal employee having Attitude, Aptitude, and Work-Ethic. Are you a positive person? Are you intelligent? Do you work hard?

If you have two of the three, you are probably a good employee, but if you come to work every day with a positive attitude, you are capable of and interested in learning, and you work hard and take your role seriously (whatever it is), then you will be an outstanding employee.

When I'm reviewing resumes or interviewing candidates, that is in essence what I'm looking for. When the hiring manager asks you questions, consider how your responses might communicate these characteristics.

Good luck!
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Chris’s Answer

This will depend on the position you are applying for. High level answer: Employers look for candidates that are strong communicators, show grit - ability to stay on task and not give up, want to grow and learn, and are passionate.

You should be able to flush these out when you look at this job posting. What skills are they looking for?

Hope this helps.
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