My MoneyLife™ with Chuck Bentley
Monday, February 27, 2011
Essential Job Skills
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Transcript of Today's Program:
You may have heard that the job situation is getting better—that the official unemployment rate continues to go down. Still, forecasters are predicting minimal economic growth and relatively little growth in the number of new jobs in the year ahead.
Now, that just means—if you’re looking for work—that you’ve got to bring a little more to the table. It’s a buyers’ market for employers, so here’s a list of the “extras” they’re looking for these days—and these are from MarketWatch:
- Adaptability. Companies want workers who can adapt quickly and take on new responsibilities in a time of rapid economic change. Show that you’re flexible and willing to take on new projects.
- Creativity. Can you figure out ways to do things quicker, cheaper, better? Show instances where you saved your company money and labor costs by improving delivery of a good or service.
- Technical literacy. Get to know the processes that keep companies in your field operating smoothly—even mundane things like data input. So what if that’s not your area—a general knowledge of how data is managed makes you a more attractive candidate.
- Business acumen. Companies these days want employees who think sales and marketing even if they work in the mail room. You can’t just be concerned about your little area—employers want everyone on the payroll these days thinking about revenue.
Now, you may have noticed that most of these intangible skills are easily transferrable from one career field to the next. If you’re thinking about a career change, you should check out Career Direct, our proven assessment tool.
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