What Does The 2009 Recruiter Really Want? By Melissa Brewer At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

In these hard times of economic hardship and mass layoffs, there are thousands of people competing for jobs on every rung of the ladder – from industrial jobs to top-shelf MBA careers. Despite educational background, degrees, and a demeanor of self-confidence, what other ways can a potential job applicant stand out from the crowd?

Basic In-Office World Skills

Believe it or not, with the internet a pervasive part of the business world today, many employers are stretching to find candidates with basic brick and mortar office skills, such as the ability to write a coherent memo or letter, conduct a persuasive presentation, create a formal email, or type out a sound proposal. Brushing up on your writing skills and people skills , as well as other “soft skills” are among some of the chief suggestions the business world is handing out in newspapers today. Among other complaints, recruiters still face many job seekers so desperate to garner new employment they still are not researching the company they are interviewing with – and are often unable to clearly explain how their experience matches the job, In short, they need a job, but they have no idea how they actually qualify for it.

Attitude and Character is a Factor

Many people who have been laid off lost their jobs through no fault of their own, however, that doesn't mean that they were the best employee in the world. Remember that humility in a job interview is always better than arrogance – yes, you have the skills and confidence, but no, it doesn't mean that you were the the one employee that didn't deserve to be let go. Even if you worked for one of the most elite companies in the country, it's important to understand that your sacrifice was meant to keep that business going, and your skills were meant to open a door in another company and bring them into success. Yes, you made a sacrifice – but no, you're not a martyr. In this economy, you're not walking this walk alone.

Closely related to attitude and humility is your integrity. Many companies have been buried under the weight of a corporate culture that has literally been poisoned with a "win-at-any-cost" mentality – forcing those terrible corporate bailouts that are now floundering alongside our economy. Don't be offended if they ask you take personality tests and psychology tests – office supplies are expensive, insider trading is reputation-crushing, arguments with customers are costly, and any other unethical behavior is completely unaffordable in the long term business world. It's about change today – buisnesses are scrutinizing applicants thoroughly enough to try and prevent any more harm to their reputations and their bottom line.

Interviewing Professionally

Recruiters can clearly afford to be selective these days about soft skills and specializations, and they have little patience for people pushing for higher salaries during the interview process, no matter what scale on the ladder they're trying to reach, the recruiter will wonder if the candidate has sound decision-making skills at all. Even worse are candidates who show up for interviews with little knowledge of the company at all. During interviews, asking questions about the company based on your knowledge are a key to reflecting your interest, and if you don't use this essential part of the jobseeking process to get your point across, you won't get the job, plain and simple.

The job market is rough – but don't make it harder on yourself. Brush up on your skills, maintain your cool and professionalism, and remember that you're not the only one out there in the job pool. There are still plenty of jobs out there, but you're going to have to pull all the punches, put your skills to the test, and show your best personality traits, even under the stress of each situation.

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