What Do Employers Expect Traits Employers Look For

What Do Employers Expect?

Traits Employers Look For ü “Soft” or “Interpersonal Skills” üShould be common sense/appear trivial ü Non-technical characteristics

Skills for Success in Workplace ü Communicates clearly with supervisor and others ü Acts professionally ü Learns effectively ü Manages self responsibility ü Plans for change ü Flexibility ü Adaptability

Skills for Success in Workplace ü Plans for personal growth ü Works productively ü Recognizes safe and unsafe work habits ü Demonstrates proper safety procedures ü Maintains a safe and healthy work environment ü Punctuality Taken From the Wisconsin Governor’s Work-Based Learning Board

Network and Communicate ü People need to be able to talk to each other no matter what the setting ü Competitive positions are bolstered if a personal relationship is established for business http: //www. infed. org/about_us. htm

Thinking Creatively ü Even illogically ü Conceive every idea, even if they seem impossible ü The 4 th grader vs. the Seasoned Engineer

Positive Attitude ü Love for the job ü Professional presence that allows others to work alongside one another ü Avoid emotional ruts

Take Educated Risks ü Make some sense üNot long shots ü One person should not bear the brunt of all decisions and risks ü Being Critical

Life-long Learning ü As standards, practices, wants, and needs of a culture evolve, so does engineering and companies ü “Traditional” view

Working With Others ü Members of teams may disagree ü Everyone has different backgrounds, values, training, and other variables that give the team an advantage over similar viewed assembled teams ü Many employers rate this trait as one of the highest in the hiring process

Cooperation Among Members ü Do not necessarily have to be friends ü Make sure you love your job ü Helps create a positive environment ü Increase in productivity

Taking Criticism ü Do not have to like what you hear BUT ü Be receptive to other people’s comments ü Evaluate those comments ü Decide what to do next ü Possess ability to sense tendencies ü Posture says a lot nonverbally

Being Attentive ü Lean forward when person is speaking ü Look at the speaker in (or around) the eyes ü Smile Why penguins make bad listeners. üAt the correct moment ü All are signs of interest in a topic, almost done instinctively http: //bujir_sopi_coac. monblogue. com/main. php

Sarcasm ü “A keen, reproachable expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt. ” ü Avoid using in a business or professional setting

Mental Flexibility ü Each culture has different ideas on business and how things should run ü Adapt when necessary and respect these views ü Shutting off unfamiliar ideas my be shutting off important opportunities

Analytical Thinking ü Ability to comprehend a situation by breaking it into its component parts and identifying the underlying or complex issues

Written and Oral Communication ü Critical skill to possess ü Project documentation and reports needed to transfer information ü When presenting avoid comfort phrases ü “You know” ü “Uh” ü “Like”

Networking ü Ability to find opportunities, develop new contacts, and work with people from many different backgrounds ü Provide advice, lend support, and help get things done http: //www. apage. com. au/cms/take_a_virtual_tour. asp

Self-Discipline ü Take organizational styles to higher level ü Must learn üTime Management üPunctuality üPreparation üOrganization üSpecifics üProtocols üProcedures http: //www. vmi. edu/Show. asp? durki=3178

Experience ü “How do you get experience without a job, and how do you get a job without experience? ” ü Experiential learning has become an important supplement in engineering education ü Combine academic studies with career-related employment opportunities ü Summer jobs, internships, volunteering, research assistantships, on- and off-campus jobs

Myers Briggs Personality Test ü Test developed and copyrighted by Team Technology, headed by Steve Myers ü The results of any of these can be wrong ü Finding what type you are will be valuable information to you in dealing with team development, personal growth, and stress

Myers Briggs Four Questions ü Where, primarily, do you direct your energy? ü How do you prefer to process information? ü How do you prefer to make decisions ü How do you prefer to organize your life?

Where do you direct your energy? ü To the outer world of activity, and spoken words ü Extroversion [E] ü To the inner world of thoughts and emotions ü Introversion [I]

Extroversion vs. Introversion Extroversion (without) ü Social ü Expressive ü Many ü Broad ü Interaction ü Outward ü Action Before Thought Introversion (within) ü Private ü Quiet ü Few ü Deep ü Concentration ü Inward ü Thought Before Action

How do you process information? ü In the form of known facts and familiar terms ü Sensing [S] ü In the form of possibilities or new potential ü i. Ntuition [N]

Sensing vs. i. Ntuition Sensing ü Facts ü Experience ü Practicality ü Present ü Enjoyment ü Realism ü Using i. Ntuition ü Possibilities ü Novelty ü Future ü Aspiration ü Development ü Idealism ü Changing

How do you make decisions? ü On the basis of logic and objective considerations ü Thinking [T] ü On the basis of personal values ü Feeling [F]

Thinking vs. Feeling Thinking ü Analyzing ü Objective ü Logical ü Criticism ü Onlooker ü Decides on principle ü Long term view Feeling ü Sympathizing ü Subjective ü Personal ü Appreciation ü Participant ü Decides using values ü Immediate view

How do you organize your life? ü In a structured way, making decisions and knowing where you stand ü Judgment [J] ü In a flexible way, discovering life as you go along ü Perception [P]

Judgment vs. Perception Judgment ü Close ü Decide ü Structure ü Organize ü Firmness ü Control Perception ü Open ü Explore ü Meander ü Inquire ü Flexibility ü Spontaneity

Working Out Your Preference ü List the letters in a four letter form (ESTJ) ü Insert a question mark for any you are uncertain of ü Two question marks is okay too ü Compare what you written down with the different types starting on Page 215 ü These are only suggestions, you must conclude yourself which you feel comfortable