1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,450 In this topic 2 00:00:00,450 --> 00:00:04,590 we're going to talk about what employers want and expect from their potential candidates a 3 00:00:04,779 --> 00:00:08,489 Really good place to start is with the Department of Labor's competency model 4 00:00:08,679 --> 00:00:15,449 It's a great foundational piece to help you understand some baseline competencies that employers expect you to show up with on the job 5 00:00:18,340 --> 00:00:21,930 At the bottom of that competency model is the foundational layer 6 00:00:21,930 --> 00:00:29,519 And basically it's made up of what we call personal effectiveness competencies. You might have heard these referred to before as soft skills 7 00:00:33,370 --> 00:00:39,300 So what is the difference between a soft skill and a workplace competency well something like integrity 8 00:00:39,300 --> 00:00:44,520 We be considered a soft skill whereas experience with spreadsheets would be considered a workplace competency 9 00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:52,860 Another characteristic of personal effectiveness competencies is that they are what we call portable skills 10 00:00:53,199 --> 00:00:58,919 Meaning they aren't tied to any one job or industry. They're actually skills that we can apply across a broad range of settings 11 00:01:01,899 --> 00:01:07,048 Research tells us that if employees have these skills. They are more likely to perform well on the job 12 00:01:07,450 --> 00:01:12,390 These are the kinds of skills that employers expect their new hires to come to the job with already 13 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,229 Not something that they need to be trained in or coached after they've been hired 14 00:01:19,990 --> 00:01:23,369 Next let's take a look at each of these competencies in a little bit more detail 15 00:01:23,369 --> 00:01:28,709 I want to help you understand from the point of view of the employer some of the questions that they might be thinking about as 16 00:01:28,710 --> 00:01:30,710 You go through the job hiring process 17 00:01:33,759 --> 00:01:36,929 The first one we're going to take a look at is interpersonal skills 18 00:01:37,030 --> 00:01:41,549 Some of the things that the employer might be thinking about is does this person know how to play well with others? 19 00:01:42,009 --> 00:01:47,459 Do they have manners can they empathize with their teammates? Do they know how to be an active listener a 20 00:01:50,500 --> 00:01:52,500 Second competency is integrity 21 00:01:52,690 --> 00:01:58,679 Some of the things that they might be wondering about are are they fair? Are they a thha chol are they trustworthy and honest? 22 00:02:02,020 --> 00:02:05,790 Number three in our list is professionalism. What does that mean? 23 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,979 Well some things that they might be thinking about or will they be on time? Do they have a positive attitude? 24 00:02:11,380 --> 00:02:16,499 Are they able to keep their personal problems outside of the workplace? Are they helpful do they gossip? 25 00:02:19,780 --> 00:02:21,839 The next one on our list is initiative 26 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,610 Some questions there are are they self-motivated resourceful and creative? 27 00:02:26,950 --> 00:02:32,729 Are they willing to get things done without being told will they do more than required? And are they a problem solver? 28 00:02:36,489 --> 00:02:39,299 Dependability and reliability is the next competency 29 00:02:39,730 --> 00:02:46,080 some questions that they might be thinking about as they speak with you is do they finish their tasks and meet deadlines do they follow 30 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,940 Up and keep commitments. Do they show attention to detail and are they able to work independently? 31 00:02:54,940 --> 00:02:58,049 Number six on the list is adaptability and flexibility 32 00:02:58,870 --> 00:03:00,760 What does that look like? 33 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:05,699 Well some questions there are can they handle changing work conditions? Can they stay open to new ideas? 34 00:03:06,250 --> 00:03:12,779 Are they flexible enough to handle rapid change surprises and challenges and are they able to deal with role changes? 35 00:03:13,420 --> 00:03:15,420 and 36 00:03:16,060 --> 00:03:22,709 Finally number seven, which is lifelong learning some things that they may want to know is do they want to learn new skills 37 00:03:23,230 --> 00:03:26,759 Do they take the initiative to learn and set goals? Are they curious? 38 00:03:26,860 --> 00:03:32,850 Do they value knowledge and skills and do they take opportunities for formal and informal learning whenever they get the chance?