5 Qualities To Help Employability

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We work with young people all the time and one of the common things they want to know is "What does an employer look for when hiring?" As an organisation who also looks to hire great people, here are 5 qualities we think will make you more employable!

1. Confidence

"Confidence is not about being proud of yourself but believing in yourself" - Anonymous.

We really love this quote because it highlights that confidence is not the same as being proud. Being confident helps you answer interview questions in a way that gives your interviewer the assurance that you know your stuff. 

You don't have to know it all in order to seem more employable. But you have to believe in the skills & knowledge you have acquired through your studies and believe you can learn on the job and do well.

2. Creativity

"Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought" - Albert Einstein. 

While "creativity" is most commonly tied to jobs that require artistic skills, we believe that being creative is more than that. It means you can think out of the box. When you're given a task, don't just do it the way anyone would do it; but do it in an unconventional way that yields the same or better results.

You will come across as an added value to the team and organisation because you strive to make things better than it already is. And that is something most employers would love to see in their candidates.

3. Curiousity

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths" - Walt Disney. 

Being curious keeps you on your toes. You're always looking around, trying to understand & figure out why things work or not. Be bold to ask questions, grow and build your knowledge. For example, you can prepare a set of questions you would like to ask your potential employer before you go in for an interview. Doing this shows that you are eager to know more about the role, what the organisation stands for and what challenges lie ahead. 

A word of caution though, don't overstep boundaries when asking questions. Instead, look out for the right time and ask the right questions. That way, your eargerness and curiousity will be an asset instead of a liability.

4. Commitment

"If I am committed, there is always a way" - Tony Robbins

Most people go in to an interview not knowing what to expect, so when they are asked if they can commit to the job's long working hours, travelling, etc. They're not ready to answer. Being commited here is not about asking you to work extra hours and slave through your job to get noticed but to just be responsible & reliable enough to get the job done.

At the end of the day, being responsible is one of the good attitudes that employers would look for when hiring.

5. Caring

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care" - John C. Maxwell

The care we want to highlight here is the dedication and passion for what you are doing. When you care about your job, you would want to make excellence a part of your work culture. When you care about the people you work with, you would want to ensure that there is trust and a strong sense of teamwork among people. Caring is not just a feeling, but an action that shows how much ownership you have of the organisation.

Employers look for candidates who are invested in their cause, their business, their industry and their people. At the very least, go into an interview with some knowledge of the organisation, it will definitely impress your interviewers.

In Conclusion...
Don't be disappointed if you don't have all five, because life is a journey where we gain new experiences and grow. Having two to three of the qualities above will already make you a great candidate for employment!

If you're looking for a job to showcase or grow further in some of these qualities, you can sign up for a part-time position where we're looking for Connectors for our financial education program, Duit Right. It'll be a fun time of engaging with students and helping them learn the basics of financial education.

Position: Connectors
Pay: RM100 per day
Required Hours: 3-4 days a week
Duration: April - May 2017

Send your CV to jobs@gengemilang.org if you're interested or share this news with a friend whom you think should join!

Shu Ling