Qualities Employers Look for in a Good Employee

With such a competitive job market and economic times like many of us have never seen it's critical to be on your game when interviewing for a job. Companies are looking for the best of the best with a pool of job hunters that are sharper and more competitive than ever. They are licking their chops at the talent they have to pick from. What makes a GREAT employee for a corporation? These four skills are critical to land the job that fifty others are in line for:

1. Work Ethic. It's hard to verify work ethic on paper but if you're someone that jumps around a lot from job to job your work ethic may be in question. Employers want loyal, hardworking employees and your references and work history should sing the praises of unparalleled work ethic.

2. People Skills. This is something you either have or you don't. Interviewers can spot it the minute you walk in with how warm and comfortable you are with them. Even if you're nervous be sure to ask questions that show you can engage others and use examples from your work history on how your people skills either helped to land a difficult sale or smoothed ruffled feathers of an irate customer.

3. Credibility. When preparing your references make sure you ask them to mention your credibility. Your resume can show this by results that are driven from difficult experiences with customers where you earned their credibility and were able to use it at a later time and leverage that for the good of the company. Those that are open to being a reference for you believe you are credible and the more you can show your potential employer that your credibility is top notch the better.

4. Competitive. Employers love employees that are competitive and want to win. Any awards, degrees, or other accolades should definitely be mentioned on your resume so they can see that you are someone that rises to the occasion and likes to compete. This is crucial in a sales role because the early bird gets the worm in that business and employers want to know you'll be the first bird digging!

These qualities will give you a leg up against your competition and if you don't feel like you possess some of them than work towards finding ways to incorporate self-improvement that addresses these areas so that you can speak to them comfortably and portray them in an interview.