Personality Differentiators
These are tough times! Lack of jobs and unemployment have become conspicuous around the globe. With millions of students graduating every year, and millions of professionals losing their jobs every day, the competition has become intense. Freshers need to step up and make their mark in the sea of eligible candidates. But how can a fresher expect to compete against candidates with a rich work experience of 2–3 years who have lost their jobs due to the ongoing pandemic? How can we expect a recruiter to pick a fresher against an experienced professional? In case of candidates with no work experience, a company has to spend time and money to train them before they give significant outputs. So why should a company compromise in terms of experience, cost, and time?
Well, if you are a fresher, you need to differentiate yourself to get an edge against the crowd. Apart from refining your technical skillset, you need to polish your overall personality. A positive attitude is something that sets you apart. It needs to be understood that most times, even freshers possess the skillset required for a job, let alone experienced candidates. Therefore, in spite of being a perfect fit for a job in terms of skills, there are high chances of you not making it. A positive attitude goes a long way and can create a good impression on the recruiter. Even if there are more experienced candidates in the queue, you might just get hired. It is because your personality defines who you are! Skills can be acquired over a period of time, but personalities and attitudes take a lifetime to change. Having a positive approach will help you build your case in a recruitment process. Confidence and willingness are the keys to landing a job. Become a “Yes Man” and accept what comes your way with open arms. In present times, avoid creating a fuss around your job location and starting salary. These things shouldn’t matter when you are tenacious. Remember that there are a thousand other candidates who can fill in your spot, thus, a positive mindset can work wonders for you!
Another factor that can act as a differentiator is good communication. This is something that can make or break an interview process. In just 30 minutes of interaction, an interviewer can make a strong perception about you through the way you communicate. You might have everything a job demands, but even your tone could play a spoilsport in an interview process.
Lack of fluency can also raise doubts in an interviewer’s mind. Sometimes, we have so much to speak, but are unable to articulate at the right moment. Communication speaks a lot about one’s personality. The tone, kinesics, and paralinguistics create an image of who we are! It becomes really important for a jobseeker to know what to speak, when to speak, and how to speak. There should be a certain degree of calm in your voice. Words should come out clear and distinct. A good communicator doesn’t speak unless required, but listens to others patiently and carefully.
Finally, the overall appearance of a candidate plays a major role in his or her selection process. The way you carry yourself makes an impact on the recruiter. A shabby look can easily overshadow all your talents, whereas at the same time, a clean appearance showcases your seriousness and positively influences the interviewer’s decision. Your attire should neither be too loud nor too dull and your shoes should always be polished.
Though I am no expert, but on the basis of my learnings and observations, I can speak with confidence that the aforementioned factors surely impact the result of a recruitment process. Apart from your skillset, you can definitely make a statement with your attitude, positivity, confidence, communication skills, and appearance. Although some of these factors might not play a strong role in particular interviews, but they can never decrease the possibility of your selection.
I have also faced certain difficulties in interview processes (even the mock ones), but the only way to overcome those is to appear for more and more interviews. Don’t get disheartened by rejections; they teach you what shouldn’t be repeated the next time. Landing a job in these difficult times is tough indeed, but don’t look at your competitors, just give it your best shot! The day will be yours when you combine your technical skillset with the above-mentioned factors. Soft skills can take you a long way!
