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entrusted with and don’t divulge that
information in inappropriate settings.
Your physical and verbal reaction
to constructive criticism and how you
apply that feedback impacts
professionalism. Demonstrate these
traits once you have a job, but you can
practice those while in college and use
examples in your job search.
Consider the clubs or organizations
you are affiliated with. Involvement
shows that you are well-rounded but
equally demonstrates your ability to
build connections, perhaps even with
the professional arm of the organization
and/or alumni. Leadership roles within
organizations also allow you to
encounter similar situations to the
workplace, such as receiving/giving
constructive feedback, to utilize as
examples during an interview.
Professionalism can also be
demonstrated during the interview itself.
Beyond the importance of the basics,
how you treat each person you encoun-
ter will say a lot about your character
and professional competence. It isn’t un-
common for the receptionist to be asked
their opinion of a potential candidate.
As the saying goes, “treat the janitor
with the same respect as the CEO!”
Lastly, consider how you react when
you aren’t offered the position.
Thanking the company for the time
invested throughout the process and
maintaining the connections you made
will certainly boost your professionalism
and may even open a future door!
4. LIFE-LONG LEARNING
For a company to progress, their
employees need to continue to grow as
well. Those who are committed to
continual learning are typically the
first to receive projects, career growth
opportunities, salary increases,
promotions, or additional job offers.
You may be thinking that you’re
learning all you can handle at the
moment but you can begin to develop
the desire for life-long learning while
still in school. Take classes outside of
your major like conversational Spanish,
personal finance, or leadership. While
you may think these electives may not
advance your technical job training, they
will help you learn things that will make
you more competitive in the
professional world. Talking about these
class experiences while networking or
at an interview will demonstrate for the
employer that you have a desire to learn.
Life-long learning can easily be
achieved just by reading. There are
thousands of professional development
books available to help you grow as
a young professional. Mixing a few of
these into your summer reading list will
provide you with insights and theories
you can practice in the workplace or
discuss during networking opportunities.
5. PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION
MAKING/NEGOTIATION
Problems arise daily in the work
environment, both large and small,
and each one has some impact on the
successfulness of the business. As an
employee, you must be able to identify
the problem, take the appropriate action,
negotiate the outcome and realize the
consequences of those decisions.
Your interview should give you
ample opportunities to validate your
problem-solving abilities. Almost every
employer will ask you some type of
behavioural-based interview question(s).
These are designed to highlight how
you behaved in a situation (problem) to
predict how you’ll perform when faced
with similar situations on the job. “Tell
me about a time…” or “Give me an
example of…” are typical ways these
questions start. This is your chance to
quickly explain the problem you were
faced with and how you took initiative,
utilized your resources and got results.
Demonstrate this skill to your
employer by not only coming to your
manager with a problem but also your
proposed solution. This shows respect
for your manager’s time but also your
desire to make the right decision by
working through a problem and asking
for input.
Employability skills are certainly a
determining factor for success in the
workplace and as young professionals, it
can be hard to understand the
importance these skills play for
employers. Demonstrating that you
have these skills and focusing on them
during the interview process, along with
your technical expertise, will help set
you apart from the competition!
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“This individual is someone who adapts
well to change, is always looking for
new challenges and is the go-to person
when something new comes along.”
LIFE-LONG LEARNER
Bob Turner, Wilbur-Ellis
Feed LLC
“Effective communication is an
exchange of understanding which
nurtures relationships, builds
teamwork and engenders trust.”
COMMUNICATION
Alex Andrews, Rocky
Mountain Equipment
“When you understand how to identify a
problem and can sort out the option to
select the best solution, both you and
the organization are successful.”
PROBLEM SOLVING
Tina Dorner, CHS, Inc.