PERSONAL STRENGTHSPERSONAL STRENGTHS

What employers look What employers look for in their search for for in their search for

the RIGHT the RIGHT prospective prospective employee.employee.

The following is a list of qualities that The following is a list of qualities that employers will look for:employers will look for:

• DependableDependable• HonestHonest• Good ListenerGood Listener• PunctualPunctual• Good AttendanceGood Attendance• Free from Substance AbuseFree from Substance Abuse• Basic Computer SkillsBasic Computer Skills• Follows DirectionsFollows Directions• Cooperates with Co-Cooperates with Co-

workersworkers• Follows Work RulesFollows Work Rules• Treats Customers WellTreats Customers Well• Accurate in One’s WorkAccurate in One’s Work

• ResponsibleResponsible• Respects OthersRespects Others• FlexibleFlexible• Willing to LearnWilling to Learn• Pride in One’s WorkPride in One’s Work• Basic Writing & Basic Writing & Math SkillsMath Skills• Problem Solving SkillsProblem Solving Skills• Completes Tasks on Completes Tasks on

TimeTime• Enthusiastic About Enthusiastic About

WorkWork• Uses Common SenseUses Common Sense• Shows InitiativeShows Initiative• Works with Minimum Works with Minimum

SupervisionSupervision

EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

I am I am dependabledependable. I have . I have shown I have this quality by: shown I have this quality by: having a balanced register having a balanced register every day for two years every day for two years when I worked as a cashier when I worked as a cashier for Targetfor Target. This quality is . This quality is important in my field because important in my field because employers value someone employers value someone whom they can trust and whom they can trust and count oncount on. .

Write down your personal Write down your personal strength statement and strength statement and

evaluate it.evaluate it.

I am ____________________. I have shown I I am ____________________. I have shown I have this quality by: have this quality by: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________._______________.

This quality is important in my field because: This quality is important in my field because: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________._______________.

Discover Your Personal StrengthsDiscover Your Personal Strengths Make a list of the activities you love to do, Make a list of the activities you love to do,

your passions. Reflect upon each and your passions. Reflect upon each and determine what skills and abilities you use.determine what skills and abilities you use.

Ask people who know you well what you are Ask people who know you well what you are good at and the abilities that they admire. good at and the abilities that they admire. Friends and co-workers may identify Friends and co-workers may identify different strengths from their perspectives.different strengths from their perspectives.

Enhance your ability to have a successful Enhance your ability to have a successful career by aligning the way you make your career by aligning the way you make your living with those things you love to do and living with those things you love to do and do exceptionally well.do exceptionally well.

You need to be the best you can at describing your best qualities; particularly your key strengths. It is good practice at some point, to ask

yourself: "What am I good at?" purely as a means to establish if you have already thought through this most important

question.

Key StrengthsKey Strengths

Some have, but more often they haven't and the answer usually involves lots of head-scratching, umms and arrhs and then quite often a monologue on what they're NOT good at!!

Your answer to this should be your key strengths statement which we talked about.

A "Key Strengths" statement is a summary of your most powerful skills and attributes.

Key StrengthsKey Strengths• The Key Strengths statement

• Highlights your most important skills and abilities

• Differentiates you from others • Avoids generalizations • Provides examples of your achievements • Spoken naturally should take no more

than two minutes

Of course at a job interview, questions may take many different forms:"What are your main strengths?"

“Why should we hire you?"“What do you think makes you the best candidate?"

“Convince me you're the right person for us"“How do your skills match our particular needs?"

As with all your Presentation Statements it should be so well rehearsed that it sounds completely spontaneous.

The examples below should get you thinking ~ so give your Key Strengths statement some thought now.

“I have very good communication skills; I work well either leading or being part of a team and I am self-motivated and capable of working on several tasks at

once.”“As a leader of small teams I involve people in the decisions so that they feel

involved and ensure they have the opportunity to contribute to tasks facing the team. I manage the information, plan and organize and make the decisions as

required.”“With my strong communication skills, I have been able to motivate the staff to

higher standards of performance meaning we have also helped our profits figures through increased sales and tighter cost-control.”

Finally: Understanding your interests, skills, and attitudes will

increase your confidence and help you sell your strengths to a target employer. Increased self-

confidence sends a positive message to employers. Do not spend too much time trying to discover your weaknesses. If you cannot think of weaknesses that

affect your ability to secure your target position - move on! Career plans built on strengths decrease

the time it takes to find the right job.

Redding LibraryComputer Training- Basic

Skills Computer Classes are

available, free to the public, covering such areas as beginning computers, email, the internet, Word, Excel, and genealogy. Sign up for a class today. Come by or call the Redding Library Reference Desk at 530-245-7252.