VanKooten's 7 Characteristics of Employability

To Professor Campbell and fellow students

 

While there are many aspects and tips to follow to help you get employed, VanKooten’s 7 characteristics can establish a much greater possibility of that happening. I am not here to tell anyone how or what the right way is, I am simply showing you bigger and better ways to get your dream job quicker. Shall we get started?

 

Effective Communication

Being an effective communicator is the first step in getting any type of job. If you can’t communicate you can’t do the other 6 characteristics of employability. There are actually tips and tricks to improve communication skills. For example, when you’re talking to a colleague or boss listen to what they are saying before you even think about responding. If you don’t listen and hear what they say, there is no point in you responding because you might just make a fool out of yourself. And, when you are speaking always be concise with your word choice. You don’t want people to look at you and have to act like they knew what you said. Don’t worry either it will happen to the best of us. All you have to do is learn from the mistakes you made. Did I forget to tell almost all of the characteristics tie in with each other? Now let’s keep going with the other 6.

 

Adaptability

When it comes to being able to adapt to new environments or new ideas from piers, it is very important. In any type of career being able to adapt and change your direction of focus is key especially in scenarios where it may be “life or death”. Say you were dealing with a hospitalized patient and you’re a by the book type of person. All the sudden the patient goes into cardiac arrest. What do you when the skills you learned in medical school don’t help the patient? This is where your ability to adapt to new skills and ideas comes into play. Being able to think of new skills on the spot just may be the answer to help save the patient’s life. This is also where being a life-long learner helps anyone be able to adapt to any new situation and get solutions quicker. Did you forget I told you all the characteristics tie in with each other?

 

Life-Long Learning

Having the ability to want to keep learning throughout your life helps develop your mind to know there is always a way. No matter how hard it may be. Has no one ever told you if you learn something new, you may just like it. Wanting to succeed in life and doing your job to just get by are two totally different concepts. Wanting is the desire to succeed in life and for these people life-long learning may just come easy to them. For those who are just trying to get by, they don’t care if they succeed or care to learn new ways of doing practices. Being a life-long learner takes confidence and pride, you just have to find it. And, when you do your understanding of the world and how it works will strengthen.

 

Confidence

Confidence is a trait everyone needs, even if they don’t think they do. If you are confident in your work, you will succeed every time. Unless you aren’t qualified. Hopefully you are. Confidence is contagious. Once other people see you have confidence to anything that comes your way, most people are followers so that complies them to have confidence too. Some people have yet to realize that being confident is just believing in yourself. In the workplace confidence is a key factor in obtaining a job. Using your confidence in how you speak and how you put your ideas out there, is something almost all employers look for. Don’t forget either everyone in confident in their own ways and no one can change that.

 

Positivity and Flexibility

Positivity is something every manager wants to see out of their employees. If your positive it makes the customers happy which makes the manager happy. Another great benefit of being positive is that it reduces stress levels, and you can’t tell me you don’t have stress. According to VanKooten we become more employable based on our attitudes. The ability to be flexible is a different aspect. Being flexible means being open to new ideas and being positive along the way. When you are flexible to new trends it gives you the ability to use continuous learning. Once you open up, you will feel that you never want to go back. Now that we are talking about this it takes us to the topic about being a calculated risk taker.

 

Risk Taking

The ability to take risks is an amazing trait to have, but that’s only if you know which risks you should be taking. We aren’t talking about jumping off a cliff or swimming with sharks’ risks. I am talking about calculated risks within the workplace. Taking risks in the workplace means making decisions that may or may not end well. If your intuition is right about the risk, then you may have developed something new and useful. It doesn’t mean talking back to higher officials or doing your work without a care. Risk taking has to planned and calculated so no mistakes happen, but never say never because well mistakes do happen. Thinking before actually doing something is the key to a developing professional. 

 

Team Player

I personally saved being a team player for last because you can’t do this characteristic without the other 6. Being a team player includes have to communicate efficiently with others to come up with a solution. It also means you have to be confident in your work and letting others know your personal input on the situation, but don’t take it the wrong way if someone doesn’t agree with your solution. You will probably also learn something new from your friends or colleagues. Being positive and flexible means, you have to open to other’s ideas and see their point of view. Adaptability falls right in with being flexible. If you aren’t open to other’s ideas, they may not want to be open to yours. Risk taking means jumping into conversation with what you think may help. Being a team player builds trust between whoever you are working with. 

 

Final Question

What are some tips to help others who can’t get the courage to portray these 7 characteristics in their life?

 

Link

Vankooten, J. (2013, February 04). 7 characteristics of employability. Retrieved October 11, 2020, from https://jeffvankooten.com/2013/02/06/7-characteristics-of-employability/

 

Posted: 

October 11, 2020

 

Comments: 

The tips the author provided are really helping my career get off the ground – John D.

I don’t need advice from anyone – Bob L. 

 

Category:

Pennsylvania College of Technology, Tips and Tricks