Working in the recruitment industry, I am constantly meeting people in the job market looking to find their next “dream job”. It is evident in the very early stages of an interview which candidates will excel and stand out amongst the large pool of job seekers. The differentiating factor is their ability to effectively convey their drive and enterprise skills. Hiring managers across the country are focusing on targeting the top talent and are willing to pay a premium to get that calibre of individual. From my experience in the legal support market, there can be as much as a $2-5K difference in annual salary for those select few who can communicate the benefits they can bring to a role.

Key traits of successful candidates are the transferable enterprise skills which can be adapted to your new work environment.

These are also known as “soft skills” and are desirable qualities for employment. They include:

Over the last few years, there have been more and more job advertisements listing these desired skills in their descriptions. You need to understand the importance of effectively demonstrating how you display these skills and convey this in an interview.

One of the key skills that have emerged recently is digital literacy. With the rise of technology in the workplace and the shift to having a large part of commercial activity online, digital literacy is becoming a highly sort after attribute. The transferable nature of this skill lends itself to increasing your value as you can bring your understanding of how processes work and adapt to different systems in your new position.

Creativity is an important aspect of a well-rounded skill set. Being creative and able to think or plan in a different way to your competition is incredibly valuable to the future business and brand of your company.

Businesses are commercial entities and at the end of the day, they are looking to attract staff that will boost their efficiency and profitability. Having a solid understanding of the financial structures and processes involved in the operation of a business is a key skill that you can leverage when speaking with hiring managers.

The first point of contact you will have with any potential employer is your CV and cover letter. In addition to showing your previous experience and “hard” skills you have acquired over your career, you want to highlight your soft skills which have been developed over time. Expand upon any key achievements or new processes you established in previous positions and how that benefited the workplace.

The interview is your opportunity to personally sell yourself and prove why you are the best fit out of the pool of candidates they are meeting with. You want to base your skill and experience on facts and situations that you can prove with examples from the past. Interviewers often directly ask for your assessment of your skills and strengths. Take this opportunity to speak about specific times when you have used your creativity, digital literacy, financial awareness or other enterprise skills.

There is a growing demand for top talent as companies target candidates who can bring a diverse skill set to the role. Being able to communicate your enterprise skills is critical in today’s job market. Key attributes will put you ahead of your competition and will greatly benefit your job search and future career.