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what are you looking for in a candidate?

what are some of the things you expect for the candidate to able to do .

Thank you comment icon Hi Fernanda! I’m the future, it is helpful to Professionals if you specify what type of candidate you are asking about (for example, a candidate for a teaching position or for admission to a college). Otherwise, you might not be getting the advice you are looking for. Thanks so much for posting on CV! Alexandra Carpenter, Admin

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Ben’s Answer

I am a Manager who has interviewed, hired and managed employees in my career. Depending on the position, the candidate should have the necessary skills to perform the job. As someone else mentioned the skill set is different for every job, so I will answer this questions assuming that the candidate has the general skills to perform the job.

In addition to the general skills, what I look for is someone who is a self starter, can work well on their own and can also fit in a team environment. By self starter, I mean someone who finds opportunities to improve a process and jumps right into it. A self starter is someone who begins work or undertakes a project on his or her own initiative, without needing to be told or encouraged to do so.

By working well on their own, I am referring to someone who can take direction from their boss and then just start producing. There is alot of collaboration in the workplace today, but alot of the being done will be done alone also. As a Boss, I don't want someone whose hand I have to hold all the way through an assignment. It's ok to reach out to me to touch base or get some quick feedback on progress, but not on a regular basis.

Lastly, the candidate should be able to work well in a team environment. As I stated, there is alot of collaboration in the workplace today. People will have data and info you need and you'll have data and info they need. Personalities are different and office politics gets in the way sometimes, so a candidate will need to be able to navigate those waters.
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Renu’s Answer

As a senior researcher myself, I feel it is most important to be open-minded and collaborative and be a great team player. When interviewing, I recommend highlighting those as your critical skills during interviews. Sometimes hard skills are easier to learn; soft skills need some foundational skeleton to absorb and grow.
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Madisyn’s Answer

Hi Fernanda,

Depending on the job, there will be a set of technical skills and soft skills that every employer is looking for. For technical skills, these depend on the type of job. For example, if you are applying for a role within accounting then you will be expected to have some knowledge of Managerial Accounting, Financial Accounting, etc. On the other hand, soft skills are skills that apply to almost all jobs. These include things like having good communication skills, the ability to work in teams, timeliness, organization and so on.
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M’s Answer

Hi Fernanda! Great question! In my opinion it goes a long way being an honest and open-minded candidate. Flexibility, organization, and being vocal are all great skills to implement in a career and look great to interviewers/recruiters. Likewise having the skillsets and tools that are not only required but recommended will make you standout from other candidates. Good luck, wishing you all the best!
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Mary’s Answer

Requirements for candidates are different for every position and every job. The type of position will dictate what the criteria would be for a successful candidate that an employer would be looking for.
You might need a specific degree or specific education/ training for certain positions, where as others you may need good administrative skills.
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Steve’s Answer

Typically, good candidates are expected to be able to learn but can work independently after ramp-up.
A good candidate should have strong experience to show their abilities.
A good candidate can help the team's life easier.
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Angela’s Answer

Hello! I used to be a recruiter and there are a few things that come to mind. Your experience is important. Unless it's an entry level role, hiring managers do typically want to hire people with similar work experience. Make sure your resume aligns well with the position you're applying for. It's ok to adapt your resume slightly to fit for the position you're applying for. You should not fabricate your experience but using similar wording to what the job description has. This can be especially important when applying online through a portal that will track resume word match. I hope this helps!
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Rachel’s Answer

As a recruiter specializing in many industries. I would say candidates who are professional, committed and dedicated to their job search as much as we are dedicated to finding them jobs is very important.

Additionally, candidates who are upfront and honest about their employment history, skillset are more likely to get more follow through.

Hope this helps,
-Rachel
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Essence’s Answer

As a Tech Sourcer, I look for people who are constantly on the quest to learn new things and grow within a company. It's also very helpful if a candidate has their skills and professional accomplishments clearly highlighted on their resume to ensure they meet the basic qualifications. I suggest including both hard and soft skills to show who you are as an employee and person. It also never hurts to show what you're passionate about because that speaks to the quality of work you are looking to do at a company. Hope this helps!
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Les’s Answer

Hi Fernanda,

It depends on the role outside of the basics (being on-time, having integrity, etc.).

A good candidate for any job displays passion for the role they are seeking as well as having the ability to adapt. In addition, they have a way to show their prior experience of willingness to learn and complete tasks on-time. Many organizations have team based structures where collaboration is very important to the team's success and your success in the role.

Here is a helpful link-
https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en
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