DEGREES DO NOT MAKE YOU HIRE-ABLE?

Are you ready to be hired?  Just because you received a degree does not entitle you to a job.  Are you ready to be hired?  Are you prepared to do the things that will pay you enough money to be financially independent or do you need to work for someone else first?  Are you ready to be hired?  The word “hired” is important.  Most people think that because they are good people, have friends, have a degree or have special knowledge about something, that they are ready to and entitled to a job.  A good job, even.

This is hogwash. I interview people weekly and most of the time, I am disappointed and left with the feeling, “man, I wish institutional education entities would just prepare people to get hired.”

Here are five qualities that will make you hire-able. 

1. Speaking well. Meaning, the person has developed a non-verbal and verbal command of expressing their ideas in a clear, concise and compelling way.

2. Writing well. Meaning, being able to express the same idea above in an email or a one-page summary.

3. Salesmanship. It is amazing to me how many people avoid “learning how to sell” and then expect other people to just change their mind and agree with theirs after a novice approach at “selling” them on the idea.

4. Attitude. This alone makes a person hire-able. It amazes me how many posts I see on Facebook on how “having the right attitude” is the key to success and yet, few people study the concept.

5. Work Ethic. When all else fails, work harder. Get up earlier, stay in the office longer, work the weekends. If you are not having breakthroughs in your life that afford you the luxury of a well-balanced life, then you have earned it.  After a while, the pain and suffering of working so hard will make you question what you have been doing wrong and eventually you will succumb to the idea that you must change your ways to change your life. Otherwise, you will be chained to a life of just working harder.