You're 16 and Looking for a Job:
What Employers are Looking for Today

by Sherry Knight

It is the time of year when young people are looking for jobs.  As career professionals, it is our job to help youth present themselves well. Yet, how do we know what employers are looking for when they hire?  

Let's start with the key points:  

1. Attitude is the key! Many young people do not have a great deal of experience. This limitation can be overcome with a positive attitude and by surrounding yourself with a "can do" attitude to all that you encounter. This will appeal to employers, employees and customers alike. 

How do you show a positive attitude? Many young people think that doing a good job is sufficient. Not at all! A positive attitude can be demonstrated in a variety of ways:

Smile. A smile should start at the corners of the mouth and extend all the way up to the eyes. No one feels comfortable with a phoney smile.

Speak to your customers as soon as they enter the door. People like to know that you are pleased to see them, so show that. It starts with the smile and then quickly moves to the verbal connection. Something as simple as, “Glad to see you!”, “Gorgeous weather we're having today, isn't it?”, or “You look like you're in a hurry. What can I do to get you on your way quickly?” These are the kind of statements that will help your customer feel more comfortable and amenable to buying.

Show you care. Stay with your customer, pay attention to them, use eye contact and help them find a solution to their needs.  

2. An ability to think is another aspect that employers look for when they hire. This means staying with the customer and helping him or her find the solution that fits their particular situation. Telling your customer that the aisle they want is “over there” isn't helpful. Instead, bring the customer to the place the product is shelved.

Thinking means putting yourself in the place of your customer and trying to react in a way that goes beyond the norm. Add to this your ability to help customers realize other things they may need will also help your employer increase the bottom line. Customers often appreciate being reminded of things they might otherwise forget.  

3. Commitment is very important to every employer. Every employee needs to show up before his or her shift so that each person is ready to work right at the stated start time. Staying out too late the night before is not an acceptable reason for not showing up for work. Your employer needs to know that you will show up and do the very best job you can do for him or her. In return, your employer will provide you with a fair income.

The best way we can help our youth get jobs today is to demonstrate how to show commitment to an employer:

• Arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled start time.
• Do not prepare to leave until the end of the shift.
• Take only the allotted time for breaks and lunch.
• Dress appropriately for the position and the company.
• Do not use foul language in the business place.
• Only smoke in the areas you are permitted to by your employer
• Show up for your work – calling in to cancel your shift for anything other than illness is not appropriate

4. High level values are always sought out by employers. How do you judge yourself in areas of honesty, integrity, ethics, kindness and caring? It is important to know how you project these values so others can witness them and know the kind of person you are. People like to work with people of high moral standing, whether they are employees or customers.

It is dishonest to mislead a prospective employer by embellishing the truth on a résumé – for instance, upgrading your level of education from grade 10 to 12. While working in a restaurant, it would be considered dishonest to serve extra helpings of food to a friend's order and not charge for it. When this happens the individual's honesty is called into question. The employer begins to look for things that might not be right. Unfortunately when we begin to look for something that is not right we can usually find it, regardless of how minute the error is. Always be truthful! It may hurt, and yet it is this truthfulness that causes people to look at us and realize we can be trusted, even in situations where we might not be found out.

There you have it – some items that employers are looking for today. Keep these in mind: attitude, ability to think, commitment, and high level values. These may be similar to what employers were looking for 10 to 20 years ago.

Sherry Knight, President of Dimension 11 Ltd., is a convention speaker, author and corporate trainer who helps individuals achieve their full potential. To bring Sherry's learning experiences to your organization, call 1-800-303-2315, email sherry@dimension11.com or visit her web site at www.dimension11.com.

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