AgCareers Career Guide - September 2016 - US

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20 Ag & Food CAreer guide
TTO TRULY COMPETE in today’s job
market you need more than a diploma.
Employers are looking for the total
package; candidates who have the
education needed to understand the job,
the experience to carry out the
technical duties, and the employability
skills to be successful.
Let’s begin with a quick overview
of what employability (or soft) skills
are. The term refers to attributes that a
person encompasses that allow them to
interact effectively with other people,
particularly in the workplace. These
traits have often been attributed to
success on the job, but as the
competition for talent increases,
specifically in the agriculture industry,
demonstrating and highlighting these
types of skills throughout the job search
and interview process can be a way to
set yourself apart from the competition.
A full list of these soft skill traits
could easily be in the hundreds, so for
now, we will focus on five critical skills
employers seek in new graduate hires.
1. COMMUNICATION
Hands down, this is a foundational skill
that most employers would rank as the
number one necessary soft skill in new
hires. Your ability to listen effectively
and communicate appropriately and
accurately with your manager and
coworkers will have a tremendous
impact on your career success.
You have several opportunities to
demonstrate your communication skills
to a potential employer. The first may
be at a career fair or other networking
event. Being prepared by researching
the company before the event will start
your verbal communication off on the
right foot. Having some familiarity with
what the company does and general
knowledge regarding the types of
openings they have will allow you to ask
more informed questions and be more
relaxed in conversation.
Additionally, if you have mentally
prepared and rehearsed, you won’t sell
to come in early, stay late, go the extra
mile, ask how they can help, etc.
Employees who understand that the
work they do is only a small part of a
bigger picture but of importance is
something valued by employers.
Early in the process, demonstrate
that you encompass a sense of urgency
by how quick you follow up with an
employer. Especially in today’s
technological world, there are very few
excuses for not returning an email or
phone call in a timely manner.
When you reach the interview stage
make sure you research the company
and come prepared with a list of great
questions. Establish next steps in the
process before wrapping up your
interview. Taking the initiative to drive
the process shows that the company
and opportunity are important to you.
3. PROFESSIONALISM
Professionalism is a pretty broad skill
that includes everything from the way
you dress, your vocabulary, your
reaction to workplace situations, and
more. Professionalism can mean
hitting your internal mute button when
tempted to share your opinions in
situations where you don’t have all of
the information or when things are
changing quickly in the workplace.
Additionally, professionalism is about
how you develop relationships in the
business setting such as understanding
the line between personal and
professional interactions with peers and
your manager. Also be conscientious of
sensitive information that you’ve been
by Ashley Collins, Education & Marketing Manager
& Erika Osmundson, Director of Marketing & Communications
EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
“EMPLOYEES WHO
UNDERSTAND THAT THE
WORK THEY DO IS ONLY A
SMALL PART OF A BIGGER
PICTURE BUT OF
IMPORTANCE IS
SOMETHING VALUED BY
EMPLOYERS.”
yourself short nor be too long-
winded. This will demonstrate that you
are capable of filtering information and
communicating important components
in a concise and effective manner.
2. SENSE OF URGENCY
Do you wait to be given a task or do you
realize there is a problem and resolve
to be a part of the solution? As one
would imagine, employers are looking
for go-getters, those who are willing