Soft Skills
This "soft skill" involves being able to change your plans or learn new ways of doing things when a situation shifts.
What is Adaptability?
This hard skill involves being able to type quickly and accurately, often measured in "Words Per Minute" (WPM).
What is Keyboarding/Typing?
Doing this to your phone—even if it's just leaving it on the table—shows the interviewer you aren't fully focused.
What is Checking your phone (or not silencing it)?
Before submitting, you should always do this to check for "typos" or grammatical errors.
What is Proofreading?
In the professional world, this phrase means "if you are on time, you are late; if you are 5 minutes early, you are on time."
What is Punctuality?
This is the ability to convey information effectively to others, whether it's through speaking, writing, or body language.
What is Communication?
Being fluent in Spanish, French, or Mandarin is an example of this valuable hard skill.
What is Bilingualism (or Foreign Language Proficiency)?
You should avoid doing this regarding your previous boss or teacher, as it makes you look unprofessional.
What is Bad-mouthing (or speaking negatively about them)?
This is the person you list on an application who can vouch for your character and work ethic.
What is a Reference?
This is the habit of doing what you say you will do, which builds trust with your manager.
What is Reliability (or Accountability)?
If you can work well with people who have different personalities or backgrounds to reach a goal, you have this skill.
What is Collaboration (or Teamwork)?
Knowing how to use "VLOOKUP" or create Pivot Tables are advanced skills in this specific type of software.
What is Spreadsheet Software (or Excel/Google Sheets)?
When asked "Do you have any questions for us?", saying this word is a major mistake because it shows a lack of interest.
What is "No"?
This one-page document should be sent alongside your resume to explain why you specifically want this job.
What is a Cover Letter?
Taking this means doing something without being told to do it because you saw it needed to be done.
What is Initiative?
This skill is about managing your emotions and understanding the emotions of your coworkers to maintain a positive environment.
What is Emotional Intelligence or empathy?
If you are applying for a job in social media or marketing, knowing how to use this software is a major plus.
What is Canva, Photoshop, Illustrator?
Wearing this type of casual headwear or leisure clothing is usually inappropriate for a formal interview.
What is a Baseball cap or Hoodie?
When listing your experience, you should use "Action _______" (like managed, created, or organized) to start your bullet points.
What are Action Verbs?
This habit involves organizing your tasks so that the most important ones get done first.
What is Prioritization?
This involves fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just passively "hearing" the speaker.
What is Active Listening?
This is the specific term for the ability to write instructions that a computer can follow to perform a task.
What is Programming (or Coding)?
This "Don't" involves giving answers that are only one or two words long, which fails to show your personality or skills.
What is Giving "Yes/No" or one-word answers?
This is the practice of adjusting your resume for each specific job to match the keywords in the job description.
What is Tailoring (or Customizing)?
This term refers to your ability to accept "constructive _______" without getting defensive or upset.
What is Feedback (or Criticism)?