There are a number of things for job seekers to consider when looking for work. However, it is important to be aware of what employers look for in each candidate. The following is a list of the most important elements that employers consider when hiring a new employee.

• Attention To Detail: This starts with your application and flows through to the work your will do. Having a keen eye for detail puts you ahead of the competition.
• Ability: If you can’t do the job, you won’t get hired. Know yourself before you apply.
• Education/Experience: These two elements are often used as qualifying factors to trim down the applicant list. This doesn’t mean you can’t get hired without the right mix, but you may face an uphill battle convincing the employer.
• Initiative: Managers love employees with initiative. If you can anticipate what needs to be done (and start before being asked), it will going a long way towards a successful career.
• Communication Skills: This is often overlooked by candidates, but it appears on almost every job posting. Discovering that a candidate’s written and verbal communications skills are lacking will often derail their application.
• Fit: This is one of the intangible elements that can make all the difference. Hiring employees who fit with the corporate culture makes the entire team more productive.
• Confidence: Confident people are more persuasive, more likely to take calculated risks, and can command the respect of those around them. These types of candidates make employers swoon.

While this isn’t an exclusive list, ensuring that you “match” as many of these elements as possible should increase your success rate in the short term.

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2. The Basis For Hiring Decisions
3. What is an application package?
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5. 25 Companies Hiring New Grads in 2009