Need a job? You need to know who you are first.

So who are you? I don’t just mean your name, I mean who you really are. What can you bring to the table that no one else has. What is it that you can offer as an employee that will make the company stronger. These are the things that the employer really needs to understand before they will take you on as an employee.

When I started University, I had the mistaken impression that the degree I would earn in the end would be the “golden ticket” that would allow me to walk into any job I wanted. What I failed to understand at the time was that regardless of your level of education, you need to be able to demonstrate how you are the “total package”, so to speak.

Your skills, (education, training, etc), experience, personality, and appearance all play a role in landing the job you want. You have to have a solid idea where you stand in each area in order to show your true value to an organization. Without this understanding, you will never be able to land a job over someone who knows this information cold.

For example, modern companies are becoming increasingly interested in the “soft skills” such as communication and interpersonal skills. You may have an MBA from Harvard, but if you can’t effectively communicate, you will not land the job.

Take some time to reflect on each of these key areas before you start your job search in earnest. If you have a clear idea of who you are and what you have to offer across each of these areas, it will shine through in every aspect of the job hunting process.

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment on this post!

Related posts:

1. 7 Things Employers Are Looking For
2. What is an application package?
3. The Four Biggest Challenges Facing New Grads (Part I)
4. Gradversity Quick Tip #17: Learn To Sell
5. 25 Companies Hiring New Grads in 2009