Landing a job isn’t all about skill and technical ability. Sure, that’s a large part of it, but employers are also looking for employees who possess certain intangible characteristics, ones that can’t be measured in terms of more traditional tangible traits.
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These intangible characteristics all provide value to the employer. In other words, they help the company become more productive and contribute directly to the company’s bottom line.

Below are seven intangible traits for which employers look when they’re seeking to fill an open position.

1. Reliability—Employers want employees who can be counted upon in all ways, from showing up to work on time to upholding company regulations to simply doing what they say they will do.
2. Flexibility—Employees who are flexible are those who are able to more easily adapt to ever-changing circumstances. This includes the ability to do multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, often on the spur of the moment.
3. Motivation—Companies want employees who are pro-active in their quest to not just complete the tasks associated with their job, but also are looking to grow in their position. The status quo is not accepted.
4. Communication—Every organization suffers from a lack of communication at one time or another. That’s what makes employees with a penchant for effective communication so valuable.
5. Trustworthiness—Employees who exhibit reliability over an extended period of time are eventually viewed as being trustworthy.
6. Sense of humor—As a general rule, employees with a sense of humor are able to meet challenges and overcome obstacles more frequently. It also allows them to bounce back more quickly from setbacks and maintain high levels of productivity in the face of adversity.
7. Leadership—This is the “brass ring,” so to speak, in terms of intangible traits. Companies want employees who can turn into leaders and inspire and motivate others to greater levels of achievement.

When looking for a new job, keep these seven traits in mind. While your technical skill and expertise will definitely be considered in your quest for employment, your intangible traits might very well convince an company that you’re the right person for the job.

Interview preparation is a tricky subject, especially when it comes to the types of questions you might be asked during a face-to-face interview.
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During the past several years, companies have moved farther away from a more traditional line of questioning and have started utilizing questions with a different approach.  These questions are designed to give company officials a better idea of the person they’re interviewing and whether or not they’ll be a good fit for the company.

As a result, you might find yourself facing some questions for which you aren’t prepared—namely because you didn’t think they were going to be asked.  Below are five such questions:
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#1—“Why do you want to work here?”
Seems like a simple question, doesn’t it?  However, you’d be surprised by how many candidates are tripped up by it.  It’s one thing to know why you’re conducting a job search or why you want a new job, but it’s another to know why you want to work for that particular company and to be able to articulate it.
#2—“What can you do for us that other candidates can’t?”
From the company’s side, an important part of the interview process is finding which candidate stands out from the rest.  One way in which to accomplish this is to ask candidates what they think makes them stand out.  To prepare for this question, you should conduct an honest analysis of your “hard skills,” “soft skills,” experience, and personal characteristics.
#3—“Have you ever made a mistake at work?”
This is more of a behavioral interview question, meaning that the interviewers want to know as much about your behavior in past work situations as much as they want to know about your credentials and accomplishments.  Obviously, since nobody is perfect, saying that you’ve never made a mistake is not a viable answer to this question.  However, be aware that you’ll then be asked what you did after making this mistake.
#4—“How does your family feel about this possible move?”
A face-to-face interview isn’t only about you.  Companies know that if they hire somebody, that person’s family comes with them.  As a result, they want to make sure that “everybody’s on board,” so to speak, and that there will be no conflicts of interest that could prohibit you from being completely focused on excelling in your new position.
#5—“How would your best friend describe you?”
Once again, the interviewers want to see how well you “think on your feet.”  Not only that, but how you believe your best friend would describe you is as close to your personal branding message as you can get.  The interviewers also want to get a feel for how you might fit into the company’s culture and whether or not you’d help to create positive chemistry with the other employees.