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Author: Dina Barabash, Content Development & Web Specialist
Posted: Nov. 10, 2022

Whatever you may be applying for, i.e., a job, internship, apprenticeship, you can always use a leg up. When the applicant pool is large, it is difficult to know what will give you the advance. Whether you are in school, starting your first job or on your way to a promotion, being a marketable candidate can make all the difference.

Be sure to focus on your soft skills. What are those? They include common sense, the ability to deal with people, and a positive flexible attitude. In other words, a soft skill is your ability to relate and work with others. Popular soft skills include communication, teamwork and other interpersonal skills. Excelling in several soft skills will demonstrate your potential for any position and make you more desirable to hiring managers. In addition, managers may be looking to hire someone that fits well into the established culture. Therefore, it is important to learn and master a variety of soft skills.

Are you on social media? If you are, you should be following NASBA on all its channels. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and join NASBA’s CPA Exam Candidates Forum. But you should also establish a strong presence there. Establishing yourself on social media can help you build your brand, showcase your industry knowledge, connect with influencers in your field and help you get spotted by recruiters. A social media presence is at times explored by potential employers. So, it’s always a good practice to keep profiles and posts free from profanity, questionable commentary and photos that will lead a recruiter/hiring manager to question a candidate’s integrity. And once you’ve begun posting, don’t stop! It is important to remain consistent in how often you post.

You’ll also want to make sure your resume is updated and reads well. A good idea is to have a professional review it for you. Be sure to create a Professional Development section in your resume, include keywords and tailor your resume to the position you are applying for, include your educational experience, include special skills or courses you have completed and compose a short summary of yourself for the top of your resume. For additional information, be sure to review this previous blog. In addition to these tips, remember to be yourself!