I have led a pretty unconventional professional life. It has largely been dictated by ill health that has plagued me since age 10. I have undertaken several types of work in diverse fields ranging from programming to graphic design to corporate communication to business consulting. Every time I would start to look for a new job, I found myself as a beginner even though I had several years (and later decades) of experience under my belt. Meeting people, pitching for a job, I have often wondered about the method that prospective employee employ to evaluate a candidate? Is it just right credentials – qualifications + organization worked in + career path or can there be other indicators?
Persistence is a quality I put a lot of value on. If I was on the interviewing panel, I would check for it. If one is ready to spend a little time talking about general things, candidate’s nature can be gauged in depth. Looking at my battle for becoming healthy, I would rate myself very highly on the “persistence”. I have undertaken numerous therapies to find one that can deliver success. Along with conventional remedies, I have explored many alternate therapies that have delivered success to the point that conventional remedies have not. What this indicates about my nature is:
1) Experimental nature
2) Always looking for success – Persistent person
3) Not afraid to let go when things don’t work out
4) Conventional solutions are not unnecessarily debunked
As an employer would you want such qualities in a prospective candidate? If yes, then perhaps it does pay to know a little more about candidates than the work they might have delivered so far.
Personal life sheds light on desired quality of candidates