The ONE WORD employers seek in a fresh grad
What are employers looking for when hiring fresh graduates? Pic: Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Even before I received that crucial job offer within one month of graduating and found employment in a job I really wanted within the space of just two months, I was always intrigued to know exactly what it was employers look for in a candidate.

Like you, I have read many articles that pop up on my Facebook feed, the ones that outline all the things employers increasingly look for. Proactivity, attitude, communication skills, leadership – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg…

These traits are all pretty easy to reel off, but as a recent graduate, how can I be certain I’m in possession of these qualities?

Some posts like to show you the step-by-step method to gaining these skills, like attending events where there’s the potential to network, and even signing up to something like Toastmasters – a non-profit organisation “Where leaders are made”.

But how many people actually take this into action?

To be honest, if I’ve heard them all a thousand times, the thousand-and-oneth time probably won’t make a difference…

But with that all out of the way, what’s the ONE WORD employers use when it comes to describing the most desirable potential hire?

It has to be Intrapreneur.

So… what does it mean?

According to Investopedia, an intrapreneur is “an inside entrepreneur, or an entrepreneur within a large firm, who uses entrepreneurial skills without incurring the risks associated with those activities.”

To lay it out in its simplest terms, you’ll need to picture yourself as a real-life entrepreneur.

You run your own company, and you are the decision maker. Your attitude and outlook towards life says you are 100 percent responsible for everything that happens to you. You take risks, but only if they’re calculated. If it backfires, you find a way to bounce back or grit your teeth and bite the bullet.

There’s good reason why you see 23-year-olds who go out and build successful companies; who then get the vice president in a thriving start-up at the tender age of 27.

If they had taken the traditional route, it would have taken a lot longer.

Most people think the amount of time you spend with a company determines your value within that particular company, while fewer believe that the value you bring determines the amount of time needed to earn a powerful C-Suite position.

Being an intrapreneur simply means being an entrepreneurial employee. After all, employers run businesses and businesses are run under the vision of people with entrepreneurial tendencies.

Once you start thinking like an entrepreneur, all the skills that are commonly listed by employers will fall into place like clockwork. It’s only a matter of time.

Taking the initiative, being self-taught and having an abundance mindset all play a huge part in making you a superstar intrapreneur.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go forth and unleash your entrepreneurial vision of life and reap the rewards the next time you go after that dream employment position.

THINK INTRAPRENEUR.

This post was written by Ben Sim from iPrice group, a price comparison and meta-search engine based in MalaysiaSingaporePhilippinesThailandVietnamIndonesia and Hong Kong.

 

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