Most job seekers focus on their technical job skills, experience and education but give little thought to how they present themselves. During a recent survey conducted at a workforce-training event at the West Virginia Governor’s Workforce Investment Division, employers were asked their top reasons for turning an applicant away. Attitude and demeanor was the number one reason cited by employers for not hiring a job applicant. The key recurring theme of this survey was that employers want people who have a good work ethic and present themselves well. People skills were also cited as being of critical importance.

“I look for an applicant who has strong people skills. I can train the specific skills required for a job but I want to know how well someone can get along and work with others. That is much more difficult to teach.” states Tom Werts, Aquatic Program Specialist for the American Red Cross of Central Florida, who interviews and hires water safety personnel for many of the area’s water attractions and swimming pools.

Ann Davis, Assistant Fire Prevention Manager for Disney’s Reedy Creek Fire Department in Orlando also feels that technical skills are easier to teach than attitudes. She says that she would rather hire someone who has a willingness to learn to do things their way, than someone who thinks they already know all they need to know about the job.

Qualities most valued by employers in the 21st Century workplace include resourcefulness, great team player, willingness to learn, initiative, assertiveness, independence and confidence. In fact, 78% of all job loss happens within the first 6 weeks of employment and is mostly related to poor attitude rather than an inability to perform the job.

The good news is that these skills are not as expensive or as time consuming to obtain as formal educational or technical skills. Since these ‘soft skills’ are more related to attitude, they are largely self-taught and anyone can learn them. These skills can also be readily incorporated into any job situation. Mastering these skills does not guarantee a job but not mastering them virtually ensures an applicant will not make it past the initial screening.

In addition, when new employees take the initiative to learn all they can about an employer’s expectations they will realize success at a much faster rate. Many employees wait for the boss to explain each duty and responsibility of the position, then do only what they are asked to do. These are the workers who are often heard to exclaim, “that’s not my job”. They are often left wondering why opportunities pass them by while their co-workers, some with less time on the job, are receiving the promotions.

If you have a desire to succeed in today’s job market, focus on improving your ‘soft skills’. You may be surprised by the results.