Most Marketable Skill For Today's Grads

*I was approached by Webucator (link to their site HERE) to write a post about what I think is the most marketable skill to have for the job market. All opinions are my own, I wasn't compensated for this article, and if you have questions, please feel free to comment or email them to me. Always glad to help!


I've competed in dance company competitions that have lasted days, musical competitions for first chair status, and varsity captain cheerleading tryouts to attain the coveted top spot, but nothing has been as tough for me as the job market. Standing out in a sea of job applications is hard, especially for a beginning content writer like me. There are companies that outsource these writing jobs overseas for pennies! How can I compete with that?!

By using some key interpersonal skills.

You are probably thinking, great, that's vague as hell. Well, let me break it down for you:

Top 3 Interpersonal Skills For Job Interviews

1. Maintain eye contact. Sure, this sounds easy enough, but trust me, it's much harder to do in person. Push through, keep your eyes on the interviewer while they are talking. Obviously, don't creepily stare during the whole interview. While you talk, your eyes might wander, and that's okay. But for the most part, make eye contact to show just how interested and attentive you are. This is the best non-verbal cue of "I want this job bad" that you can give, without saying anything.

2. Ask about their day. It might seem weird, but this is often overlooked by nervous interviewees. Break the tension with a few "how is your day going", "any fun weekend plans", etc questions. Don't get too personal, and pay attention to their answer. Then, when the interview is over, follow up with a statement such as: "Have fun wine tasting this weekend" or "Hope you have a better week". Why is this important? Because it shows you listen and pay attention to detail. How many of you have those skills on your resume right now? Exactly, show them off.

3. When you get nervous, smile. Smiling is contagious, and making your interviewer crack one will help your anxiety levels. This also makes you seem friendly and approachable, and everyone wants coworkers like that. Plus, if you need a second to think of an answer to a question, smiling gives you a little bit more pause time. I know this sounds weird but it really does work. 

You know you are already qualified for the job you're interviewing for, but convincing the interviewer of this is a whole job in itself. Use your interpersonal skills to your advantage and you will rise to the top of the job market pool in no time.

Please feel free to ask me anything regarding this topic (after all, I have a degree in it!)

xoHM