EDITORIAL: Back to School – Willingness to Learn Impresses Hiring Managers

By Frances Chaves
September is all about returning to school. Even those of us who are not in the formal education system can consider focusing on education this month: self-education. Studies on what employers are looking for in their new hires report that willingness to learn is critical. As jobs in today’s world are always changing, employers need people who are open to growing and learning.  No matter how old we are or how much experience we have, we must be able to show that we are willing to learn new skills and techniques to succeed in today’s job market.
PSGCNJ is a great place to learn new skills. Through service on a committee, you can demonstrate that you are teachable, flexible, and adaptable.  Not only can you include your committee job on your resume, when interviewers ask you what you’ve been doing while in transition, you can give them concrete examples of things you have done and learned through PSGCNJ.
“Transitions to Success” is a virtual encyclopedia of job search information, from learning how other members landed in the Hired Learning stories, to information from experts in the Speakers Corner. Our Tips stories contain specific information on everything from LinkedIn to accessing low or no-cost mental health assistance. If you want to research a specific topic, for example “Social Media,” go to the Search box on the right side of the page, and type it in. You can access all the Social Media information in over 100 posted articles.
In this issue you can learn more about Social Media and Interviewing as well as how Elaine Ferry leveraged a PSGCNJ contact into a new position.
So keep on learning! It will make you a stronger job candidate.