Did you know that one job ad attracts on average 118 candidates? To say it’s a tough race for that job offer is a massive understatement. Besides the stifling competition, interviews can be tricky business. They often throw out surprises that you can’t see coming and catch you off guard. If you’ve been going for one interview after the other, but nothing seems to give, stick around as we’re going to show you little proven secrets that will help you finally get into that shortlist. Nothing will stand between you and your dream job as long as you work on these 5 essential skills that you need to succeed.

1) Practical skills

Are you aware that 9 out of 10 employers give preference to applicants with work experience over those without? That simply means that employers are looking for someone with proven hands-on capabilities.

Many times, you need experience for the job. However, you can’t get experience without that job. It’s a catch-22 situation, but there’s a way that you can get out of it. Here are a few ways to build your practical skills and crack that interview on your way to getting a job without experience:

• Apply for entry-level positions – These will grow your hands-on skills.
• Seek mentorship opportunities – Gain experience from industry gurus.
• Take up internship programs as well.
• Take training courses in your field.

You may have graduated with the highest qualifications in your class, but someone less qualified than you ends up passing the interview. What’s the deal? You might need to brush up on your practical expertise.

2) Problem-solving

Poor problem-solving skills often rule out many candidates. Interviewers gauge this by way of aptitude tests among other challenges. This particular skill set is of grave importance, as every workflow needs it to be able to function effectively.

Moreover, a World Economic Forum report finds just as much, revealing that hiring managers state that it will continue to be one of the top resume skills over the next 5 or more years. Unfortunately, not too many candidates have strong problem-solving skills, which is also usually indicative of a lack in critical thinking. Both these skills go hand-in-hand, and employers look out for these specific skills with a keen eye. So how can you develop your problem-solving skills? Here are a few tips:

• Work out your brain regularly with puzzles.
• Sit for many aptitude tests online.
• Take part in group challenges and brainstorms.
• Implement a proper diet and fitness routine.
• Use mind maps more often.

Or sometimes it could be as simple as learning an entirely new skill by trying something new - like a pottery class.

That might seem puzzling, but the only way to develop your problem-solving and critical thinking skills is by putting yourself in situations that get your creative juices flowing. For some that means sport. For others that means practicing yoga or mindfulness. The bottom line is that your problem-solving skills are like a muscle that needs constant tension (practice) to grow.

3) Communication

It’s likely that the job you’re applying for will require you to work in a team. Any team is only as effective as the contribution of each member. That’s why hiring managers like to test your communication skills with strategic questions.

In the US alone, over 7 million people lack good communication skills, while 86% of hiring managers blame this for workplace failures. If you can work on your communication skills, you’ll give yourself the edge over other candidates and place yourself in a prime position to land that job.

What is the best way to improve communication skills? Try these:

Work with a mentor who can provide feedback and guidance,

• Put yourself in more face-to-face interactions.
• Get more involved in public speaking.
• Work on your body language.
• Learn to read non-verbal cues.

It’s also important to note that good communication skills involve mastery not just of speech but also of listening.

4) Self-motivation

Hiring managers don’t want to keep looking over your shoulder when they give you a job. They have other higher-value tasks to tend to and therefore require someone who gets things done with little to no direction. And that’s why they’re always on the lookout for self-starters or self-motivators.

One way to demonstrate that you’re a self-motivator in an interview is to discuss your long-term goals, for your personal life, or more preferably your education/career. This shows that you’re someone who can come up with a plan and that you don’t need pushing or to be micromanaged.

Other ways to prove your self-motivation include:

• Taking up volunteer work and putting it on your resume.
• Accepting leadership role in projects.
• Wearing an optimistic, go-getter, nothing-is-impossible attitude.

A self-motivator is infectious. They inspire and drive their colleagues to do better, and that’s why employers highly prioritize such candidates.

5) IT/tech skills

We live in a world run by technology. Every industry, including non-STEM niches too, incorporate some form of technology into their workflow. This adoption has meant that basic IT skills are no longer just nice-to-have, but are the bare minimum.

If you’re wondering why you are getting passed up for a position despite having experience and qualifications, a dearth of IT skills may be your undoing. You need to actively grow your IT skills, no matter what line of work you are in if you want to crack the interview code and land your dream job.

To be more specific, here are some essential tech skills that you need to have to ace that interview:

• Word Processing (using MS Office components like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc)
• Video conferencing.
• Data analysis & management (basic programming)
• Audio/video editing and so on.

Elevate your tech skills by finding a mentor, putting programming projects on contributor pages like StackOverflow, blogging about tech subjects, and taking up online courses.

Parting tips to ace your interview

Do you have a big interview coming up? These five skills are just the start of what you need to work on to beat the competition. Overall, you generally want to shore up both your soft and hard skills. A mentor who’s been in your shoes countless times before, or in a hiring position, may just be the ace up your sleeve. Additionally, remember to research what the company is all about before the interview, and arrive punctually on the day of the interview. It will be good to prepare your own questions to ask. This is particularly important as most candidates pass this up yet it is your chance to leave a lasting and positive impression on your interviewer.