According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the most important qualities that employers are looking for in a job candidate, in priority order:

(1) Communication skills;

(2) Honesty/integrity;

(3) Teamwork skills;

(4) Interpersonal skills;

(5) A strong work ethic.

Be sure to highlight those skills in your resume, during your interview, and in your thank-you letter.

That same survey discovered the number-one thing that can turn potential employers off -- a job candidate's appearance! Specifically, they cited unusual hair color or style, body piercings, tattoos, and unusual clothing as things that most often gave a bad first impression.

What you think is "cool" may be the "hot" ticket to the reject list! So keep your need to express yourself under wraps during the interview, and you'll have a better shot at getting the job.

Bonnie Lowe

Bonnie Lowe has been writing professionally for more than 10 years. In addition to her two popular ebooks, ?The Job Interview Success System? and ?Networkaholics Revealed! True Confessions of People Who Networked Their Way to Success (And How You Can Do The Same),? she has written a wide variety of winning communications ? sales letters, media releases, brochures, web content, articles, fact sheets, reports, newsletters and more ? that enlighten and entertain readers while helping business owners to achieve their goals.