Indeed.com studied millions of job ads to identify the professional attributes that employers most commonly seek in employees. Credit: Thinkstock With so many people competing for so few jobs, savvy job seekers are looking for any way they can differentiate themselves from their competition and stand out to prospective employers in their job searches. This need to stand out has driven some job seekers to promote their experience in some wacky ways, jazz up their resumes or develop unique personal brands. According to job search engine Indeed.com, one of the best ways job seekers can differentiate themselves in their job searches from others with similar skills and work experience is by emphasizing their professional attributes—traits that indicate how they will perform at work. Many employers are as interested in a prospective employee’s professional attributes and soft skills as they are in the employee’s technical skills and work experience. “Knowing the professional attributes that employers value most allows you to position yourself better against the competition,” says Indeed.com. Indeed.com analyzed millions of its job postings over six months to identify the professional attributes that employers most commonly seek in prospective employees. Here is Indeed.com’s list of the top 10 professional attributes that employers want to see in their employees, in order of importance. With so many people competing for so few jobs, savvy job seekers are looking for any way they can differentiate themselves from their competition and stand out to prospective employers in their job searches. This need to stand out has driven some job seekers to promote their experience in some wacky ways, jazz up their resumes or develop unique personal brands. According to job search engine Indeed.com, one of the best ways job seekers can differentiate themselves in their job searches from others with similar skills and work experience is by emphasizing their professional attributes—traits that indicate how they will perform at work. Many employers are as interested in a prospective employee’s professional attributes and soft skills as they are in the employee’s technical skills and work experience. “Knowing the professional attributes that employers value most allows you to position yourself better against the competition,” says Indeed.com. Indeed.com analyzed millions of its job postings over six months to identify the professional attributes that employers most commonly seek in prospective employees. Here is Indeed.com’s list of the top 10 professional attributes that employers want to see in their employees, in order of importance. Leadership skills Interpersonal skills Problem-solving skills Self-motivation Efficient Detail-oriented The ability to prioritize Team player Reliable The ability to multitask IT hiring managers: What professional attributes or soft skills do you want to see most in your employees? Related content opinion Career Advice: Parting Words By Meridith Levinson Apr 11, 2012 2 mins Careers opinion IT Salaries: 10 Cities Where IT Professionals Earn the Most IT staffing firm CyberCoders recently released its ranking of the 10 cities where IT salaries are highest. CIO.com compares this latest salary data with IT salary surveys from other sources. By Meridith Levinson Apr 03, 2012 3 mins Salaries IT Jobs Careers opinion How Project Managers Can Negotiate Higher Salaries The Project Management Institute's latest salary survey is chockfull of specific, reliable data that project managers can use to negotiate higher salaries. Here's an example of how they might use the data in their own salary negotiations. By Meridith Levinson Mar 21, 2012 3 mins Salaries Project Management Tools Careers opinion Why IT Managers Need to Address Skills Shortages in Their Organizations IT managers know that skills shortages in their organizations negatively impact business operations, yet—due to budget and time constraints—they do little to address IT skills gaps. Is there any way to fix this problem? By Meridith Levinson Mar 16, 2012 3 mins IT Skills Careers IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe