12.12.2024 Today’s Insights from the National Association of Colleges and Employers: The Critical Importance of “Problem-solving Skills”
Dear Students,
Have you ever wondered what exactly are “problem-solving” skills? And, more importantly perhaps, how can an ambitious international student like you identify and showcase these on resumes, cover letters, or in interviews?
According to the most recent update from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (as shown below), among the top 20 behaviors hiring managers seek from new grads like you, problem-solving skills top the list.
While problem-solving skills are described somewhat differently by various sources, they tend to reflect the following steps: a) Ability to identify a problem, b) analyze its root cause, c) brainstorm potential solutions, d) evaluate options, and e) implement the best course of action to resolve an issue.
According to certified executive coach and Harvard Business Review contributor Susan Peppercorn PCC, who is also a Career Strategist for LinkedIn, the list below includes some excellent examples of ways for young professionals like you to demonstrate these essential abilities on resumes, cover letters or in interviews:
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“Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else
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Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
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Overcoming a scheduling/staffing shortage to still deliver excellent work
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Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
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Handling and resolving a conflict with a coworker
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Taking initiative when another team member overlooked or missed something important.
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Using problem solving abilities to reduce/eliminate a company expense
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Finding a way to make the company more profitable through a new service or product offerings
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Changing how a process, team, or task is organized to make it more efficient
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Finding a new piece of data that can guide a company’s decisions or strategy better in a certain area”
Peppercorn highlights why problem-solving skills are so significant for employers in the LinkedIn Pulse article that follows, writing that: “Problem-solving is essential at work because it directly impacts productivity and efficiency. Whenever you encounter a problem, tackling it head-on prevents minor issues from escalating into bigger ones that could disrupt the entire workflow. Your ability to solve problems fosters innovation, and encourages you to think creatively, finding better ways to achieve goals. Effective problem-solving also reduces stress by providing clear strategies for overcoming obstacles and builds confidence within teams.”
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When interviewing for a job, you must show you can handle unexpected challenges and stay calm and logical. Hiring managers will ask how you solve problems to see if you have these skills.
www.linkedin.com
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It’s not hard for an aspiring talent like you, then, to appreciate why dedication to fostering productivity and efficiency could impact your success on the job. And with over 88% of NACE employers citing the mission-critical role of problem-solving skills within an organization, the best time for a student with global leadership aspirations, which might just be you, to learn how to uncover, describe and demonstrate such competencies is now!
How might you strengthen your problem-solving skills this evening?
Best,
Amy-Louise
Want to learn more about problem-solving skills? Please see below: