In the life sciences industry, having the right qualities and skills is crucial to success. Here are some important qualities that employers in this industry are looking for:

1.    Professional reputation

Alongside your character, your reputation is arguably your most important quality. Recommendations and referrals from contacts and colleagues can go a long way to securing a new role or promotion. People will only recommend someone for an opening if they have confidence in them. Take pride in your reputation and integrity within the workplace as this is a trait that will help you to succeed.

2.    Competence

Essentially, this is just the ability to get the job done. It’s the ability to set priorities, separate relevant from irrelevant tasks and complete the job efficient and to a high quality. A candidate who isn’t competent will not be able to sell themselves into any role.

3.    Knowledge

Intelligence levels often determine how productive an employee will be. Intelligence in this sense means the ability to plan, to organize, to set priorities, to solve problems, and to get the job done. Intelligence refers to your level of common sense and your practical ability to deal with the day-to-day challenges of the job. If you have knowledge of what the role requires and the intellect to carry out the tasks, the more successful you will be.

4.    Leadership Skills

Leadership is the desire to take responsibility for results. It is the ability to take charge, to volunteer for assignments, and to accept accountability for achieving the required results of those assignments. Even if the position doesn’t involve any management tasks, an employer will want to see that you can work independently and take responsibility for your own tasks and actions.

5.    Likability

Everyone knows that first impressions count, and as a candidate you only have a short time during your interview to impress. An employer is looking for someone who will fit into their team and company culture, so being warm, friendly, easy going and cooperative is essential. If an employer has any reason to question whether you will fit into the team or the company, they will not hire you.

6.    Integrity

Integrity means being true to yourself and is very important for long-term success both in business and in life. It is about being honest with yourself and being willing to admit your strengths and weaknesses as well as being willing to admit your past mistakes. It is also about loyalty, so you should never say anything negative about a previous employer, colleague or company. A prospective employer will not be impressed with your ability to talk badly about others.

7.    Communication

This covers how you communicate both in writing and verbally. Your written communication skills are showcased in your CV, so make sure that your CV is well written with no grammatical or spelling mistakes. During an interview make sure that when you are speaking you are confident, well-spoken and clear. If your communication skills are poor it is unlikely that you would be hired by any employer.

Essentially, it is your character that will have the greatest impact on whether you are the right candidate for the job. Your character is the total of all your positive qualities, but you can keep working on your character by practicing at the 7 qualities discussed in this blog.