There are many skills, accomplishments and expertise government employers look for in an applicant.
Below I have listed the most useful skills that are considered to be important in many government positions.
- Leadership skills: this is the ability to lead your team to success. A good leader needs to be able to delegate tasks, be resourceful, take initiative and facilitate the team to realise their goals.
- Communication and Interpersonal skills: these are extremely important skills for any employee to have but especially for a government employee. Somebody with good communication skills can transmit the essential information effectively, listen to their coworkers, use appropriate body language and participate productively in meetings.
- Time management skills: to be a government employee you must be able to manage your time efficiently. Somebody who manages their time properly never misses deadlines, is always on time or early and overall is more productive which is a must for many employers.
- Stress management skills: it is very important to be able to manage one’s stress levels, especially in a fast paced working environment. If you can reduce your stress levels it is easier for you to focus on the task at hand and can result in a better, more desirable outcome.
- Negotiation Skills: a government employee needs to be able to negotiate terms and come out with an acceptable agreement. You must communicate your requirements and expectations to the other side while listening to the other sides point of view. You may need to persuade them and show them why your requirements are necessary but all this must be done in a way that doesn’t offend the opposite side.
- Patience and Tolerance: being patient and tolerant of others helps you work well in a team, manage your stress levels and be a productive team player. You must be tolerant of other people’s differences and be patient with other employees and citizens.
- Listening Skills: to be a team player, a negotiator or a team leader you need to listen to the people around you and consider their point of view, their ideas, their issues. If you can’t do this, people may find it hard to work with you and it may disturb the productive team atmosphere in the office.
- Self-awareness: everybody has flaws, nobody is perfect but to be a good employee it is essential that you recognise these flaws. If you can recognise your flaws, you can work on improving them. This is why many employers in an interview ask about your negative traits or your biggest weakness!
