The employment market is saturated with various resources for job seekers. While some of them offer consistent advice (always send a cover letter, tailor your résumé and wait for the employer to bring up salary), the truth is that conflicting information exists. Especially when it comes to what employers are looking for in a new hire. A recent survey from Express Employment Professionals, one of the nation's largest staffing firms, showed that the top three aspects that employers are looking for in a new hire are credible work history (97 percent), job experience (88 percent) and specific skills (87 percent). More than 15,000 current and former clients of Express were surveyed for the first quarter of 2011.
To get the story straight, we asked hiring managers to tell us the most impressive qualities they see in potential job candidates. Here's what they said (in no specific order):
"Proactivity -- the act of taking initiative, being able to operate independently and finding a way to get things done." -- Jordan Rayboy, recruiter, Rayboy Insider Search
