Every employer wants to hire candidates with bright ideas to help push the company to new heights. Do you have what it takes?
We all know that employers love creative thinkers. Ideas that can help strengthen the company and just make things generally better for everyone, everywhere are always for the win.
If you think you don't quite fit the calibre of creativity, you're probably wrong. You don't need pink highlights or a full sleeve of secret Tibetan symbols to be creative. No. Nor should you be intimated by phrases or words such as "Thinking outside the box' or being 'innovative'. However, it will be to your advantage if you can demonstrate to employers your ability to be a creative.
So, how do you show your creative side?
Creativity can be demonstrated in various ways. Sure, designers, developers, writers and photographers will have a portfolio to demonstrate theirs, even if you hold a degree in finance or science, can be done. Creativity is measured differently, so you can use the interview process to your best advantage by providing examples of times you have had to move away from the textbook approach to solve a problem.
Also, in an interview you may be asked to solve a problem. Talking the interviewer through your thought processes to reach the answer can reveal that your creative ability is abstract thinking or problem solving.
For example...
"My dad runs the neighborhood watch and had low membership numbers. So I taught him how to set up an online neighbourly updates newsletter campaign, and membership has since doubled." Whatever your example, employers want to know that what you contributed had a positive result.
How can you improve your creativity?
To improve your potentially limited creative skills, consider joining your university's student body.This will allow for exposure to a variety of events and situations which will allow you to gain experience in planning events, raising money and brainstorming new ideas. In fact, this will generally improve ALL of your soft skills which are vital to the workplace and to ensuring you ace your interviews.
Read: Identify and promote your soft skills
Degree all done? Use your university experiences to bag yourself an internship or a part-time job. Both of these will give you space to express your ideas and to learn more about who you are, and how you can be creative.
By following these simple tips, you can start identifying where your creative strengths lie and fostering them. So try, try, try and keep on trying until you succeed.