you've heard what they're saying is to acknowledge what you've heard and confirm what you will do in response to the situation. Then follow through on what you've committed to do. Again, follow-through is part of showing reliability and a healthy regard for business ethics.

· Solid understanding of good business ethics. Business ethics vary from country to country. People want to know that you give honest, accurate information that you will deliver on time for the most reasonable competitive price. They want to feel certain they can rely on you. A professional delivers on all of these.

· Consciousness of consequences from actions. It would be easy to write a chapter on actions and consequences. Suffice it to say, it's important to be aware of what will happen as a result of your actions and take responsibility for the entire package.

· Awareness of business costs and profit incentives. Many would agree that showing on paper and in person that you are knowledgeable about business matters and appreciate that businesses are driven by making profits from good service and product will affect the level of professionalism you project. According to Lou Adler, recruiting expert and author of Hire With Your Head , it's prudent, when recruiting, that the interviewer spend some time learning more about the true nature of the person being interviewed and what values they hold. So don't be surprised if the interview includes your talking about what opportunity costs are as well as return on investment, development of goodwill, tangential development costs, and how other matters are impacted by development and management decisions.

· Knowledge of how one department or function relates to the rest of the organization. One colleague pointed out that it's helpful to have a business sense of why a department is, how the systems operate in it in relation to the rest of the big picture. The other thing I would add to that is if you don't have that much knowledge of the business, it's to your advantage to show that you are a quick learner and eager to broaden your knowledge so that you really do understand these things.

· Willingness to learn. Learning never stops. One thing in life that is constant is change. While you may have completed your degree in a particular discipline and had your knowledge and skills certified as a master expert, a wealth of information still abounds. Your colleagues are potential innovators of improved ways of doing things. Be willing to learn from them. It's also to your advantage to be receptive to new learning opportunities from supervisors and through enrichment and continuing education. Receptiveness to new ideas is one of the marks of a person worth having on the team, a good leader and a professional.

Just as your resume and interview suit make a statement about how much you care about yourself, so also does the evidence of your work attitude, past accomplishments and service to others. The professional has a better chance of not only getting the job but also advancing in it.

Yvonne LaRose is a Certified Personnel Consultant, career coach and freelance journalist in Southern California . She has combined her more than 20 years of legal, business and broadcasting background and training to provide her readers with advice on the Web and in print. She can be reached by email at er_entrances@yahoo.com or at any of her websites:

Executive Recruiting Entrances: http://www.entrance-s.com

Career Coach Corner: http://www.careercoachcorner.com

Recruit and Retain: http://www.recruitandretain.net

Career and Executive Recruiting Advice at Suite101: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/career_advice

 

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