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​Every candidate wants to make sure they are top of the list of potential employers, the one they offer the role to – and don’t skimp on the salary package. So how do you become the flavour of the month with every recruiter, hiring manager or VIP you meet? We talked to a few shot callers in the SAP industry and put together a list of dream attributes that make a candidate stand out from the crowd and become the favourite for every role.

The attitude

Being enthusiastic, diligent and graceful under pressure pays dividends. The right kind of attitude for any role includes:

• Passion. For the organisation, its goals and your role in achieving them.

• Grace. Can you face challenges and setbacks with dignity? Can you identify opportunities within those challenges?

• Foresight. Can you take measured risks, both in your personal and professional life? Remember: there is a difference between calculated risk-taking and recklessness.

• Conversation. Do you speak your mind when it is required but accept and support decisions once they are made, whether or not they were your own?

• Motivation. Top performers usually don’t need to be motivated in order to get the job done and done well. Their motivation is self-driven. They know their passions, interests, and priorities and pursue work that aligns with those. They set their goals high and are persistent in reaching them.

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The skills

As the saying goes, you gotta have the skills to pay the bills. While the skills required for each role are always different, the way in which a candidate is skilled in their field means a lot. Here’s why:

• A candidate must have the right skills for the job. This may seem obvious, but you can be a highly skilled individual but, in the wrong area, your skills are not useful.

• It makes you look great if you are well respected and valued by others for your abilities, insights and, where relevant, creativity. How your skills are utilised in a team, problem-solving environment is crucial to a recruiter’s understanding of them.

• Your reputation is key. Being renowned as an expert at what you do, a person who delivers results and accomplishes great things will always put your application at the top of the pile.

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The mindset

There are few things more important than being a team player. Here are a few of the key components recruiters look for when it comes to having the right mindset:

• Collaboration. A true team player knows how to work together with others and make the most of the merger of skills.

• Going above and beyond. This doesn’t mean working until you’re worn out, but it does mean looking to fill your spare time, exploring ways to solve problems or challenges, volunteering for extra tasks and generally being proactive in your role.

• Acting like a boss. This one is deceptively simple. All you have to do is act like a leader, even when that might not be your job. Make suggestions about how to add value, do things better or work more efficiently. Think beyond your immediate job and rise to every challenge.

• Be at one with the work. Make the organisation’s goals your goals and work actively to achieve them.

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The heart

Integrity is probably the most important thing a potential employee can bring to the table. If you do what you say you will do, keep your word and honour your promises, people will love to work with you – making you the recruiters’ favourite. Why?

• With integrity comes trust – from clients, peers and superiors

• Communicating and acting with sincerity breeds these traits in everyone you deal with, making negotiating and collaborating stress-free and easy

• Integrity allows us to take responsibility for things we have done: and that means both successes and failures. No one likes to work with someone who steals all the credit, or someone who shirks responsibility when things go wrong. This is perhaps where integrity is most important – and where, if you possess it, it makes you an MVP.