Business awareness is one of the most sought-after skills by employers, but it`s a skill that is often overlooked by candidates. Improving your sales awareness doesn`t have to be a chore. Find out what really interests you and learn from there. Using sample stories in an interview or assessment center to demonstrate your business awareness can help employers see if you`re really interested and passionate about the topic. What other tips do you have to improve industry awareness? Do you have any other examples of business outreach interview questions you`d like to share? If so, log in below and let us know what you think. Whether you`re a LinkedIn genius or new to building your network, now is the perfect time to make real connections with business experts or industry leaders who can provide you with advice on business awareness. Talking to experienced executives or in your industry can boost your confidence by demonstrating commercial awareness during job interviews. Use this time to enter the discussion with curiosity and commitment and to make up your own mind. One. Your typical customers are small and medium-sized businesses that need your services (insert details here). Most are based in the UK, although I understand that you also have clients overseas. Or a recruiter could measure your commercial notoriety by discovering your interest in current events.
For example, your interviewer might first ask you, “What industry-specific or economic news publications or websites do you read?” and then ask you further, “Tell me about a recent business story you`re interested in and why,” and then follow up if necessary, “How do you think this news could potentially impact our business or that of our customers?” Citing detailed regulatory changes is all well and good, but what do you think it means for the industry? Is it good or bad and if you were CEO, what would you do? But what does “business awareness” really mean and how do you develop it? Take the Bright Network Academy Business Awareness Course, led by Chris Stoakes, business outreach expert and author, to learn how to grow your awareness and more. First, the understanding that organizations are there to make money. You need to show a certain level of financial awareness: a demonstration that, for example, you are always looking for value for money with every purchase, or that you have helped a company save money by increasing efficiency. If you can demonstrate these skills, you can have a huge advantage when filling out application forms or interviews. There are a few other very specific skills that are useful to demonstrate to reassure potential employers that you are likely commercially aware. However, this simple definition hides a wide range of skills and understanding. The first and probably most obvious is the understanding of the company and its market or sector. Recruiters will have much more confidence in a graduate who understands the fundamentals of a company and its performance in its market than in a candidate without this basic business awareness. These quotes all come from advertisements for graduate roles. As you can see, they don`t use the term “sales consciousness,” but all of these recruiters are looking for the same thing. They want candidates who can demonstrate that they have the skills and personal qualities that will allow them to contribute to the overall success of the organization; Candidates who understand the market in which their company or service operates. This is equally important whether the organization operates in the public or private sector.
You`ll need to do extensive research on the employer right before applying, but you can start developing your general knowledge about the industries you want to enter and your awareness of political and economic events long before you apply. Candidates who make a concerted effort to attract commercial attention for about a year before applying for a job should be in a position of strength. “If you have no idea what business awareness is, it`s time you understood it – because employers love it. Check out this guide that the internet is a fantastic tool, and you should be able to find out the structure of the organization, who is at the top and the shape of the board, what the company does, who its customers are, what industry it operates in, and what specific problems that industry or company has. Don`t just look at the company`s website, although that`s important. Also check news sites and discussion forums to mention issues or problems. For example, if you are applying to a bank, you need to know general information about global financial markets and specific information about your target organization`s place in the market. Who are their main competitors, what market share do they have, do they have unique selling points, what are their priorities and goals? If the job posting refers to the importance of being “customer-centric,” it`s another indication that graduate recruiters appreciate the business profile of candidates. If you are asked to take a Situational Assessment Test (SJT) or an online “immersive experience” video as part of the initial phase of your application, you will be presented with a workplace scenario, such as how you would treat an unhappy customer. When answering these questions, let business considerations (such as business priorities) guide at least part of your answer. For example, a dissatisfied customer is unlikely to repeat their activity, so you should do your best to resolve the situation as effectively as possible.
Your business awareness can be tested by asking questions about the company. For example: In short, if you want to boost your business awareness, you need to do your research. Strategic thinking – Clarity of vision to set realistic goals and objectives, and knowing what you need to do to achieve them are key to personal and professional success. While it can be difficult to gain first-hand experience as a school graduate, developing your business awareness skills is much easier, but requires a bit of research. Here`s a list of ways you`ll want to explore to improve your awareness: Graduates with a good business conscience are aware of how economic and political trends can affect their chosen industry and the employers they have applied to. Business outreach can occur at any stage of the application process, from interviews and assessment centers to the application forms themselves. It`s important to know how to show your business awareness at each stage in order to have every chance of impressing an employer. Other shows to watch on Radio 4 include Evan Davis` business conversation show, The Bottom Line, ideal for better understanding strategy and business, and The Media Show, which deals with the rapidly changing media world.
Business awareness is a highly valued skill in today`s job market. Business awareness is one of the key attributes cited by many employers as essential to employability, but unfortunately an attribute that many people cannot demonstrate. It keeps appearing in job postings, discussions between recruiters and career guidance websites. This business awareness discussion experience will help you broaden your knowledge of your industry and show employers that you know your trade. Podcasts have grown in popularity in recent years and are easily accessible. We recommend “Thinking Commercially,” Bright Network`s business podcast in collaboration with business outreach writer Christ Stoakes. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts and get monthly updates on what`s happening in business and industry. This page focuses on business awareness.
To learn more about the other seven employability skills, click on the links below.