The last time you revised your resume, what did you focus on? You likely tried to highlight your technical skills, what awards you’ve won, how many people you’ve led, etc. If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone. Career-ready professionals are adept at showcasing various managerial and technical skills. But, as workplace culture shifts and more companies are hiring for overall fit and human skills such as, adaptability, and dependability, how does this change what you should be putting on your resume?
While hard skills are still important to share, it’s time to shine a light on one particular soft skill that most don’t highlight in their applications but should. That is integrity.
So how do you build and showcase this workplace readiness trait during the interview phase? Let’s take a look.
What is Integrity & How Does it Play into the World of Work?
First, let’s talk about what integrity is. It’s defined as “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” Essentially, it’s being a good human who is kind, empathetic, respectful, and honest.
So why is that important in the world of work today? Because this is the type of person, everyone wants on their team. They want someone who will help the team, operate in a trustworthy way, and respect their team members regardless of their authority. Someone who will do the right thing regardless of who stands in the way is someone who is going to lead a business to success and connect with their customers on a human level. This is good for business and for team morale!
How to Build Your Integrity at Work
So, how can you build your integrity in your current role to showcase during the interview process? Here are a few things to try:
Practice What You Preach & Lead by Example
Practicing what you preach builds trust and credibility. For example, if you’re constantly telling your team to be on time but consistently show up late, that’s showing disrespect and will lead to distrust.
Operate with Honesty First, Even When it’s Uncomfortable
The central idea behind integrity is that you’re willing to do what’s right, even when it’s uncomfortable. Telling lies isn’t going to help you in the long run. The truth will help build stronger relationships with clients and team members alike.
Follow Through on Your Commitments, But Set Boundaries
If you can’t take something on, don’t. Saying “yes” all the time leads to burnout and lack of follow-through, which hurts your integrity!
SUCCESS Magazine shared the questions below that are worth sharing. Ask yourself these questions to check your level of integrity. Am I willing to say what I’m thinking?
- Am I willing to risk being wrong?
- Do I want my child or someone else I love to do that? If not, then why am I doing it?
- Does this conduct make me a better person?
- Am I leading by example?
- Am I taking 100% responsibility?
If you answer “yes” to all of the questions, you’re doing well. If not, you know where to place your development efforts!
Ways to Showcase Your Integrity During the Interview Process
Now, once you’ve embraced your integrity at work, how do you showcase that when up for a promotion or applying for a new job? Here are a few tips:
- Talk about a time when you made a decision that wasn’t popular, but it was the right thing to do and led to a positive outcome.
- Express your reliability and dependability.
- Share a time when you made a mistake but owned up to it and used it as a learning experience. (This is a good response for a “What is your biggest weakness?” interview question.)
- Share how you addressed a conflict with a customer and how you were able to remedy it through genuine and honest interactions.
- Explain a time when you stepped up for the betterment of your team.
These are just a few situations to highlight when answering questions or putting together your resume. Honestly, if you’re operating with integrity at the forefront of your mind, it will innately show through!
Need Help Prepping for Interviews in the New World of Work? NimblyWise is Ready to Help.
The world of work is changing more than ever before. Many companies are shifting how they hire, placing greater value on traits like dependability than ever before. It can be difficult to prepare to land your dream job in an entirely new environment. NimblyWise can help you embrace the culture shift and shine throughout the interview process to land your dream job! Let’s chat about how.
