Applying for a job? It’s always good to know what employers are specifically looking for.
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to applying for a job. You have to find the right company, then you have to find the right role, and then the hard part comes.
When applying for that dream job, you will want to make sure that you really stand out to the recruiters as the perfect candidate for that job and that company.
The best way to be that perfect candidate is to know exactly what the company is looking for. To help you along with that, we spoke to five top companies from the world of tech, pharma and finance to find out what they look for above all else in their candidates.
Aon
The Aon Centre for Innovation and Analytics currently has close to 30 open roles between its Dublin and Krakow offices. The company is always looking for experienced data scientists, data engineers, data and business analysts, developers, and agile product owners.
So, what makes the perfect candidate for Aon? Talented people who demonstrate a high level of agility, passion, strong technical skills, solution-driven focus and a commercial mindset will do well. A good understanding or interest in the fields of risk, retirement and health would also be a plus.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)
For those looking for their dream job within the pharma or life sciences sector, we talked to to BMS to find out who it hires and why. Typically, BMS looks for scientists and engineers for its quality and manufacturing departments.
When it comes to the right person for the job, Donagh Walls, associate director of QC site operations, said the company focuses on people with the right behaviours more than experience. “Anyone can be trained on the relevant activities, but the behaviour is harder to instil,” he said. “People who are willing to work hard, are flexible, are prepared to use their initiative and be proactive.”
Dropbox
Tech giant Dropbox has offices all over the world. For those looking for jobs in its Dublin office, the focus is currently on sales and customer service. According to Dropbox’s Rebecca O’Connor, there are also roles available in HR, recruiting and marketing.
“The attributes we look for in candidates relate directly to our core company values,” said O’Connor. These include soft skills such as being genuine, a team player, passionate, audacious and thoughtful. The ideal candidate for Dropbox would also be creative when it comes to solving problems as well as detail-oriented.
Liberty IT
For those looking for more technical jobs, global company Liberty IT hires across a range of technical roles. These jobs would typically be in the areas of software engineering, DevOps, cybersecurity and infrastructure support.
According to senior talent acquisition specialist Stephen Killilea, Liberty IT looks for people who are solution-focused and will help the company create business value. “We assess technical capabilities such as technical agility, testing excellence, and architecture and design skills,” he said. “We look for people who deliver high-quality, tested solutions that are scalable and can be used repeatedly, preferably through automation.”
PwC
As one of the top professional services firms, PwC aims to recruit the best people from all academic and professional backgrounds. The firm typically hires for audit and tax advisory roles, and data and analytics positions. There are also opportunities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and infosec.
Julie-Ann Broderick, HR director for PwC Ireland, said individuals who act with integrity and demonstrate leadership qualities, business and global acumen will do well at PwC. “We look for individuals who will bring diverse experience and skills, but also ultimately be able to collaborate and work together to solve important problems,” she said.
