• Does the candidate have the qualifications and experience for the position?
• Additional skills for now or the future?
• Is the ‘fit’ factor right?
• Personal qualities of the candidate?

Identifying key competencies for a role:

Employers generally have a checklist of criteria they need met when deciding to hire someone. You can often work out what's on this checklist by looking at the advertisement for the role.

The following job advertisement for a Sales Consultant role contains a number of "key competencies" (vital knowledge, skills, abilities, experience or other attributes) that are required to complete the role successfully.

If you are to apply for the role, you must first identify what these key competenceies are, then address these in your application to an employer and prepare for questions around these competencies at interview. Let's take a look:

Move your mouse over the highlighted sections of the ad to see the key competency the description refers to below the ad:

The Key Competency:

An evaluation could also be made on:

• General intelligence.


• Maturity.


• Communication and interpersonal skills.


• Attitude.


• Drive and motivation.


• Confidence.


• Stability.