As soon as I had typed those two words on the page I got a rush of enthusiasm followed by a slow sinking feeling.
You can’t argue with the concept and it does inspire me but I find the action implied by the Commitment part more challenging.
I cant imagine too many recruiters have these exact two words (Resolution and Commitment) on their checklist but the concept will be on their mind…’will this person, on their own initiative, embark on a task and no matter how difficult it is, see it through to completion?’
‘Resolution’ in the sense that we have made a decision to carry out a specific task or course of action, is not a word we hear often and the action it describes has been diluted as a result. It’s a clear statement of intent about something that we’ve encountered which we will definitely do something about and take responsibility for.’
A Resolution gains much more mileage when, we give this Soft Skill a two part meaning by hooking it up to ‘Commitment.’ Broadening out the meaning from an idea to an action.
So, does this old fashioned sounding Soft SKill warrant a place on your cv? I think so, yes!
It shows you consider yourself to be responsible and that’s a good start. You may be the only candidate to even have this on their CV and that will almost certainly encourage the interviewer to start a conversation with you.
They will have the feeling that you take notice of what’s going on and not only give it your attention but more importantly do the leg work when it’s needed. You will be proactive.
Of course you will have to demonstrate situations in which you have been resolute and committed. Your examples don’t have to be dramatic or high profile. In fact the more ‘matter-of-fact’ they are the greater your powers of observation and intervention are seen to be and it’s these apparently small things which translate easily into the work situation.
For example, you may have noticed a potential gap in a duty roster because one of the team hasn’t come into work. Having noticed that, you then decide to fill the spot yourself and arrange for a colleague to cover for you.
You may not realise it but that’s Resolution and Commitment right there so put it on your cv and own it. A good interviewer will take the opportunity to probe a little and have a good conversation with you about what was going on in your head with that situation so be ready to make the most of that opportunity.
As with everything it’s the thought behind the action that interviewers are interested in. They get a 3D picture of what you’re like and how you react.
After working in sales and then purchasing roles for almost 18 years with companies in the UK, Japan, Korea and then here in Hong Kong, I became involved in the field of business skills development. 20 years later, my special interests in this area are individual management style building, interpersonal communication and influencing strategies. 