No matter what industry you work in or job you do, teamwork skills are a must-have – especially in situations where people work closely with one another towards a shared goal. Take a look at current job adverts and you'll notice that applicants are often asked to bring a sense of team spirit to their role, and that this is a key consideration during the selection process.
University graduates in particular can focus on their ability to work as part of a team to help their application stand out, because this is something that doesn't require years of experience. Read on to find out exactly how to do this. Happy reading!
Team spirit at work: are you a team player?
What exactly does teamwork actually mean? Firstly, teamwork is a social skill that is closely related to other soft skills such as empathy, conflict management, the ability to handle criticism and strong communication skills. Together, these skills make someone a good team player.
There's more than just one way to define team spirit, but the word "team" really says it all. A team is a group of at least two people working to complete a specific task or working towards a shared goal. To put it simply, the more you enjoy working in a group, the more of a team player you are! Or to put it more precisely, team spirit means being willing to:
- be part of the group
- work together with colleagues as equals
- compromise now and again
- accept criticism
- resolve differences in opinion in an objective and constructive way
- achieve an objective by working together with others
- share achievements
Nevertheless, being a team player at work doesn't mean that you have to just say yes to everything and let others make all the decisions. After all, as a member of the team, your opinion is important too. Being able to find the right balance in this regard is a real win for the team as a whole.
Describing your ability to work in a team in your application
Are you looking at current job adverts right now and feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all the requirements that're asked of you as an applicant? Understandably, this might be discouraging at first. But unlike some years ago, companies are placing greater value on your social skills, such as your teamwork, and this is something that you're certainly able to offer as someone just beginning their career – even without relevant professional experience.
After all, a sense of team spirit is also needed when studying, undertaking an internship, playing sports or working in a part-time job. There are sure to be some examples you can use in your application to help really highlight your ability to work in a team. Need some specific suggestions...? OK, here you go!
Here are some examples of how you can prove that you work well in a team:
- Team sports: whether you play basketball or football, whether you're a striker or a coach, if you enjoy playing team sports, then you have team spirit!
- Being a member of a club or group: do you like to act, sing in a choir or do voluntary work during your free time? Talking about this in your application is another great way to demonstrate that you're a team player.
- Mentoring freshers: volunteering as a mentor at uni always looks great on a CV and shows that you're team-oriented, among other things.
- Sitting on a student committee: volunteering to be a student rep means that you work in the students' best interests and are likely to have a strong sense of team spirit.
- Internships and student jobs: these offer lots of potential for highlighting your passion for teamwork.
Job application: how to write a cover letter that highlights your team spirit
A cover letter is your opportunity to tell the recruiter more about yourself and your professional and soft skills. But be careful: before you get started, you should first take a look at the job profile to see exactly what's being asked of you.
If it focuses specifically on your qualities as a team player, you'll need to say more than just "I can work as part of a team". By providing an example, you can explain why that statement is true. It could look like this:
"I've played football as part of a club since I was a child. I now train a junior team there. What I love most about this is the sense of team spirit and, of course, sharing in the team's successes..."
Job application: writing a CV that showcases your teamwork skills
Your CV provides you with another great opportunity to really highlight your skills in an effective way. So make the most of it! Because your CV is usually the first document that the recruiter sees when your application lands on their desk.
In order to make sure that you stand out from the other applicants, you could provide evidence of your ability to work in a team by talking about past activities or you could also briefly touch on your sense of team spirit when discussing your personal strengths.
Job application: how to talk about team spirit in a job interview
Good job! You did it! You succeeded in convincing the recruiter that you have what it takes and the skills that they're looking for in your application and have now been invited to interview. But how can also use your passion for teamwork to help you stand out during the job interview?
HR managers often ask questions that are designed to indirectly establish how well you can work as part of a team. To help you stay calm and collected, you should prepare to be asked the following questions:
- Why do you think your colleagues enjoy working with you?
- What does a good working environment look like to you?
- What do you do when you're having problems with colleagues?
- What is your preferred role within a team, and why?
Does the idea of teamwork make you want to run a mile?
Nowadays, in addition to your professional qualifications, increasing focus is being given to your social skills in the context of work. You need to demonstrate team spirit in your application – there are many jobs out there that are certainly not well suited to the lone wolves among us. But what should you do if you actually prefer to keep your colleagues at arm's length and feel most at ease when you're able to just do your own thing?
First of all, being able to admit to yourself and understanding that working in a team is not necessarily one of your top skills is remarkable in itself. Now you can look specifically for jobs that don't require as much teamwork or try to work on your teamwork skills. This is something you can absolutely do! It's best to be honest with yourself and your future employer – you might also score points with the recruiter by doing this.
Team spirit is your superpower: apply now with JobTeaser!
Even as a university graduate, you already possess many skills that make you an incredibly interesting candidate to companies. You might not have given much thought to many of your skills before now. If you'd like to read more about this, then you should check out our article on skills in your job application. Of course, you're still lacking professional experience, but what recruiter is looking for that in a young professional like yourself anyway?
Whether on our platform or in our app, there are a number of companies that are well aware of the superpowers that their young, talented employees have to offer – team spirit being one of them! Be sure to take a look.
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