When employers describe their ideal worker, they often talk about the ability to budget, project management, computer skills, and an attention to detail. But what about the ability to learn?

Let’s say that you’re a 20-something employee who is fresh out of college. You just started a job as a sales representative at a fairly large company, but have never worked in sales before. Your boss guides you through the process of building your first client relationships, and teaching you how to communicate the value of a product.

After all that time your boss invests in you, he or she hopes that you can take what you have been taught and apply it to the next sales situation by yourself. However, your boss might be taking for granted the fact that you have the ability to take new information and apply it to different circumstances. Believe it or not, this is actually a pretty rare skill! Many people need to hear instructions repeated over and over again because each scenario might be different.

Potential employers often test your ability to learn on the job by conducting a behavioral interview. This type of interview illustrates how a job candidate acted in past situations, which can provide some valuable insight as to how he or she will act in the future. So, how do you prepare for this type of interview? The first step is to think of a project that you were assigned in a previous job. Then create a list of the steps that you took to complete it and any problems that you encountered along the way. Lastly, practice analyzing your results and explaining what you learned from the experience. This part is the most important because employers want to know if you can put your experience to use and dive right in to the job.

So, if you’re a quick learner, make sure you can prove it during a job interview!