In today’s competitive job market, technical skills and impressive credentials are just the price of entry. According to Eduard Ortega, Certified Management Accountant (Australia) and founder of Remotely Philippines, there’s one quality that consistently sets the best candidates apart—and it has nothing to do with grades or titles.
“It’s the growth mindset,” Ortega says. “That one trait tells me if someone will survive, evolve, and lead in a fast-changing industry.”
For Ortega, hiring isn’t just about what a candidate knows—it’s about how they handle what they don’t. “Experience matters, of course, but I always ask: Are they open to feedback? Do they take initiative? Can they adapt when things change?”
As someone who transitioned from a stable corporate career to entrepreneurship, Ortega understands the need for agility firsthand. The accounting and audit landscape is shifting—fast. Technology, automation, globalization—they’re all rewriting the rules. “In this environment,” he says, “complacency is the biggest risk.”
That’s why when hiring, Ortega looks beyond the résumé. He watches how candidates approach problems, how they ask questions, and whether they’re hungry to grow. “You can teach systems. You can train for compliance. But you can’t teach someone to care about improving.”
He recalls interviewing a junior applicant who admitted to not knowing a particular tool—but followed it up by explaining how she taught herself two others on her own. “That kind of attitude tells me everything,” Ortega says. “She was hired.”
The growth mindset also signals something deeper: accountability. “People who want to grow usually take responsibility. They don’t make excuses. They figure things out.”
Ortega’s advice to job seekers? Show you’re someone who doesn’t just do the job—you improve it. “Talk about how you learned from mistakes, how you took initiative, or how you adapted in a crisis. That’s what employers remember.”
In a world where credentials are becoming more common, mindset is becoming the real differentiator. And those who lean into learning, agility, and self-awareness will always have the edge.
