Graduate Opportunities

One of the most confusing aspects for any graduate job seeker when preparing a job application is knowing exactly what skills and attributes an employer is looking for. This can be even more daunting if you have little or no prior professional employment experience.

We asked over 400 graduate employers from a range of industries about the most important selection criteria that they use when recruiting graduates. Employers were presented with a list of ten common employability skills and personal attributes and asked to select their top three (in addition to relevant qualifications, of course!).

Skills and attributes Ranked

1. Interpersonal and communication skills (both written and oral)
2. Passion / Knowledge of the industry / Drive / Commitment / Attitude
3. Critical reasoning and analytical skills / Problem solving / Lateral thinking / Technical skills
4. Calibre of academic results
5. Teamwork skills
6. Work experience
7. Cultural alignment / Values fit
8. Emotional intelligence (including self-awareness,strength of character, confidence motivation)
9. Leadership skills
10. Intra and extracurricular activities
Ranked by proportion of employers who considered each to be an important selection criterion.

No.1 ranked selection criterion: Interpersonal/ communication skills

Interpersonal/communication skills were nominated by the largest proportion of employers; nearly threequarters indicated that they considered this to be important selection criteria when recruiting graduates.

Next highest was drive, commitment and industry knowledge, nominated by nearly half of surveyed employers. Analytical/problem solving skills was the third-most nominated criterion.

It is important to remember that, while employers may place greater emphasis on one or more of these skills and attributes when recruiting graduate employees, all of these are important; an employer would probably not look favourably on an applicant with poor teamwork skills or limited emotional intelligence.

Furthermore, the specific skills that an employer seeks can vary depending on the industry, the organisation or even the individual managing the recruitment process. Doing some research about the company, speaking with friends who have gone through the process before and even contacting someone from the organisation to discuss their expectations are all good ways to find out about skills and attributes a prospective graduate employer may be seeking.

This research comes from GCA’s 2009 Graduate Outlook Survey of graduate employers in Australasia. If you are interested in viewing more of the survey findings, visit www.graduatecareers.com.au or email research@graduatecareers.com.au