THE CAREERS AND HIGHER EDUCATION MAGAZINE FROM THE INSPIRING FUTURES FOUNDATION


Qualifications, Skills, Personality?

Carl Gilleard runs the Association of Graduate Recruiters and finds out what graduate recruiters are really looking for when you come to apply for jobs

In the world of work there are two things we can take for granted; the only certainty is uncertainty and change is the only constant.

So, what has all this got to do with sixth formers and their career choices? Quite a lot actually, it will affect what we do at work, how we do it and when we do it. As a consequence, the expectations of employers for qualifications, skills and the personal attributes of those they employ are on the up.

To succeed requires graduates to demonstrate real talent. Individual performance is judged more on results than the method applied; there is a greater emphasis on project working and networking; businesses have flatter structures; many workers will have more than one boss. So the question of what it is that employers look for in graduates when they are recruiting the workforce of the future takes all these into consideration.

It should come as no surprise that employers want the lot: qualifications, skills and the right personality. It is no exaggeration to say that the employers wish list has grown and will continue to grow in years to come.

Let's begin with qualifications, a good degree is expected by many employers. Among my associate members, including many large recruiters of graduates, 64% demand a 2:1 as a minimum. A further 25% set the minimum at a 2:2 so you can see the importance they attach to the degree level. It is also worth pointing out that about a third of them look at 'A' level results too.

But does the degree discipline matter? For some jobs it is essential to have studied for the right degree. Our surveys suggest one in four jobs specify the degree. It is vital to choose the right degree if your ambition is to be a medic, scientist, engineer or technologist but less so if you are interested in accountancy, law, retail management or banking.

Basically, a good degree is important but it's much better to have a good degree plus extra skills and competences. Employers focus hard on this, even when they are recruiting straight from university.

You can divide skills into two sets - specific and generic. For jobs in specialist fields like engineering, construction and IT employers will expect you to have appropriate skills and they will measure these in the selection process through psychometric testing, exercises and interviews. All jobs require skills and employers are keen to determine what generic or transferable skills candidates can offer. These include communication skills, team - working, decision making, commercial awareness and numeracy.

Carl Gilleard – Association of Graduate Recruiters
Carl Gilleard – Association of Graduate Recruiters

But how do you learn these if you've only just left school or university? You probably already have some without knowing: For example, being the secretary of the hockey club provides all kinds of experiences in which transferable skills are developed. Participating in voluntary or charity work can build team working skills. Probably the most valuable experience of all is work experience and very few graduates today have not worked at some time and many will have had extensive work experience through vacation and part-time jobs. The really lucky ones will have had a structured work placement as part of their course.

Employers place a premium on candidates with work experience but, and it is a big but, they have to be able to demonstrate the value they have gained from the activities they have undertaken. Frustratingly, many graduates fail to do this convincingly either because they underestimate the importance of doing so or because they have not reflected on what they have gained. The phrase 'I have only worked in'.. says it all. If you undervalue your experience and what you have to offer then can you expect a recruiter to think any differently?

Turning now to the personal attributes of candidates, these are difficult to assess and employers should not be looking to recruit candidates with identical personalities. Some personal qualities, however, do make a difference when it comes to recruiting. Take desire and motivation. A candidate who can demonstrate that they really want the job and have the ambition to succeed, is a better bet than a candidate who responds to an advertisement because it sounds vaguely interesting. Employers are going to invest thousands of pounds developing your talents and they want to ensure that you are keen to learn and succeed. Having scrutinized many hundreds of application forms over the years you can identify the tell tale signs of how motivated candidates are. One of the biggest gripes of recruiters of graduates is the lack of effort that they put into their applications. There's no excuse for not researching the organisation or the job properly. Nor for spelling mistakes or crossings out on application forms!

Not everyone is supremely confident and outgoing but the more you prepare an application the more confident you feel. If you are naturally reserved and thoughtful don't be put off by the selection procedure. Play to your strengths - which means, of course, that you must work out what they are!

Recruitment is a competitive business. There will be other applicants and you may not succeed in getting the first job you apply for. Don't lose heart and don't give up. That's another worthy personal attribute that you can show - resilience!