Qualities Employers Look For in a New Grad

In the present time, employers aren’t just looking for someone who has the degree, whether a bachelor’s or Master’s, but the employer wants someone who brings that someone extra to the table. Sure, on a job posting or ad, it says certain requirements the candidate needs to have, but once you get the interview, the perspective changes. For example, when you get those set of questions asked during the interview, they are measuring your sense of responsibility and self-direction.

In Addition, you get to ask questions after as well.

First, employers want to hire someone who understands their own path. You can tell what it is that you want, how you are planning to get there, and what steps to make it go forward. This seems critical for any career. We’ve all had dreams of being or doing something since we were kids.

Secondly, an employer wants someone who knows what they want in their career. I’ve heard the question “What do you see yourself doing in five years?”.

This gives the employer the sense that you don’t’ want the job just for a paycheck. They want people who have goals.

Third, an employer looks to see if you can signal success whether it is at another job or in a life event. This can include stories of when you helped someone or stood out at as an excellent employee elsewhere.

Fourth, an employer wants you to know your strengths. Put simply, don’t just say you are great at Microsoft software programs, emphasize that you are willing to use your skills to help others at being able to do that as well.

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Fifth, you have to be able to think independently. Be able to share ideas with the work team. Share your opinion on any issue that comes up. Don’t be afraid to express yourself.

Sixth, you have to like to be a problem solver. In anything in life, you are going to have to come up with a solution to an inconvenience or an issue. During an interview you get asked about how you dealt with an issue and what was the outcome. Analyze the cause of the problem, come up with an intervention plan, evaluate solutions, implement a plan, and do an assessment of how effective your intervention was.

Seventh, be someone who has ambition. Plain and simple, don’t just aim to make a living, aim to succeed in whatever it is that you want to do. Move up the ladder, go start your own business.

Quality number eight, be proactive. Whenever I have an interview, I ask what the duties are, how is the training process, what I would need to prepare for. Once you have the job, ask if there is anything you can do to help with something.

Ninth, take on the challenge to be happy with learning something new. You might be fresh out of college, but once you are on the field, there is training, you have to learn the policies and procedures, don’t think negatively about what it is you are going to have to learn.

Tenth, be someone who has goals. Set goals and complete them. Always have goals, give yourself a goal to something new. Read, take courses, talk to people. Employers like someone who has goals.

Eleventh, be willing to work on a team. Teamwork is essential in any job, career, industry setting, even College. An employer asks during an interview to tell him or her about a time when you accomplish something working as a team.

Additionally, an employer wants someone to have a sense of responsibility. Responsibility is a trait to have not just on a business or career, but also in your personal life. Even if you tell a story about an experience that you had to have responsibility for, but doesn’t apply to a business setting, it still shows that trait, which is a good thing.

Furthermore, it is essential to have communication skills. This include written and verbal skills, as well as nonverbal skills. For example, a cover letter shows how well you can write, many customer service positions make the use of verbal skills. You have to be able to express yourself clearly with customers, coworkers and supervisors. Nonverbal skills are mainly body language, eye contact, and vocal tone. This set of skills helps build rapport.

Also, have a strong work ethic. This applies to sports, career, self-improvement. One athlete doesn’t get to be the best overnight. He or she gets there early to practice and is the last one to leave. A degree seeking student stays up late studying or writing an important paper to earn that A. To lose weight, someone goes to the gym up to five times a week, follows a strict diet. A new grad has to show strong work ethic from day one on the job. I believe that you are always auditioning for your next move by having a strong work ethic.

Computer skills is also essential in this time for a new grad to have. For example, you might work for someone who wants you to proficient in all Microsoft Programs, Adobe Programs, or information technology.

Finally, I believe a recent graduate has to have at least a 3.0 GPA to be even considered for a position regardless of the degree they have or the career they choose. For example, in my case I want to go for a master’s degree in Criminal Justice. If I want to apply for FBI, CIA, Secret Service or anything like that. I need a 3.0 GPA. This shows that they are serious in who they are hiring and want the best candidate possible.

In summary, a recent grad should have strong work ethic, be able to work in a team, have a sense of responsibility, know his/her strengths, have goals, be willing to learn something new, be ambitious, and be proactive, This can help a new grad land their desired career move and succeed at everything as well.