Skills You'll Need to Get a Job

Article Contents:

Skills You'll Need to Get a Job

Use Campus Resources to Develop Your Skills

Prepare Now to Make a Good Impression Tomorrow

Start now to acquire the skills employees seek in job candidates. It doesn't matter if your graduation is years away (so much the better—you'll have lots of time to develop and perfect those skills!).

It doesn't even matter if you haven't a clue what type of career you might want. What does matter is that many of the skills and qualities employers look for take time to acquire. You can turn yourself into the most attractive job candidate on the market years down the road by starting today.

Each fall, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveys employers about the job market, asking, among other things: What skills and abilities does a new graduate need to be prepared for an entry-level job? How can a new graduate make a good first impression?

According to employers, the top 10 personal characteristics they seek in job candidates are:

Communication skills
Work experience
Motivation/initiative
Teamwork skills
Leadership abilities
High GPA/academic credentials:
Technical skills
Interpersonal skills
Analytical skills
Ethics

And, according to employers, the top skills they look for in job candidates are:

Interpersonal
Teamwork
Verbal communication
Analytical
Computer
Written communication
Leadership

There's no way around it: A high GPA is important—it's among the top 10 qualities employers look for in prospective employees. Employers say technical, analytical, and computer skills are extremely important if you want to get the job of your choice. When you're competing with your classmates for a position, good grades can give you the edge.

So, too, can having well-developed communication and interpersonal skills and leadership abilities. Year after year, recruiters say they are looking for good communicators. They want to hire people who will be able to write coherent reports and make relevant presentations to other employees. They want to hire people who will be able to relate to and interact with co-workers and customers. Many companies rely on teams of staff to conduct business. So, it's important that you be able to show a potential employer that you have learned to be a contributing member of a team.

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