What Employers Look For In Graduates While each employer will have unique requirements of graduates they hire, the following is a generic guide to what employers want.
“Give me a graduate with 2 years experience” In short they want someone who can "hit the ground running" with minimal training or hand-holding. Clearly this is unreasonable for a graduate, so what the employer wants to see isInterpersonal skills - to show the graduate will easily fit in with the rest of team Initiative to do the job - the graduate won't sit there waiting to be told what to doBusiness basics & protocols - an awareness of how things get done in an organisation “But I’ll take a graduate with . . .”Credit grades or betterWork experience (preferably career related)Good communication skillsBalance of study and personal interests These are good indicators to an employer.
Skills valued by employers areInitiative TeamworkCommunicationProblem SolvingPriority Managementwhile less important are Leadership and the Type of Degree (unless is a technical requirement eg. Engineering, Accounting etc)What does the Cover Letter communicate to an employer?
Written communication skills and Initiative. Many graduates are screened out for weak communication skills. Completing a university degree does NOT automatically indicate sound communication skills. The CV communicates
Problem solving skills
Academic performance; university & degree
Initiative
Achievements
Priority management
Study / work / personal interests balance
Leadership potential and Leadership roles
Teamwork
Personal activities or work experience
Personality insights eg. prefers to work alone vs a team The 30 second screening For employers reviewing large volumes of graduate applicants you can expect your CV and cover letter to initially receive around 30 seconds attention to decide if you are in, out or a maybe. The focus of the 30 second screening is Relevant degree / university / grades
Work experience
Extra-curricular interests while at university
Cover letter communication To maximise your chances of success for a graduate job
Perform well academically
Invest time in the Cover Letter and CV
Show active interest in your potential career path
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