Chapter: What Do Employers Want From Students?

Many parents aren?t sure what their students need to accomplish in college, in order to land a great job. Obviously, without that knowledge, students will be at a great disadvantage. How can you expect your children to graduate from college with a great job at a respected employer, when they don?t know what the best employers want and expect?

So, let?s get it all out in the open. What is it that impresses employers?

Academic Success
There is nothing new here. The best employers usually have academic performance requirements. That may involve the overall CUM and GPA in the student?s major. Only the students who either meet or exceed those requirements will be considered for employment. Therefore, interested students must find out what their target employers require and then make certain that they meet or exceed those requirements.

Success In Their Field Of Interest
Academic success in the student?s field of interest or major is always critical. Additionally, the best employers prefer students who also have some work experience in that field (co-op, work/study, part-time or summer). In that way, employers can verify both academic and employment performance. The best candidates find a way to distinguish themselves. When students are unremarkable in their own field of interest, the best employers will generally move on to the next candidate.

Communication Skills
Poor communication skills pose a gigantic problem for many of today?s students, because they never learned the basics in the early grades. Students who can read, write, speak, present, negotiate, persuade, question, spell, punctuate, use proper grammar and also utilize an adult vocabulary will be assets to any organization. Only those candidates with highly developed communication skills will have any chance of being considered for employment with the best employers.

Leadership Skills
Good leaders are worth their weight in gold. If your college student can demonstrate his/her ability to lead and inspire others to achieve significant results, he/she has a critical business skill, a skill that is always in high demand. High quality employers only look for candidates who have the potential for future advancement. They won?t invest in someone whose career will plateau eighteen months up the road. That?s why candidates with proven leadership skills will have the advantage.

Students who participate in campus, work and community activities give themselves the best chance for demonstrating their leadership skills. When a student leads a group that gets important things done, employers will be impressed.

People Skills
The ability to interact with people of all incomes, job levels, cultures, races, religions and languages in a friendly, meaningful and productive way can be beneficial to any career direction. Warm, well-liked, understanding people have the best chance to attract and influence others. Students with exceptional people skills will give employers another reason to pay close attention to them for leadership, supervisory, sales, customer service, public relations and human resources opportunities.

Technical Knowledge and Skill
Technical wizards, in any field, can make employers drool. Companies are always on the lookout for professionals and technicians who can take them to the next generation of products and services. When these “techies” also have demonstrated managerial skills or people skills, they can easily differentiate themselves from the candidates who will be limited to a single career path.

Significant Accomplishments and Successes
Participation is good, but positive results are better. Employers believe that the best predictor of future performance is past performance. Therefore, students who build an impressive list of positive results, accomplishments and successes during their college years will have the examples and stories that outstanding employers crave.

Examples of Creativity
People with the same tools and information often come up with different ideas and results. Some take things at face value, while others see a very different world and therefore reach surprising and unforeseen conclusions. Many employers seek students who can use their creative minds to see and predict the future. For most employers, it is employee creativity that gives them a competitive advantage. Active and involved students give themselves an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity.

Problem-Solving Skills
Every business has problems. Therefore, if a student has the ability to anticipate, prevent or solve problems, they will add value. When college students participate in campus, work and community activities, they should look for opportunities to get things done and make things better. Employers will want to learn about the obstacles that were overcome, the problems that were solved and snags that were encountered, on the way to accomplishing the goal. Solving real world problems is always impressive.

Money-Making Skills
When it comes right down to it, money makes the world go around. Every employer would like to hear about the way the student either made or saved money for an employer, club, organization or their own business venture. Since money is measurable, employers love to learn about the big sales or savings numbers that a student has achieved. Encourage your child to act on that entrepreneurial spirit.

Job-Related Work Experience
It's always easier for an employer to evaluate a student?s performance when they have been working in the employer?s own field or specialty. Outstanding student performance in their field of interest will frequently lead to multiple job offers and the opportunity to negotiate even better offers. Importantly, the best employers almost always show a preference for students who already have some job-related work experience.

Differentiation
Differentiation is a student?s best friend. Any student who can differentiate themselves from other qualified candidates has gone a long way toward landing a great job. Students can and should use one or more of the suggestions above to stand out from the crowd. It?s the absolute best way to ensure employer interest.

Great References and Recommendations
The best employers always check references and many talk with professors. That?s why strong references and powerful recommendations will make the best candidates stand out. Wise students cultivate relationships with the respected and influential people who will serve as references in the senior year.