Top 15 Skills to Help Fresh Graduates Get Hired

Have you got the key skills employers look for? You’ll need to give examples of these essential competencies in your job applications and interviews in order to impress recruiters and get hired.

Employers of fresh graduates place a lot of emphasis on finding candidates with the right skills and competencies for their companies. Depending on the industry and profession you choose to work in, there could be very specific skills, abilities and knowledge needed for the job. However, complementing these are general competencies and behaviors that are essential for successful working.

These are the key employability skills – the core skills that will make you effective at work, whatever job you do. These are sometimes known as transferable skills because you develop them over time and take them with you as your career develops – think of them as your passport to career success. You’ll need to draw on your work experience to give evidence of these skills.

Commercial Awareness (or Business Acumen).

This is about knowing how a business or industry works and what makes a company tick. Show that you have an understanding of what the organization wants to achieve through its products and services, and how it competes in its marketplace.

Communication.

This covers verbal and written communication, and listening. It’s about being clear, concise and focused; being able to tailor your message for the audience and listening to the views of others.

You’ll need to prove that you’re a team player as well as have the ability to manage and delegate to others and take on responsibility. It’s about building positive working relationships that help everyone to achieve goals and business objectives.

Teamwork.

Negotiation and Persuasion.

This is about being able to set out what you want to achieve and how, and also being able to understand where the other person is coming from so that you can both get what you want or need and feel positive about it.

Problem Solving.

You need to display an ability to take a logical and analytical approach to solving problems and resolving issues. It’s also good to show that you can approach problems from different angles.

Leadership.

You may not become a manager straight away, but fresh graduates need to show potential to motivate teams and other colleagues that may work for all. It includes assigning and delegating tasks well, setting deadlines and leading by good example.

This refers to your ability to prioritize, work efficiently and productively, and manage your time well. It’s also good to show prospective employers how you decide what is important to focus on and get done, and how you go about meeting deadlines.

Organization.

Perseverance and Motivation.

Employers want people to have a bit of get-up-and-go. Working life presents many challenges and you need to show employers that you’re the kind of person who will find a way through, even when the going gets tough... and remain cheerful all along.

This is about keeping calm in a crisis without becoming too overwhelmed or stressed.

Ability to Work Under Pressure.

Confidence.

In the workplace, you need to strike the balance of being confident in yourself but not arrogant. You shall also show confidence in your colleagues and the company you work for.

Managing Ambiguity.

This is a particularly important skill in complex, fast-changing environments, such as the retail sector.

Resilience.

Employers look for resilience in their recruits because they want their employees to be able to cope with change, problems and stress. Develop your resilience and it will serve you right during the recruitment process.

Analytical Skills.

Analytical skills enable you to work with different kinds of information, see patterns and trends and draw meaningful conclusions. These skills are often assessed using aptitude or psychometric tests.

Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Skills.

Spotting gaps in the market, suggesting ways to improve processes, or coming up with new ideas are all signs of an entrepreneurial approach. You don’t have to set up your own business to make use of your enterprise skills; many employers are looking out for new recruits with these qualities.

The best way to demonstrate your IT skills to employers is to show that you have been able to use them to achieve something during college, and you can demonstrate this with examples.

IT Skills.