10 skills employers look for in college graduates

Have you recently graduated from college and are looking for your first job? This is where you get to put your talents to the test. Today, we discuss 10 specific skills that employers look for in new graduates, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook survey.

1. Problem-Solving Skills

85.5% of employers want the new graduates they hire to have excellent problem-solving skills. This is why you face a lot of behavioral interview questions when you apply for a new job. Want to stand out as a great problem solver on your resume? Narrate the story of how you identified an issue at an internship and solved it to have great results.

2. Analytical Skills

Critical thinking skills are highly admired by employers. 78.6% of hiring managers want their new hires to have great analytical skills. You must give priority to your abilities to gather and evaluate information on your resume to display your analytical skills.

3. Ability to Work in a Team

Unlike in college where you had to work for your own success, a job requires you to work alongside team members. 76.3% of hiring managers want their new hires to have excellent teamwork skills. Highlight the instances where you have delegated work of group projects with different people successfully on your resume.

4. Written Communication Skills

Communication skills are essential for any job. 73.3% of managers believe writing proficiency to be the most desirable hard skill on recent college graduate resumes. Want to show off your writing skills? Create a winning cover letter to go with your resume.

5. Initiative

Initiative is a skill that goes hand in hand with leadership and technical skills. Have you ever taken the initiative to handle a crisis situation during college or an internship? Highlight this experience on your resume using the STAR method. 72.5% of hiring managers want their new hires to take initiative.

6. Strong Work Ethic

Quiet quitting has been a real issue for US employers. Hence, 71% of recruiters are looking for candidates who are dedicated to their work. You can highlight your ability to meet deadlines and your punctuality to showcase this on a resume.

7. Technical Skills

Technical skills are what help you to do any job right. 64.9% of hiring managers believe that graduates must possess satisfactory technical skills. One way to highlight technical skills on your resume is to list the awards you’ve won for tech competitions in the awards section of the resume.

8. Flexibility/Adaptability

Adaptability skills are sought out everywhere. In fact, 63.4% of hiring managers want to hire graduates who are flexible. Let your resume highlight your resilience during the pandemic for maximum impact on a recruiter.

9. Detail-oriented

Attention to detail is a must-have talent in young graduates, according to 62.6% of managers. The best way to show that you are attentive? Proofread your resume meticulously for spelling and grammar errors. Remember, mistakes on your resume will tell hiring managers that you are inattentive.

10. Leadership Skills