Tag Archives: skills employers want

Top 10 Soft Job Skills New Graduates Need In 2013

Do You Have These Top 10 Job Skills?

Over the last few years, many college graduates have struggled to find jobs.  To help these and future graduates, we wanted to share the top 10 job skills that hiring managers want in 2013 graduates. This is not scientifically compiled list but it is based on conversations with hundreds of hiring managers, HR managers and recruiters over the last 12 months.

  1.  Work Ethic: Managers want graduates who learn quickly while paying their “dues”. Paying your dues is not just doing mundane everyday work. It also means producing consistent high quality results. People who learn quickly and produce high quality work are promoted quickly in most organizations.
  2. Internship Experience: Internships provide students with an opportunity to learn what is expected in the workplace. Some managers believe graduates with intern experience  integrate into their positions much faster than those who do not have it. This is a great advantage in a tight job market. Here is a good piece of advice to rising freshman in college: “The day you start college is when you start looking for your first internship.”
  3. Ability to Follow Directions: Believe or not, there are many people who do not know how to (or will not) follow directions. Following directions can quickly win the trust of  managers and co workers. Does following directions mean blindly following orders? No, it does not. Part of following directions is questioning to get clarification. Some graduates fear asking questions because they feel it will make them look dumb. A “dumb” question that leads to a good job is better than a half done job any day.
  4. Knowledge of Accounting, Finance and Budgets: The economic times have made employers  highly attracted to grads who understand the basics of accounting and finance. They want grads who can understand balance sheets, budgets and the business decisions that can be made from them.
  5. Interpersonal Skills: The ability to collaborate with people of different ages, cultures, ethnic backgrounds and levels of an organization is very important in the workplace. Today’s graduates will have to learn that e-mail, social media and texting is no substitute for being able to have a face to face conversation. Further, most companies  require people to work in collaborative teams so listening and social manners are important as well.
  6. Communication Skills: The people who know how to present and defend their ideas on paper and in front of a room move up fast in an organization. As a graduate, you may not believe that you will  have to do a presentation or that your reports will be read by upper management but it does happen.  Foreign language skills are also extremely attractive to employers especially for those who work internationally.
  7. Problem Solving Skills : Creative thinkers and problem solvers are highly valued especially in technology and engineering based  industries. Hiring managers are looking for grads who can think on their feet and come up with sound strategies to solve problems on the job.
  8. Knowledge of STEM Subjects: Science, technology, engineering and math concepts are ingrained into the fastest growing and highest paying jobs in the economy. (Apple, Google and many others) It is always a great idea to sharpen your  knowledge of computers, statistics and other technical areas beyond the basic requirements.
  9. A Sense of Adventure: Sometimes a hiring manager may be looking for a new grad to go out to a remote site in the Chilean mountains for 6 weeks to help out on a problem project. Graduates who are not afraid to travel or take on a hard projects gain stronger experience and better opportunities later in their careers.
  10. Good Eye Contact and Firm Handshake: These two pieces of business etiquette convey confidence, character and sincerity. If you want to go far in your career make improving your business etiquette a priority.

Why These Skills Are Important?

These  job skills are important for grads to develop because they can help open the doors to better career opportunities in the future.

 

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Top 7 “Soft” Skills Engineering & Science Grads Need to Be Successful

Skills Are Important

Skills Are Important

Soft Skills Engineering & Science Graduates Need​

To celebrate the achievements of this year's graduates, we decided to share 7 "soft" skills that hiring managers are looking for when they consider science and engineering graduates for entry level jobs. These secrets are not in a particular order because they vary in importance to every manager.

  1. Intuition: A good engineer/scientist understands that technology can "snowball" small errors into big disasters. They can check their designs and calculations by hand when necessary.
  2. Interpersonal skills: Engineering and science projects are a collaborative process. It is important for engineers to be able to work with people from different backgrounds in order to solve problems.
  3. Listening: One senior engineer told me " Engineering is about solving problems by listening to input from others." Good listeners usually make great leaders.
  4. Design skills: Those who cannot  perform the basic calculations and skills their discipline are vulnerable to layoffs. make sure you keep your basic skills sharp throughout your career.
  5. Presentation skills: Engineers and scientists deal with people on a daily basis and should be adept at presenting their ideas to technical and non technical audiences.
  6. Creative/Innovative Thinking: "Out of the box" thinking is a skill engineers and scientists should cultivate early and use often because many complex problem require creative ideas and tools to solve.
  7. Writing: Believe it or not writing is still a major form of communication. Those who cannot express their ideas on paper are at a disadvantage in the workplace.

Why These Are Important

The competition for entry level technical jobs is still very heavy. Graduates not only have to overcome competition from their peers. They also have to contend with experienced workers from other countries. Building these skills can set you apart from the field.

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