Hands up all graduates who feel ready to take on the world of work! According to PayScale, 87% of you are confident you’ll take any graduate job by storm. Unfortunately, only half of managers agree with you – and they’re the ones who’ll be giving you those jobs!
Turns out there are several pretty crucial key skills which bosses feel most graduates just don’t have. So if you want to get ahead of the crowd and land your dream job, it’s time to do some brushing up.
1. Writing proficiency
Somewhere between old-school text speak and #tldr, many students seem to have forgotten how to write properly. It’s not just budding journalists and content marketers who need to have stellar writing skills – almost every graduate job will require you to be able to write clearly and correctly for tasks such as reports, client emails and press releases.
The best way to boost your writing skills is to practice! Don’t limit yourself to university coursework – companies will expect you to be able to match your writing style to their brand, so practice copying the tone from a range of different genres and media.
Ask for feedback on your writing from lecturers, friends or family members. If you keep making the same spelling or grammar mistake, take the time to learn by heart how to write it correctly.
2. Critical thinking & problem solving
This was the single biggest key skills-deficiency employers mentioned in the PayScale survey – a huge 60% believe students can’t think critically or problem solve effectively.
We learn by doing. Throwing yourself into challenging situations will force you to think on your feet when issues inevitably arise. Consider organizing an event for your university, or volunteering for a position of responsibility in your favorite society.
Thinking critically means questioning and evaluating everything. Next time you go to do something important, stop and think about why you’re doing it and whether it really is the best way to achieve your end goal. Never make assumptions, and seek out evidence before peddling any ‘fact’.
3. Grit
Grit is about powering through difficulty and overcoming adversity. One in four surveyed employers think graduates lack it.
Choose to see your mistakes and failures as learning experiences which you can bounce back from. And never give up on a goal because it’s hard – try breaking it into small, achievable steps and force yourself to push through when your motivation flags. Find a challenge which is both tough and interesting to complete – perhaps you could climb a mountain, or teach yourself another language.
4. Public speaking
Standing up and talking to strangers may be terrifying, but many employers expect their new hires to be able to communicate with confidence. Perhaps you’ll have to give presentations to other parts of the company, perhaps you’ll be expected to run client meetings, and you’ll almost definitely need to be able to network.
The only way to overcome this fear is by doing it. Start attending university networking events, volunteer to be the spokesperson for your group project, walk up to a stranger and start a conversation. The more you do it, the less nerve-racking you’ll find it, and your public speaking ability will improve dramatically. If you really want to polish up, a club like Toastmasters is a good bet too.
5. Attention to detail
There’s no quicker way to seem incompetent than to turn in slapdash work. Take time over projects and only ever focus on one thing at a time to make sure everything is done as well as it could be. Staying organized will help – write important things down so you don’t forget them, and keep a schedule.
Importantly, always proofread everything you write – it’s so easy to make a mistake! If there’s a typo in your CV or cover letter or even in the accompanying email, it’s guaranteed to create a bad impression.
6. Leadership
You may think that going into an entry-level role means you don’t need to be a leader just yet, but most employers want staff who can take the initiative. You may be expected to take charge of a project or manage clients, and showing great leadership potential marks you out as a good candidate for future promotion.
Volunteer for positions of responsibility wherever you can. Realize that good leaders listen more than they talk. Always consider the needs of everyone in your team, and think about how you can best motivate everyone to perform their best. When you interview, take charge of the situation, and act confident. As long as you don’t cross the line into arrogant, employers will be impressed.
Beth Leslie writes career advice for Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in landing candidates their dream internship.
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