BETHLEHEM, PA—What sets two equally qualified job candidates apart can be as simple as who has the better communication skills. An annual survey of the job market for new college graduates shows that, year after year, certain skills, attributes, and qualities show up on employers' "most wanted" list.
According to the Job Outlook 2013 report, published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), after confirming the requisite major and course work for the job, employers screen candidates by GPA (grade point average) and relevant work experience—often earned during college years through internships or cooperative education assignments.
What makes a new graduate stand out from equally qualified competitors, however, is evidence of the "soft skills" needed in the workplace. Employers prize skills such as communication skills, the ability to work in a team, and problem-solving skills. (See "Employers Rate Candidate Soft Skills/Qualities" infographic, below.
"Employers say they want good communicators who can make decisions and solve problems while working effectively as part of a team," Mackes says.
As a result, employers also look for extracurricular activities, Mackes says. Playing on a team, doing volunteer work, leading a professional student organization—it is these types of activities that teach the soft skills students might not learn in the classroom.
The Job Outlook survey is a forecast of hiring intentions of employers as they relate to new college graduates. Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) surveys its employer members about their hiring plans and other employment-related issues to project the market for new college graduates for the current class and to assess a variety of conditions that may influence that market.
For the Job Outlook 2013 survey, data were collected July 25, 2012, through September 10, 2012. A total of 244 surveys were returned for a 25.2 percent response rate. Of those responding, 14.3 percent of respondents were from the West, 27.5 percent were from the Northeast, 27.9 percent were from the Southeast, and 30.3 percent were from the Midwest.
NACE will update the hiring outlook for the Class of 2013 in April.
Since 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/pressreleases/.