It's the Student, Not the College by Kristin M. White

Author:Kristin M. White
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781615192380
Publisher: The Experiment
Published: 2015-04-05T16:00:00+00:00

QUALITIES THAT EMPLOYERS VALUE IN COLLEGE GRADUATES

Several studies and articles in the news have shown that salaries are correlated to college majors, which leads some people to conclude that the choice of major is the biggest factor in career financial success.91 We can see that engineering majors tend to make more than philosophy majors, so it seems like the smart thing is to major in something “practical.” Many students feel compelled to study pre-professional subjects, such as business, engineering, computer science, or health sciences, because they think that employers are turned off by liberal-arts majors such as English, psychology, and history. However, according to several recent employer surveys, a person’s long-term professional success depends more on having the right skills for the workplace than having had a specific major.

The American Association of Colleges and Universities surveyed 318 employers in businesses and non-profits about qualities and skills that they valued in recent college graduates. Almost all of the employers (93 percent) said that “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidate’s] undergraduate major.”92 The majority of the employers said they wanted college students to place more emphasis in these key areas: critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings. It’s important for students to realize this early, since these qualities that employers so clearly want are things that they must develop over time. It isn’t enough to try to brush up on these skills before job interviews. Students need to have a career focus and a plan for developing these skills before and during the college years. Following the steps described in Chapter 5 is an excellent way to develop them. Even students majoring in engineering or computer science have to develop these skills, since even employers hiring STEM types give preference to those with strong critical-thinking and communication skills.

The employers in the survey also indicated that it was important for job candidates to demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity, intercultural skills, and the capacity for continued learning. They also felt that all college students, regardless of their major, should acquire broad knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences.

An especially interesting finding of the survey was that four out of five employers said that an electronic portfolio would be useful when evaluating candidates.93 In Chapter 11, we will discuss some other potential changes to colleges’ offerings and employers’ expectations. Job applicants are going to have to show more than just a college degree and resume to potential employers. They are going to have to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they have gained that will help them to progress at the company if they are hired.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers conducted its own survey of more than two hundred hiring firms, asking them to rate job candidates’ skills and qualities. The survey found that the most important quality was a candidate’s ability to work in a team structure. The next two highest-rated qualities were decision-making and problem-solving abilities, followed by the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work.

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