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Graduate skills: what employers want...

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• Thinking Skills – A Much Sought After Graduate Attribute

Graduate skills...

Many graduates make the mistake of equating their 'skills' with their degree or qualifications. While what you have studied and what you can do are connected, they are not the same thing. A skill is a developed capacity, flair or aptitude; it is a combination of ‘know-how’, practice, knowledge and natural ability.

Rather than a narrow interpretation of your skills that is based on your discipline, think in terms of 'transferable skills'. How can the knowledge and competencies you acquired at university be applied to a workplace environment? For guidance on how to identify your skills see our self-assessment section.

“At TNT Express we are looking for graduates who are energised and passionate about building a career. We want people with a ‘can do attitude’ and really want to make a difference. In return we can promise them unparalleled support and the opportunity to fully develop their career potential not just in transport but across a broad range of areas for example call centre operations, financial management and sales and marketing to name but a few.”
–TNT Managing Director, Roger Corcoran.

Skills for success

So what skills do employers seek in their graduate recruits? Although it varies considerably from industry to industry, job to job, there are some capabilities commonly valued by most graduate employers. Academic achievement is obviously important, but it is not everything. Core skills which employers seek include:

• Literacy and numeracy
• Time management & organisation
• Oral and written communication
• Team work
• Creative problem-solving
• Initiative and enterprise
• Critical and analytical thinking
• Ability to apply discipline knowledge and concepts
• Information gathering, evaluation and synthesis
• Emotional intelligence; interpersonal skills
• Adaptability.

Other qualities that employers watch out for when they assess candidates are:

• Balanced lifestyle and capacity to manage stress levels
• Community involvement (through volunteer work, for example)
• Personal attributes such as ambition, selfawareness and an inquiring mind.

Technical skills

Depending on the type of position you are looking for, certain technical skills will generally be required. Usually this involves knowledge of particular computer programs, although some industries will have other specific technical requirements.

“The qualities we look for at Centrelink are drive, ambition and the ability to come up with fresh ideas. There is a lot more to Centrelink than most people think, which is why we search for people who can think laterally and look at the big picture. We employ a wide variety of graduates (something many jobseekers don’t realise) – psychologists, social workers, IT experts, communication gurus and savvy business brains. We have ten different graduate program streams, so graduates should definitely look us up if they are after a rewarding and diverse graduate experience. We probably have the spot to match your qualifications, skills and passion.”
– Centrelink CEO, Jeff Whalan.

More information

Your university Careers Services, industry bodies and professional associations will all be able to provide you with further information about key skills and desirable attributes in your field.

This article is taken from the 2007-08 edition of Graduate Careers Australia's employer directory Graduate Opportunities .

© 2007 Graduate Careers Australia