Employers seek a range of skills and qualities from graduate applicants. These are often referred to as transferable or employability skills.

Those that are most often sought are listed below:
• Communication: Ability to communicate orally, in writing or via computer/electronic means.
• Team work: Working well with others in order to achieve a common objective.
• Leadership: Being able to motivate and encourage others, whilst taking the lead.
• Initiative: Ability to see opportunities and to set and achieve goals.
• Problem solving: Thinking things through in a logical way in order to determine key issues. Creative thinking is useful.
• Flexibility/adaptability: Ability to handle change and adapt to new situations.
• Self-awareness: Knowing your strengths and skills and having the confidence to put these across.
• Commitment/motivation: Having energy and enthusiasm in pursuing projects.
• Interpersonal skills: Ability to relate well to others and to establish good working relationships.
• Numeracy: Competence and understanding of numerical data, statistics and graphs.

Additionally, employers like to see that applicants have some business awareness - having an insight into what is happening in industry or commerce and the impact this could have on the organisation.

Prior to making an application you should analyse the information provided by the employer to establish the skills and qualities they particularly require. Job descriptions can be limited to outlines of the work-related tasks rather than the personal qualities needed; however it is common now for employers to produce job descriptions or person specifications which detail the personal requirements. They may distinguish between the attributes essential for the job and those that are desirable.

Person specifications will usually include:
• qualifications;
• skills;
• special aptitudes, eg IT;
• interests - especially those showing motivational achievement related to the career;
• personal qualities;
• circumstances, eg availability to travel.

Employers now also use competencies as a basis for job selection. Competencies are defined as characteristics that help people to perform well in the job. A competency-type approach to recruitment will break down the jobs into their essential elements relating to performance.

Examples of these might be:
• commercial and business awareness;
• strategic vision and direction setting;
• problem-solving and decision-making.

Sometimes competencies will be named and described so you can match your own profile to them. Other times you will need to draw up a competency framework from the job or person specification. You will then be able to compare your own qualifications, skills and personal attributes with those required. If you have considered this beforehand, then you will be better able to provide details on the application form.

 

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Prior to making the application you will have to analyse the information given by the employer in their advertisement, graduate brochure or web pages in order to establish the skills and qualities they particularly require.

An interest in information technology and business - must also aspire to take managerial responsibilities in a short time' (Arthur Andersen for business consultants).

'Qualities like the ability to lead and work well in a team along with commitment, enthusiasm and high standards of personal presentation' (graduate trainees for John Lewis partnership).

'Drive, enthusiasm and a first-rate ability to communicate.... will adopt an analytical approach to problems and display outstanding interpersonal skills' (graduate trainees for BT).

Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating the advertisement:
• What is the employer really looking for?
• Is this the type of work I really want?
• Is this the type of employer that I want to work for?
• What are the requirements for the post? (If a person specification is not supplied, draw one up yourself from the information available.)
• What is not stated in the advertisement ...but implied?
• Does the advertisement/job description provide you with sufficient information to apply for the post?
• If not, what else do you need to know and how can you find out more?
• How well do you fulfil the requirements of the job specification?
• What relevant experience/skills/personal qualities can you offer? (see Getting ready to apply)

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