Top 8 Skills Employers Look For In Fresh Graduates

Do you know the skills for fresh graduate?

Being a fresh graduate is an exciting time. You just got your diploma and are ready to start your career. The transition from student to employee does not always come easy. Job hunting can be challenging, especially if you do not know what employers look for in employees. Are you "competent" enough in a way that would attract employers? What are your skills and competencies as a fresh graduate?

What are competencies?

As someone who just got a diploma, hearing the word may make you scratch your head while your mind draws blanks. You can write and defend an academic paper, organise a campus event, sweet-talk your way to better grades, cram for a report, and take power naps between two consecutive classes. Do those qualify as "competencies"?

Competencies are the skills and work experience that you gain and develop as you advance in your career. Being a fresh graduate, you may fall short in the experience department, but there's no need to worry. Competence can mean a lot of things for different employers. Competency these days can mean not just intelligence competency but also emotional competency and artistic competency, among others.

As a fresh graduate, your competencies may fall under soft skills or transferable skills. These skills indicate your working attitude, including your personality, flexibility, and motivation to work. Employers use these skills to see how you fit in the workplace and how you can be effective at your work.

Why is it important to know your competencies?

Employers prioritise jobseekers who have the competencies they are looking for. They expect candidates to possess the specific skills and knowledge indicated in their job postings.

Aside from the hard skills you learn in school, employers nowadays prefer a jobseeker's soft skills in the workplace. Employers view your soft skills as investments that will add value to their business in the long run.

As a fresh graduate, you need to list down your key competencies. You need to know what competencies employers are looking for, so you can discern for yourself if you have them. You should build on your skills inventory early on to help you stand out from the competition.

How to highlight your key competencies in your resume?

Do your research

As you jump on your job seeking journey, it is essential to research the industries you wish to enter and the roles you want to take on. Job postings provide information about the skills employers look for in fresh graduates. Company websites are also a rich place to understand what competencies they value in their employees.

Use keywords

Once you have done your research, you will be able to determine the important keywords employers value. These keywords are also important in passing the applicant tracking system (ATS) that employers use to shortlist candidates. Remember to sprinkle out the important keywords on your resume, whether on your resume objective or your academic experience section.

Add a highlights section in your resume

Your resume is key in exhibiting your competencies to your potential employer. It is good to have a dedicated skills section on your resume to highlight that you have the skills for the job. Make sure your resume is targeted and relevant to the job description. Sort your skills by relevance to make it easier for your potential employer.

What skills should you include in your resume as a fresh graduate?

Personal development

Your personal development skills include your ongoing assessment of your goals and your attitude toward continuously building on your career. These skills help you grow to reach your utmost potential, personally and professionally. Employers value personal development skills because these skills help businesses thrive.

Having personal development skills means you are willing to learn and further improve your skills. It emphasises that you strive to find more efficient ways of getting things done and that you can work independently.

Keywords:

Self-awareness, self-motivated, adaptability, self-starter, independent

Communication

Communication skills are the most in-demand skills in the job market; it is also a vital life skill. The ability to communicate effectively is essential, no matter what industry you work in. Great communicators are the ones who bring solutions and drive change and culture to the workplace.

Beyond verbal or written expertise, having good communication skills means you understand non-verbal cues or body language. You interact with people effectively and know how to present information intelligently. Communication skills help you create strong connections, solve conflicts, and show empathy.

Keywords:

Persuasive speaker, business storytelling, negotiation, presentation skills, confidence and clarity

Leadership

Employers choose fresh graduates who show present leadership skills in their academic experience. These candidates have the potential to be team leaders or managers in the future. Having leadership skills shows that you can handle decision-making well and are confident of how you do your work.

Include your leadership roles in your extracurricular activities or volunteer work.

You can also highlight your leadership skills by indicating you planned and organised projects. Setting your objectives in these projects is key to showing your ability to develop a clear framework for leading tasks.

Keywords:

Delegating, mentoring, evaluating, spearheaded, integrity

Problem-solving

Problem-solving skills help you identify and solve problems effectively and efficiently. Your problem-solving skills involve analytical and critical thinking skills that allow you to evaluate the situation and make decisions. Employers prioritise candidates who are adept at solving problems because this skill reduces the need for complex chains of command. It helps their organisation work efficiently and effectively.

Employers like to see this skill in fresh graduates because it shows you have a range of competencies such as logic, creativity, and determination. Jobseekers who have excellent problem-solving skills are more likely to carry out their responsibilities autonomously.

Keywords:

Brainstorming, decision-making, risk assessment, conflict resolution, creative solutions

Professionalism

Employers want their employees to have a strong work ethic and be professional. These skills can be determined through simple tasks such as being punctual or timely replying to emails. Professionalism is how you conduct yourself positively at work to represent yourself and your company.

Your professionalism also includes your values. As a fresh graduate, you would need to know the values, vision, and mission of the company you want to apply to. It is always good to align your skills to their importance to help your application get noticed.

Keywords:

Solution-oriented, positive attitude, willingness to learn, Responsible, Project management

Empathy

Empathy is a skill often overlooked by fresh graduates. But it is a skill most employers value nowadays because it is directly related to understanding and working with others. Empathy is all about learning and sharing other people's emotions.

Being empathic can help you improve your communication skills and build relationships, creating a positive workplace. It can help you relate more to your co-workers and clients. Having this skill in your resume will signal to your potential employer that you can avoid conflicts and think through situations more thoroughly.

Keywords:

Diversity, inclusive, compassionate, active listening, perspective-taking

Teamwork

Teamwork is necessary for jobs all across industries. It is a vital part of keeping the organisation or company running smoothly. It is also a skill that can promote unity in the workplace. Teamwork can improve productivity, encourage synergy work, and provide new learning opportunities. School group projects prepare you for your future work environment.

Keywords:

Collaborative, reliability, cooperation, trustworthiness, team-player

Tech-savviness

Technology is the key to opportunity and impact in today's digital age. Your tech-savviness translates to how you keep your digital skills, which have become an in-demand skill for employers. It has become a requirement across all industries and at all skill levels.

As a fresh graduate, you may have limited skills in specific platforms, but you must be familiar with platforms used in particular industries. This skill also shows that you keep an open mind regarding technology, and you can adapt or keep up with the latest tools.

Keywords:

Research, curiosity, software proficiency, documentation, project planning

The stumbling block for fresh graduates in declaring competencies is the degree of relevance between what they have and what employees require. It all boils down to relating your academic college experience to what your potential employer is looking for. Your skills as a fresh graduate may be limited, but it is a good starting point to grow into as you advance your career.

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