What Skills and Attributes Employers Seek When Hiring Students

Communication and Interpersonal Skills:
The ability to communicate effectively with others and get along with a variety of different types of personalities are two of the most desirable qualities in job candidates, according to employers. Employers want to know if you have the ability to organize your thoughts and ideas effectively. Can you express them clearly when speaking or writing? Take a leadership role in any organization, so that you are forced to talk publicly, prepare remarks, get across ideas, and even motivate people without feeling self-conscious! Good public speaking is little more than the art of dramatized conversation, but it must be practiced so you can discover your own personal style.

Intelligence:
Recruiters often use GPA criterion as a way of screening out less desirable job candidates. To some, good grades indicate that the applicant is motivated and goal-oriented. Do you have the ability to understand the job assignment, contribute to the work being done, and are you able to learn quickly?

Enthusiasm:
It's not enough just to have the right qualifications - an employer needs to know that you are willing to give 100 percent to your job. Interviewers are impressed by candidates who are alert, responsive, and energetic.

Flexibility:
Employers need to know that the people they hire can expand and change as their companies do ---especially in today's rapidly changing economy. Applicants who are receptive to new ideas and concepts are highly valued by employers. Are you capable of changing and being receptive to new situations and ideas?

Leadership/Supervisory Skills:
Even in entry-level positions most employers look for evidence of leadership qualities. Successful companies need self-starters who are not afraid to take responsibility for doing the best job possible. Expose yourself to the difficulty of giving orders, delegating tasks, understanding other peoples' viewpoints, and resolving differences.

Maturity:
This is an illusive quality that employers almost always mention in connection with first job hires. Maturity essentially means knowing how to handle yourself in a business situation. Misplaced humorous remarks, giggling at inappropriate moments or being indiscreet about company information are tell-tale signs of immaturity. Do you demonstrate a sense of maturity that enables you to deal positively and effectively with situations and people? Can you realistically assess your own capabilities?

Budget Management:
Get your hot little hands on any budget you can find, no matter how small, and take responsibility for it. Manage how the funds are dispensed, keep control of the budget, learn what fiscal control is all about.

Public Relations:
Accept a role in which you must meet or relate to the public. Greet visitors, answer phone complaints, give talks to community groups, sell ads to business people, explain programs to prospective clients, or even collect taxes.

Organizing/Managing/Coordinating:
Take charge of any event that is within your grasp. It doesn't matter what you organize - an outing, a recreational activity, a program ---as long as you have responsibility for bringing together people, resources, and events. If nothing else, the headaches of organizing events or managing projects teach you how to delegate tasks to others!

Results-Oriented Workers:
Employers look for people who get the job done and produce results, not individuals who are merely geared toward completing tasks. This requires skill in problem-solving and the ability to cope with deadline pressures.

http://www.uwrf.edu/ccs/skills.htm