By Andrea Kay, Gannett
If you are one of the estimated 2.5 million students graduating with a bachelor's or associate degree this spring, do you know what employers are looking for?
Most grads I ask don't.
Last week I shared three of the most highly rated skills employers watch for. Here are five more.
THE FIRST FIVE: Skills employers are looking for
MORE AT WORK: Andrea Kay's column index
• Writing skills
Employers don't mess around with this.
"Being able to get your point across means the difference between success and failure," says Mike Panigel, senior vice president human resources at global company Siemens, which has several thousand openings.
At UPS, workers must be able to communicate clear and concise messages and to "investigate, analyze and report their findings in a professional manner," says Matt Lavery, UPS managing director of corporate talent acquisition.
BAE Systems interviewers may ask for a writing sample to "literally see if the candidate can write" but also to see if you can organize and share ideas, says Curt Gray, senior vice president of human resources & administration.
Evaluation starts with your cover letter and resume, says President Dianne Durkin of Loyalty Factor, a consulting and training firm.
The recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Preparing Students for College and Careers found that 97% of executives rate strong writing skills as absolutely essential or very important.
• Math skills
This might be more in demand in some positions, but all candidates must "demonstrate an understanding of applied math," specifically as it relates to business, Gray says.
Math skills help people understand the effect of their actions and the revenue they influence, says Tron Jordheim, chief marketing officer for self-storage company StorageMart.
• Problem solving
This skill is most imperative yet least understood.
It is what you do day in and day out. A simple example comes from a front desk clerk I encountered at my hotel last week. Since he was the only employee in the lobby, I told him that the exercise equipment in the fitness room didn't seem to be working.
His first response: "Well, I don't know how to work it."
That does not demonstrate problem-solving skills. "Let me call so-and-so to help you" does.
Problem solving is another way to say mental agility, Panigel says.
"A successful candidate knows how to quickly distill the key issues and relationships in complex situations," he says. To find out if you do that well, interviewers ask for a lot of tangible examples.
Durkin says companies evaluate this by offering up possible scenarios in their office, then they'll ask how you would resolve the issues.
The MetLife survey found that 99% of executives rate problem solving as absolutely essential or very important.
• That special something
Employers look for people who are distinctive.
Zoc Doc's Karsten Vagner says that's someone with leadership experience such as running your own business, being president of a club or captain of a sports team.
Siemens listens for people with intellectual curiosity who "have done something special such as studying abroad, putting themselves through school or starting a club or charity," Panigel says.
Another way to set yourself apart is to know about world issues. The MetLife survey found that 65% of Fortune 1000 executives think knowledge of other cultures and international issues is absolutely essential or very important to be ready for a career.
• Attitude
Attitude is so important that it rates its own category.
"You have to have passion for what we do," Durkin says. She can spot it in a candidate when you can explain with conviction why what you do is so important to a company.
Siemens looks for flexibility. Interviewers ask candidates to describe their experiences with a project that required them to change or reverse course.
"No two days are the same," Panigel says. "And there is no black and white. Dealing with nuance is a requirement of the job."
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