By R. Vithanage
The corporate sector is a highly competitive place. And the job market even more so. If you are a fresh graduate looking for a job, things might be a little tough unless you learn the ropes of the field. In fact, your job search will not be effective unless you understand what employers are looking for in a candidate. And here are some of the main things that HR personnel and recruiters look for in a fresh graduate across the disciplines. No matter what field you are in, you will find that all employers look for these common qualities when they are interviewing a candidate.
1. Academic background
This is sort of a given. All employers make sure that you have a suitable academic background to function properly at the job. Usually, most jobs require you to have a GPA of 2.2 or higher. You can find the exact requirements in the required skills. And these may differ from job to job. But one thing is for sure, you need to convince the employer that you have what it takes for the job, academically. So, don’t forget your degree certificate and to show that you have the academic background required.
2. Ability to work under pressure
This is a must-have in the corporate sector. With tight deadlines coming every other day, it is crucial that employers can work under pressure. They need to be able to produce results under stress. That is why employers focus on this skill a lot. Can you describe a situation where you had to work under pressure? Is one of the most common questions asked at an interview. So be ready to answer this question with some real-life examples to convince your interview panel.
3. Ability to work under minimum supervision
This is yet another thing that employers look for in a candidate. Like we said before, the corporate sector is a very busy place with everyone having jampacked schedules. Even though you will be assigned an immediate supervisor, you will need to work under minimum supervision and still produce good results. That is why interviewers ask trick questions to make sure that you don’t require constant supervision and that you are a self-starter.
4. Ability to work in a team
If you have prior experience with working in a team and evidence to support it, it will be a huge plus point for you. Any workplace requires that you work in a team. It all depends on how the entire team functions as a whole. Keep in mind that you are only a small part of the whole machine. For the end product to be of good quality, the entire machine needs to function in sync. And that is why it is highly important that the candidate they choose is able to work as a team. So, employers always make sure that you have interpersonal skills and the ability to thrive in a group environment. They will check whether you can communicate with your immediate co-workers and colleagues from other departments. This is where the question of written and verbal communication also comes in.
5. Problem-solving skills
This is another one of those must-have skills that employers look for in a fresh graduate. Chances are, as a fresh graduate, you will be asked to engage in multiple projects at the same time. Unlike a senior project manager who only gets involved with a single project, you will most likely be asked to work with several projects simultaneously. Doing so, you might come across things that require instant decision making and problem-solving. That is why employers ensure that the candidate they choose can solve problems with minimum time. They will ask questions relating to your creative problem-solving skills and critical and analytical thinking capabilities. So be ready to face questions like this.These are the five skills that are the most sought-for in fresh graduates. Before you walk into the interview, analyze your own skillset and be prepared to demonstrate that you bring to the table exactly what is required of you. And if you need a little extra help on preparing for an interview, do check out this course by Growth Central. It has everything you need to know in the job-seeking and interview process.