| Posted on June 20th, 2010 by Randy Proto |
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What do employers want from graduates? Over the past 30 years it hasn’t changed. There are surveys out there (I will find some and post the links). But, long ago I was introduced to a seemingly self evident set of answers by one of my mentors in management. The answers were based upon a survey he had reviewed.
Employers want, in this general order of importance for an entry level position in many fields: demonstrated reliability and perseverance; professionalism and organizational fit; and position specific knowledge and skills. 1, 2, and 3.
Item 1 : Demonstrated reliability and perseverance
Completing a program – a degree or a diploma program (of some meaningful length) is often interpreted, rightly, as a meaningful indicator of a person’s inclination to persevere. To stick with the job they are considering the person for and the tasks it entails until they are complete.
Reliability though is a bit more challenging. For an adult student, prior jobs offer the opportunity to demonstrate reliability. Or they represent a challenge to doing so. For young adults, even more difficult (or less challenging) as this track record is less established. But clearly, the graduate who has the advantage (all else being even close) is the one who can clearly convey: I will be on the job, every day, and will stick with it until the goal is accomplished – you can count on it. That maximizes the chance of getting hired.
So beyond merely granting the degree or diploma – and advice on a job search, what can educators, their institutions, or students themselves do to provide graduates with the ability to tap into this key advantage? Before I explain what I have done, I would be interested in your views….
One survey conducted in 2009 that you may find interesting on this topic (what employers are looking for from graduates) is this one provided on the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) website (http://www.shrm.org):
The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce – Exploring the Challenges of Employer-Provided Workforce Readiness Training, by Jill Casner-Lotto, Elyse Rosenblum, and Mary Wright
Download a copy at: http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Documents/BED-09Workforce_RR.pdf
In response to the question poised, however, I think is well worth considering the impact of unpaid efforts while in training and/or volunteer work in the field desired. These efforts demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in the field which can translate into a perception of reliability for future efforts in this arena. SHRM conducted a poll in September, 2009 and asked employers if two candidates with limited experience were applying for the same position, what type of prior experience would tip the balance – a ‘real world’ job even if it wasn’t in the field of interest, or an unpaid internship directly related to the field. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of the unpaid internship (70% of those surveyed).
Great thoughts, and an interesting expansion to my thinking. This is a very good link for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the elements that should be present in postsecondary curricula and delivery frameworks.
Thanks
So, a couple of things that have worked for me in structuring career education programs so that graduates have one more tool to use with an employer to prove reliability:
•in certain types of programs, I have used the transcript as a “proof of reliability” by recording the number of total classes, number attended and number on time, all in addition to the grade. This gave the student the opportunity to demonstrate a track record of reliability. The ideal of course was 100% attended on time. This tends to increase students’ focus on attending all classes and my experience has been it improves student persistence and completion rates
•likewise, a reliability score reflected on the transcript in addition to the grade – a reflection of attendance at all mandatory sessions, timely submission of all assignments and other similar factors. The important element here is that the transcript describe the components of the score and the method of computing it, and that the components be totally objective