Blog Post: Attention Recent College Grads…Got Skills?

College grads…what a wonderful time of your life!  Or is it?  Armed with your degree in hand, you begin the job search adventure.  However, it can be very frustrating when employers are looking for job seekers with proven skills. 

Time after time your resume is either overlooked or if you get an interview, many times the interview will end in a big disappointment.

 Today’s employers want people with proven skills!  How can you prove your skills, if they won’t give you a job?  Catch 22, huh?  Well, guess what, you DO have proven skills!  You just need to expose them.

 I’ve worked with hundreds of interviewers over the years and here is what I have found.  There are few basic skills that employers are looking for and you have probably demonstrated them during your college career days.

 First, let’s look at leadership skills.  True, you have not been a manager or a supervisor at a big company.  But, you led a peer group to complete a class project in school, been the captain of a sports or academic team, led a community organization, or volunteered for a church leadership position?

Share your successes in the interview.  Don’t forget, the Shift Supervisor at a local ‘hamburger joint’ also shows you have potential.  All of these experiences combined demonstrate that you are a step above the rest so you should use them to your advantage.

The second skill you can demostrate is initiative.  Employers LOVE employees that go above and beyond their assigned job duties.  Have you ever completed more then was asked of you on an assignment or class project in school?  Did you ever volunteer more hours or worked more shifts than necessary?  Any time you go beyond what was asked of you, you demonstrate initiative.  Once again, think about part time jobs, school experiences, community involvement, or other volunteer opportunities.

Don’t forget to thorough research the company where you are interviewing.  That’s initiative.  No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can always show initiative.

Graduates can demonstrate they have the skills necessary to perform a job, before they have the job! 

Prior to your next interview:

Take time to recall the types of work experience you have had in the last four to six years. 

Assess your skills and plan out how to share them with your next interviewer. 

Highlight your experiences and always put your best foot forward, because you DO have the skills to land your first big job!

Happy job hunting!