7 Skills employers Are looking out for In University Graduates

 

Employers especially in Kenya nowadays no longer hire you for your degree alone. There are additional specific skills they consider when deciding which graduate to recruit. Penetrating the job market is becoming harder. To get a job, it means you need to possess these skills so as to stand out from the crowd.

The recruitment professionals in today put a lot of emphasis on these skills because they’ve realized over the past years, they have been falling into a trap of being impressed by excellent student papers, like first class degrees; and neglected the employability skills which have cost them a lot of money and time.

Now, they want to be sure. If you’re a graduate you will need to exhibit these skills to get the job.

Communication skills: Employers want to be sure they’re hiring a graduate who has excellent verbal and writing skills. They want a person who will be able to communicate effectively to the audience and tailor a message that will widen their market and promote their brand.


Team work: Recruiters want to employ graduates who are comfortable working with their fellow employees as a team. They want to employ someone who can relate easily with everyone on the working group and coordinate with everyone involved in business without being selfish or shy.

Problem solving skills: Remember how your lecturer told you to continuously work on your logical and analytical skills? Sure, he was preparing you for the job market. Uganda as a country presents a very dynamic, problematic and changing society. Businesses need people who are good at reasoning things out and solving problems.

Persuasion skills: There is no way a company will give you a job if they’re not sure of your ability to persuade customers. Many students think these skills are only valid to aspiring salesmen. If you also think like that, I would like to tell you you’re wrong. Even if you’re going to work as a teacher, your job will require you to be persuasive to both the students and staff. Employers want graduates who will persuade people to buy their products or to subscribe to their services. If you can’t do this, your chances of getting a job are very low.

Ability to persevere: Before the recruiter takes you in, he may want to ensure first that you’re good at persevering and keeping yourself motivated even when the business environment is super depressing or not encouraging.

Ability to work under pressure: Employers want graduates who will be able to work under pressure and meet project deadlines. They don’t want to lose any money or time; so they want to be sure they’re hiring someone who is specifically suited for that.

Business sense: Businesses are looking to recruit business-minded graduates. Having a first class degree is one thing that doesn’t guarantee a person understands Ugandan business. Employers will always look out for graduates who understand business and its necessary subsidiaries.