Employers who hire business graduates look for a variety of skills and traits that speak to the person as a whole, not just as someone with a degree. While that degree is significant for your future, there’s a lengthy list of capabilities that will factor into the career equation. A noted authority conducted a survey of employers during the summer of 2002, asking what important traits or competencies they look for when hiring. The following is a partial list of their responses:
- Common sense, reasoning
- Fit within the company
- Organizational skills
- Intelligence
- Diligence
- Public relations
- Leadership abilities
- Mental Aptitude
- Ability to articulate concepts
- Personable and professional telephone manner
- Sales skills
- Integrity
- Excellent writing skills
- Computer skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to multi-task effectively
- Ambition
- Creativity
- Enthusiasm
While some of the above speak to basic skills that begin to develop well before undergraduate school, other traits really speak to a person’s character and values. Obtaining a business degree is only one part of the equation. Presenting yourself as a whole person with well-rounded skills, abilities, and work values, is what really makes the difference between getting a job, or not.
