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What recruiters look for in graduates
A typical selection process
It may be helpful to start by giving you an idea of what to expect from the recruitment and selection process. Most organizations visiting campus ask graduating students first to fill out an application form, which asks for biographical, academic, co-curricular and job experience details. You would then attend one or more interviews, depending upon the impression you make on the recruiter.
The first interview is an initial screening interview and is really only a brief discussion (lasting no more than half an hour—or even less) that will probably be based on your application form and your resumé. From this meeting, the recruiter will decide whether or not to pursue your application further.
If you are identified for the recruiter's short list, you will go through a few more in-depth interviews, first with human resources personnel and later possibly with line managers from specific areas of the organization. This process may take weeks, as you are in the melting pot with graduates from other colleges as well—but hang in there! Most trainees start working at the beginning of the year, so you should know the outcome of your application around the time of your final exams, if not before.
A recruiter uses this process to try to get a full picture of potential employees in order to see if they would fit into the organization. Information about applicants is gained primarily from their application forms and resumés and what they convey in the interviews. What you understand and can communicate about yourself is therefore important in terms of what is eventually conveyed to the recruiter.
What do employers want?
Recruiters look for what you have to offer their company. In general, recruiters are looking for (a) characteristics that will indicate your potential to succeed generally in the workplace and (b) those qualities specifically required by the company and for the career path in which you have expressed an interest. These main areas are probed to elicit this information from applicants’ abilities and skills, performance, and personal qualities. Over and above these areas, recruiters look at the person as a whole.
Your abilities and skills
Recruiters aim to identify a number of general “transferable” skills that form the building blocks of effectiveness in the workplace. Your ability to communicate is one of the most important criteria used by the recruiters, as it is a vital factor for success in the business world (as well as in your interview). Evidence of written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills can be found in course work essays, resumé preparation, oral presentations and a host of co-curricular activities that require persuasiveness and self-expression.
Recruiters also assess your work experience, whether it is voluntary or paid, part-time during the school year or over vacations. Rather than looking at exactly what you did or specific skills used, recruiters are interested in factors such as your understanding of the work ethic, your professionalism and what you have learned from your experiences.
Your performance
Your performance is a personal achievement and is often viewed by recruiters in this light rather than in comparison with that of other people. It is WHY and HOW you have done what you have done rather than WHAT you did that matters. If you made a change in your study direction, you will be asked why you changed and what influenced you. Change is not a negative thing, so don't be ashamed of it. It is how you made your decision and what you made of the result that is important. Recruiters are interested in what you have made of opportunities—what you have gained in life.
Your performance must also have a developmental dimension; that is, there should be evidence of constant improvement and of an increase in your levels of achievement. This is important because being able to maintain high standards of performance under pressure is an important criterion for success in the workplace.
Interviewers look at your academic, co-curricular and part-time work performance. Your academic performance is assessed in terms of your college results, your choice of degree, and the practical elements of your course—particularly where you have had to apply subject matter learned.
The other two areas are also of equal importance. Once again, it is not what you are involved in so much as how involved you are that counts. With co-curricular activities, your range of interests and activities, level of participation and leadership roles will be probed. To demonstrate how well you did in any vacation or part-time job, try to think of practical examples of work situations in which you met targets, performed above the standard required, showed initiative or made effective decisions.
For performance factors as well as the personal qualities discussed below, past behavior patterns and activities are used as indications of how an applicant is likely to perform in the future.
Your personal qualities
Companies look at what you as a unique person can offer them, over and above what you can do. Successful organizations draw on the personalities of their people to give the business life and energy. They also want people who will grow and develop, not just do the job at hand. Your personal attributes are probably the most difficult to access; they are inferred from what you have done in your life, and from how you present yourself to the interviewer.
One of the most important characteristics looked for is self-motivation: Do you set goals, plan effectively and then follow through to achieve them?
Other important traits include the ability to take responsibility (for one's own actions, as well as toward others), initiative and a proactive approach, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Recruiters look for people who will be assertive (not aggressive!) in the workplace and show enthusiasm and energy, which is important for future success on the job.
An extremely important requirement is that a future employee can work as part of a team. Can you work cooperatively or supportively with a range of people and draw on the resources of others to produce successful results?
For a commercial organization, an interest in business is crucial, no matter what area you wish to specialize in. Versatility and the ability to understand the business at large are necessary aspects of any position in commerce today.
Making your mark—some tips
Generally, the better prepared you are for interviews, the better able you are to market yourself to recruiters. Here are some ways you can maximize the impression you make on recruiters visiting your campus:
- Be sure to have a good-quality resumé to leave with them so they can get as much detail as possible.
- Show enthusiasm for the position you are after, and don't be too modest to let them know what you have to offer.
- Be prepared for probing questions and give honest, complete answers.
- Have some knowledge of the company and show your interest by asking relevant questions.
- Follow up your resumé and interview with a letter or phone call if you decide you want the position.
- Remember the interviewer is looking at the whole person and wants an employable “package.” Show your true self and you will find the right job to match your qualifications, talents and aspirations.
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 Career development |
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