New Graduates Can Overcome Hiring Challenges

You’ve just finished an exciting graduation ceremony and are eager to take your shiny, new—hard-earned—degree into the workplace to begin a sterling career. Fast forward a few months as you’re staring at your computer e-mail screen or telephone wondering why none of your outstanding cover letters and CVs has generated not even one positive response from prospective employers. New graduates should understand some less-than-encouraging realities of the post-recession business, education, health care, research, and IT world. Many employers, are, as a group, disappointed with recent new graduate hires. They are not displeased with the candidates but with their useful knowledge level. These employers do not find fault with the graduates, but do find their educational training, which lacks the skills necessary for the immediate contribution employers desire.

So what should you do:

1. Find internships that offer the real world experience you lack.
2. Identify your target industry(s) and learn what skills employers want. Use the Internet to better target the industry you prefer, and learn of the specific skills they want for new, inexperienced hires.
3. Consider accepting entry level jobs at levels lower than you originally desired to gain some useful experience and understanding of the skills wanted by your chosen industry. and
4. Do your homework. Learn what skills your desired career path demands of those succeeding in your field. Homework and professional improvement never ends!