Whether you’re headed off to college this fall or finishing up your final credits in summer school, you’ll spend a lot of time taking notes in lecture, reading textbooks, and studying for exams. After all, getting a 4.0 is the key to finding the best job after college, right? Wrong. While getting good grades is important, it’s not the most essential thing recruiters are looking for in a candidate. Keep these four things that matter more to a recruiter than you GPA in mind while obtaining your degree.
Relevant Experience
Eighty percent of your skills are learned from actually working in the field. Any internship or job experience you can get while in school will pay dividends to finding a great job after graduation. Employers value candidates that have relevant experience in a similar job role, because they already know more about the field than applicants with no experience. It’s less time and money they’ll have to invest training an entry-level employee from scratch, since they’ll already know many of the basics.
Time Management
In college you become an expert at figuring out what’s the latest you can wake up and still get to class on time, how much time you need to write those 10 page papers, and how to squeeze a workout in and still make it to dinner with friends. Believe it or not, this is a very valuable workplace skill. Companies are looking for employees with great time management skills. In almost any job, you’ll have to manage multiple projects at once and be able to hit strict deadlines. If you can’t manage your time and get things done, they’ll find another candidate who can.
Volunteer Work
Employers want to hire well-rounded candidates that have done more than spend the last four years with their head in a book. Volunteer work shows employers that you care not just about making good grades, but improving the world around you. It’s a great way to give back to your community and boost your resume. Employers recognize that volunteer work helps you develop transferrable leadership and communication skills that will be valuable in the workplace.
Public Speaking
As much as you may dread the numerous presentations you have to give it college, you’ll be thanking your professors later. The more developed your public speaking sills are, the further you’ll go in the corporate world. The most sought after employees are those that carry themselves with confidence, speak well in front of a group, and can hold the attention of a customer.
Trying to find the perfect career opportunity after graduation?
Let the experienced recruiters at BOS Staffing help. For more than 35 years we have helped match candidates just like you to jobs that really suit them. Contact us today and we’ll work together to find just the right match.
