12/03/2018
It can be difficult to secure your first graduate role after university, because there are many students who are all fighting for the same role, so how do you make sure your CV stands out against your competition?
Skills you need to include on your CV:
- Interpersonal communication skills, including verbal and non-verbal communication skills, listening skills, problem-solving and decision making
- Intrapersonal communications skills, including self-confidence, having initiative, being emotionally intelligent and able to keep calm under pressure
- Being able to work as a team and on your own
- Time management and organisational skills
- Critical and analytical thinking
- Being able to adapt
Employers want graduates to have transferable skills; you probably already have them all regardless of your degree because these are skills that you learn through your studies as a whole, not from a specific topic. For example, you’ll have interpersonal communication skills because you will have written many assignments and delivered presentations, which means that you are well prepared for writing and have great verbal communication skills.
Intrapersonal communication skills are an essential graduate role requirement, because a lot of these roles are fast paced and the employer wants to know that you can keep calm when working under pressure. So be sure to include intrapersonal communication skills on your CV or cover letter.
Graduates that can show they are able to work as a team and independently will be more likely to be considered for a role, because employers are looking for someone who can work well with others and by themselves.
Whatever graduate role you are applying for, you will need to have good time management and organisational skills, because you need to manage your workload and prioritise what you need to do and when, which means considering deadlines.
Critical and analytical thinking are essential skills to include on your CV, because employers want graduates to be able to analyse and evaluate data and information, as well as solve problems in an intuitive way.
And finally, employers want graduates to be able to adapt, because working environments and work flow can change drastically and employees need to be able to ‘go with the flow’ and get on with anything that is thrown at them.
If you want to get involved with any of our employment programmes, or if you want some help and support finding a job that is right for you, check out our Twin Employment and Training website and contact our team today.
