Preparing to launch your business career? Learn which skills employers want to see demonstrated on your resume
As a global business student, you know that business acumen is important to nearly every successful career endeavor. That makes it one of the most versatile higher education pursuits that can also lead to lucrative careers in multiple fields.
To launch your journey, you’ll need the skills that employers are looking for on the resume of a new college graduate. We’ve compiled resources to help you advance these sought-after skills.
Nearly 86% of employers say they want proof that prospective employees have solid problem-solving abilities, according to a Job Outlook 2022 Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
The annual survey forecasts employers’ hiring intentions in their considerations to hire recent graduates. Survey respondents ranked problem-solving proficiency as the top skill they are looking for on student resumes.As a business student, how do you gain experience in problem-solving? Ask your instructors if they can include problem-solving activities in their teachings, so you can learn this skill and add it to your resume.
Resources for Building Problem-Solving Skills:
 According to the NACE Job Outlook survey, 78% of respondents cite analytical and quantitative skills as the second most important set of skills they want to see on the resumes of recent graduates.
Resources for Building Analytical and Quantitative Skills:
Proven abilities to work as part of a team came in as the third most important skill (76.3%) respondents plan to look for on the resumes of recent graduates. Being able to work as part of a team is among the soft skills that employers are looking for.
Resources for Building Team-Working Skills:
About 73% of survey respondents report communication skills, particularly written communication, as the fourth most important skill they are looking for on the resumes of new college graduates.
The first and strongest indicator of your written communications skills may be the resume and cover letter you submit to prospective employers. It may also be the manner in which you respond to emails from employers.
Resources for Developing Written Communication Skills:
Nearly 73% of NACE survey respondents say that showing initiative is important in job candidates and they want to know you have it by looking at your resume.
Resources for Developing Initiative:
Also read: Hey, employers: Job hunters really want to see your diversity data
Other skills that employers say are important to see in new-graduate job candidates, according to the NACE survey, (listed in order of importance) include:
Now you know what prospective employers are looking for in newly graduated job candidates. You can begin honing these skills and adding them to your resume to improve your chances of getting an interview. You should also check out this complete business interview guide to further help you attain the role you’re after.
[This article has been reproduced with permission from Knowledge Network, the online thought leadership platform for Thunderbird School of Global Management https://thunderbird.asu.edu/knowledge-network/]