Area of study, not grades or school, most important
Employers hiring recent graduates are most interested in their major, not the school they graduated from or their grades, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by entry-level job website CollegeGrad.com, found that 37 per cent of the 500 employers polled ranked a candidate's major as the top priority for hiring consideration. The candidate's grade point average (GPA) came in fourth with only six per cent of employers rating it as the top priority.
"This is great news for students who worry that they didn't attend the right college or that their GPA is not high enough," said Brian Krueger, president of CollegeGrad.com. "The results of this survey show that these are not what most employers are looking at first."
A candidate's major is such a priority because employers are looking for qualified candidates in degree programs that focus on skill sets that complement the job requirements, according to CollegeGrad.com. To differentiate among candidates with the same major who meet the initial qualifications, employers then look for the soft skills that complement the degree.
A quarter of employers ranked a candidate's interview skills as the top priority, making it second on the list, followed by work experience with 16 per cent. The college or university the candidate graduated from came in last with only three per cent of employers rating it as the top priority.
The survey, conducted by entry-level job website CollegeGrad.com, found that 37 per cent of the 500 employers polled ranked a candidate's major as the top priority for hiring consideration. The candidate's grade point average (GPA) came in fourth with only six per cent of employers rating it as the top priority.
"This is great news for students who worry that they didn't attend the right college or that their GPA is not high enough," said Brian Krueger, president of CollegeGrad.com. "The results of this survey show that these are not what most employers are looking at first."
A candidate's major is such a priority because employers are looking for qualified candidates in degree programs that focus on skill sets that complement the job requirements, according to CollegeGrad.com. To differentiate among candidates with the same major who meet the initial qualifications, employers then look for the soft skills that complement the degree.
A quarter of employers ranked a candidate's interview skills as the top priority, making it second on the list, followed by work experience with 16 per cent. The college or university the candidate graduated from came in last with only three per cent of employers rating it as the top priority.
