New Expectations for College Graduate Applicants

According to a recent survey by Global Strategy Group, the majority of senior managers are underwhelmed by the recent college graduates applying for entry-level positions.  The study found that 65% of senior managers and C-level executives believe that entry-level candidates are only “somewhat” prepared for business success, while 40% of C-suite executives claim that these candidates are “not prepared at all.”  Almost half of these executives think that fewer than 25% of recent graduates have acquired the skills they need to advance past entry-level positions—skills such as problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking, clear communication, and persuasive writing.  These results suggest that companies are increasingly looking for candidates who are ready to hit the ground running, as opposed to their expectations in past days when recent graduates were not pressured to learn these skills until they entered the workforce. Career experts argue that this change in expectations is primarily due to the increasing competition for entry-level jobs.  Competition for great entry-level positions is fierce, so employers can demand more from their candidates!