Employer Assessment of the College Graduate: What Advisors Need to Know

Effective advising includes communicating to students the attributes employers seek and the signals they use in detecting those attributes. Using an Internet survey of more than 400 college graduate employers, this study asks employers how useful various signals are in determining job candidates’ level of attributes including number crunching ability, character, communication skills, problem solving skills, and an ability to work well with others. Examples of signals include the personal interview, grades, participation in university clubs, and others. The personal interview emerged as the most important signal for all attributes, suggesting advisors should seriously stress the importance of the interview to students.