Are your new-grad hires prepared?
April 22, 2014 9:16 AM
While most employers believe recent college graduates are ready for the real world, 24% dont feel academic institutions are preparing students for positions within their organizations. Here are employers six most common concerns:
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Book learning vs. real-world learning
Too much emphasis is placed on book learning instead of real-world learning, cited by 53% of the 2,138 hiring managers and HR professionals surveyed.
Technical and soft skills
My company needs a blend of technical skills and soft skills gained from liberal arts, cited by 35%.
Complexity of entry-level jobs
Entry-level roles are growing more complex, cited by 26%.
Little focus on internships
Theres not enough focus on internships/apprenticeships, cited by 16%.
Technology
Technology is changing too quickly for academics to keep up, cited by 16%.
Irrelevant degrees
Not enough students are graduating with the degrees my company needs. This concern was cited by 10% of employers surveyed.
Employers who dont feel students are adequately prepared are most concerned about roles tied to customer service (41%), public relations/communications (22%), business development (21%), sales (21%), general office functions (20%) and IT (18%).
As with years past, demand for business and technical majors remains high. The five most sought-after majors this year include: business (39%), computer and information sciences (28%), engineering (18%), math and statistics (14%) and health professions and related clinical sciences (14%).
