Paper dolls: Clip and build a better job candidate

Marketplace Contributor Mar 7, 2013

What does it take to get hired in this economy? For recent graduates, it’s experience as an intern while in school, as well as strong written and oral communications skills.

Those are among the findings of a survey conducted by Marketplace and The Chronicle of Higher Education that asked employers what they look for in today’s grads.

Some specific findings:

In industries across the board, an internship is the single most important credential for recent college graduates looking for work. Employers in media and communications place the highest value on internships.

Job candidates from flagship public colleges are most popular among employers, followed by grads from private (not-for-profit) schools. Employers tended to have negative associations with for-profit online colleges.

Employers say job candidates need to improve their resumes and interviewing skills and to be better prepared for interviews by researching the organization, and the industry.

When evaluating a job candidate, employers place more weight on work and volunteer experience than they do on academic credentials.

A school’s reputation is important to hiring managers. Over one-third of employers said they are less likely to consider an applicant from an unknown college. Yet, overall, college reputation is at the bottom of the list of important attributes employers look for in a graduate.

The majority of media and communication employers look at a candidate’s online presence, including social networks. Employers from manufacturing are least likely to checkout candidates online.

Employers in health care, education, and retail prefer Facebook over LinkedIn and Twitter when researching a candidate’s online presence.

Now, download and print our paper dolls at home and submit your doll on Twitter with a photo and the hashtag #HireMyDoll.

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