BEYOND GRADES: OTHER THINGS THAT MATTER TO EMPLOYERS

I first wrote this article for 10 Minutes With, a global education and career matchmaking platform with Headquarters in the United Kingdom.

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In an article I wrote in December last year I defended grade – or certificate – as a good measure of the potential of a candidate whom the employer does not know.

While your GPA is a good indicator of your performance in school, most employers’ view is that it’s not the only indicator of how well you will perform in the roles required by your job. And that opinion holds water because there are many students with excellent grades who struggle when it comes to putting their knowledge into real practice, just as there are many with poor grades but possess the skills required to make great things happen.

So, to really figure out whether you’re a good match for a job position, most employers look beyond your schools grades. And here are six of those other things that they will consider before offering you that job opportunity:

1. How you handle real-life situations

Being able to draw a sketch of the sales funnel or recite the 4P’s of marketing is one thing, but your ability to put that knowledge into real-world practice is far more important. Truth is, things won’t always happen in reality in exactly the same way they’ve been taught by your college professors or described in your textbooks.

So, employers want to know how good you are at approaching both usual and unusual challenges that your job might throw in your face.

2. How you learn

Take your time to figure out how best you learn new things and retain information. Some people only need to hear it, others need to read it many times over, some need to write it, and there are those who need to teach or practice it before it sticks on. Employers are usually interested in knowing how well and fast you learn new things because it indicates how effective you will be and how efficiently you’ll play your roles.

3. Your relevant professional experience

If you have taken up a temporary jobs, internship positions, or volunteer roles in your industry in the past, you will be preferred by employers over someone who has never done the same. This is because such roles prepare you for the working world.

More importantly, proofs that you produced great results while in those positions will convince employers that you will be an asset to them. So, be prepared to provide proofs of your achievements at any relevant position you’ve held in the past.

4. Your communication skills

Your ability to convey your ideas and thoughts clearly and confidently through speaking or writing goes a long way to determine your chances of getting your dream job.

So, if you’re lacking in good public speaking or writing skills, you need to improve on them through consistent practice. Even if you have the best grades in the world, no employer would favor you if your communication skills are poor.

5. How well you manage time

How long it takes you to complete each task determines how efficient and productive you will be as an employee. This explains why employers are usually interested in your time management skills.

In the working world, you need to strike a balance between your work and your personal and social life. You need to meet deadlines and plan ahead of time, without pulling off your hair in the process. So, start preparing yourself for that now.

6. Your network

It is commonly said that “whom you know” is more important than “what you know”. And it’s true, especially in the corporate world. For example, if you’re a marketer, an employer will most likely to hire you if you have connections with high-profile individuals who are potential customers or clients for that employer.

So, it’s important to start meeting new people and networking with them. Besides making you attractive to employers, it will help you to link up with individuals who can connect you with job opportunities you may not be aware of.

Now, let me emphasise once again that this is not to mean that your GPA is irrelevant to employers. It is still very crucial, since it indicates how well you have played your role as a student and how much you know of the basic theories of your discipline.

However, your GPA is not all that you need to get a good job. Your approach to real life challenges, learning methods, relevant experience, communication skills, time management skills, and network are just as important to most employers.

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For my and other global education and career experts’ articles on similar subject, check out 10 MINUTES WITH BLOG.  10 Minutes With is an innovative global career matchmaking platform built for graduates with offices in London, Beijing and Singapore. Partners include established brands and top academic institutions in more than 23 countries and 3 continents. 

Sign up to their website to get useful resources on education and career. You can also follow them on twitter, @10minuteswith

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