The Most Important Skills for Today's Graduates Starting New Careers

For students graduating from college today, it's no secret that the job market is really tight. Many new graduates are wondering whether the skills they are studying will pay off in job prospects. The good news is that there are still jobs waiting for graduates with the right skills. Even if someone graduates in a major that does not correspond with one of the hotter careers out there, there are certain skills that can make you more marketable. Recent surveys of the best careers for new graduates include a variety of kinds of jobs, but, surprisingly, there are similarities in some of the skills required. Most of today's hottest careers include a combination of technical and "soft skills," also known as people skills. Here are some of the most in-demand skills in each category.

Technical Skills 

Computer and Information Technology skills are still in demand, but not as much as in the past. Also, there is frequently a strong social component to the tasks that will need to be performed. For example, you might need to work with a team to complete your work, or use verbal skills to help a client trouble shoot technical problems. Similarly, several careers involving use of statistics, financial, or legal principles also require you to communicate clearly, listen attentively, solve problems, and work as part of a team. Technical skills are still important, but now it is just as important that you can use them to work well with others.

"Soft Skills" 

Just as technical skills are most useful in combination with other "soft skills," so too are people skills most effective when used in a specific technical background. For example, entry level sales agents for financial services are in demand. In order to be successful at this job, it is necessary to listen and communicate effectively with clients. Great communication skills will not help too much, though, unless you have a thorough understanding of the variety of financial products, how they work, and how they can meet your clients' needs.

Besides communication skills and teamwork, "soft skills" also include problem solving and critical thinking. Imagine that you are working in computer networking. In order to configure the network to meet the unique needs of your client, you will need to be able to solve problems and think "outside of the box." In fact, employers report that the ability to learn quickly and think critically is as important as (or even more important than) specific content knowledge. In other words, you should know how to set up the system and how to troubleshoot if you run into problems.