Fewer employers are screening job candidates by GPA, so it is increasingly important that college graduates demonstrate teamwork on their resumes, according to new research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
NACE’s Job Outlook 2021 Spring Update reports that just 56.6% of responding employers are using GPA to screen college graduates from the Class of 2021, a steep plunge from the nearly 75% that used this method two years ago.
Approximately three-quarters of employers surveyed want to see indications of candidates’ skills in problem-solving, as well as verbal, and written communication skills.
More than two-thirds of respondents this year say they look for initiative, leadership, and technical skills.
Roughly eight in 10 responding employers indicate they will be looking for evidence of these attributes on the resumes they review. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1: Attributes employers seek on a candidate’s resume
|
Attribute
|
Percent of Respondents
|
|
Ability to work in a team
|
81.0%
|
|
Problem-solving skills
|
79.0%
|
|
Analytical/quantitative skills
|
76.1%
|
|
Communication skills (verbal)
|
73.2%
|
|
Communication skills (written)
|
72.7%
|
|
Initiative
|
67.8%
|
|
Leadership
|
67.8%
|
|
Technical skills
|
67.8%
|
|
Flexibility/adaptability
|
65.9%
|
|
Strong work ethic
|
65.4%
|
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