What employers look for in graduates (and how to stand out)
Graduating is an exciting milestone - but it can also feel overwhelming when it comes to finding your first or new job. With many graduates and people with experience job hunting, you may be thinking: what are employers looking for, and how can I stand out?
Employers usually look for a combination of technical knowledge and personal qualities that align with their workplace values. While each business has their own specific requirements, there are common traits that they look for in graduates.
In this blog, we’ll explore what employers value most in graduates today and share practical tips to help you stand out. We've also included a bonus section about the use of AI in job applications. .
1. Job-ready skills / Work experience
Job-ready skills are technical and soft skills that help you contribute to your job from day one. It's important that you find opportunities to apply these skills to real-world situations before you graduate as employers want assurance that you can apply theory to practise and settle quickly into their organisation.
2024 Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) Graduate Survey
'97% of students who had secured graduate roles all had some kind of work experience'
There are many ways to develop job-ready skills including:
- Joining student clubs or societies
- Leading team projects at university
- Work-related learning such as internships
- Volunteering
- Having a part-time or casual job
- Side projects
- Professional development (e.g. short courses)
In your job interview, you will need to explain how the skills that you developed and applied at university or previous work will add value to the employer's organisation. For example, if communication is one of your strengths, you could say “I make an effort to explain ideas clearly and listen carefully to others, especially when working in a team. This helps reduce misunderstandings and ensure tasks are completed efficiently.”
2. Digital Fluency
With the rise in remote work and hybrid working arrangements, every employee needs to familiarise themselves with workplace technologies. This can come in the form of project management tools like Monday or Asana, communication tools such as Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams or cloud storage systems such as SharePoint. During your studies, start using these types of tools to manage your team projects or trial AI tools (in line with university policy) to enhance your digital fluency.
Karen Lonergan, Chief People Officer, PwC Australia
'What will be a differentiator for the graduates who are coming in at the moment is their ability to collaborate, both with team members AND AI AGENTS.'
3. Communication and interpersonal skills
Whether you're a graduate or a senior executive, you will need good communication skills. This is not limited to just verbal and written communication but also to listening and teamwork. Below are some examples.
Verbal
- Explaining ideas clearly and simply
- Tailor communication style / adjusting your tone depending on your audience
Listening
Actively listening without interrupting
Responding thoughtfully to feedback
Written
Writing clear and concise documents
Proofreading / editing work
Tailoring language for different platforms (e.g. email, chats, reports)
Team
Keeping the team updated on your progress
Sharing ideas
Giving constructive feedback
4. Initiative
Employers like graduates who are curious, willing to learn and proactive. This means asking questions, putting your hand up for learning opportunities, and seeking feedback. Don't wait for someone to tell you what to do; identify problems that need solving and come up with creative and innovative solutions.
Tina McCreery, Chief Human Resources Officer, Deloitte Australia
'What you can't teach is the openness to be curious and [the] want to problem-solve. You have to have the ability to shift and change and work with a huge range of diverse clients and people.'
In your job interview, give examples of taking initiative such as learning a new skill, volunteering to lead a team project or predicting a problem and implementing solutions. Explain the actions you took, what difficult decisions you had to make and the results.
5. Resilience and adaptability
Resilience is the ability to stay positive and persevere through tough situations. This means bouncing back from setbacks, staying calm under pressure, learning from mistakes and feedback, and adapting to change. Examples of resilience at work include managing a heavy workload while remaining organised, learning a new system or process quickly, or acknowledging and fixing an error then putting safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again.
Employers want people who can recover quickly and remain reliable in fast-paced environments. Instead of viewing challenges as negative, see them as ways to grow and innovate.
6. Business acumen
Business acumen means understanding how a business works and how your role contributes to its success. Even if you're not in a strategic role, it's important that you understand your organisation's business model and how other departments operate.
Examples of business acumen
- Understanding the organisation's goals (e.g. profit, growth) and aligning your work to those goals.
- Considering how your work affects customers, costs, time or team efficiency.
- Suggesting ideas to save time or improve outcomes.
- Learning from feedback and data.
7. Cultural fit
Every workplace has its own culture and values (e.g. integrity, innovation, collaboration) —and employers look for people who can fit right in. Being a good cultural fit means that your values, behaviour and work style align with the organisation. Before your interview, research the company's brand values and be ready to answer how your strengths, personality and experiences reflect those values.
8. A strong work ethic
Having a strong work ethic means being reliable, punctual, and responsible. It involves consistently delivering high-quality work while meeting professional standards. According to the QS Global Employer Survey, employers are increasingly concerned about graduates’ professionalism, motivation and workplace behaviour. They want graduates who are passionate about their work, eager to learn, and grow in their careers.
Writing your job application in the age of AI
Your resume is the first impression with an employer, so it's important that it's well written and helps you stand out from other applicants. There are many AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) that can support you in editing your cover letter and resume to make them more targeted and engaging. However, this doesn't mean copying and pasting AI-generated content directly into your application. Recruiters are increasingly able to identify content created by AI, which can sound generic or use language that doesn't reflect how you normally communicate.
First, type your cover letter and resume. Bring some of your personality into the copy and focus on your impact and results. Then can ask AI tools for feedback or talking points.
Sara Venemore, Recruitment Consultant, Give a Grad a Go
'To make yourself more employable, it's not just about your resume and the list of responsibilities you've had, but going deeper and sharing the impact you made in your previous roles. Employers want to see everything to get an overall impression of candidates.'
The earlier you start planning your future career, the more employable you’ll be. Research your target companies, explore graduate recruitment programs, and start making connections before you finish your studies. You can also stay ahead of opportunities by signing up for job alerts on GradConnection and Prosple.
Interested in more career advice? Read our Business Career Guide. Learn how our Career Central team can help you advance your career.
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