Graduation days are fast approaching, or maybe they've already passed you by. Either way, you'll probably be looking for that full-time gig pretty soon (if you haven't already started looking).
In this competitive job market, the need to know everything about your employer, their business and what their expectations of you are is overwhelming.
Gone are the days of graduating from post-secondary school and entering the workplace with extra time to learn on the job. Entering the workplace post-graduation in 2020 means having most of the necessary skills already in place and being ready to hit the ground running. There may be a little wiggle room for learning in the first few weeks of a new job, but the reality is, if you don't know what you're doing yet, odds are someone else does.
As of 2016, 77 percent of college graduates expected their future employers to provide additional training, when only 57 percent actually do provide on-the-job training (that's almost half that don't!).
On one hand, employers have high expectations because students should have the knowledge after investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into schooling, and months or years of time into internships. On the other, even with all of that time and money invested, students still know that not every job, workplace or employer is the same.
But there are a few key expectations that modern employers have, and knowing what they are can set a new graduate up for success in their new work environment.
Being able to multitask
You may be thinking: "But I can't do two things at once!" And that's not what the employer is asking of you. Multitasking usually means handling multiple priorities at once such as balancing a variety of clients and their needs, knowing how to work multiple machines at a shop or having a few projects on the go. This says to the employer: "They know how to use their time wisely!"
Quality organizational skills
To bounce off of the first point, organizational skills are key to succeeding in any workplace as a new graduate. If you can efficiently organize your time and projects, to know which comes as a first priority, and which can afford to wait, the employer will know that they can rely on you.
Taking charge in your position
Every employer is going to love if you are keen on making your own decisions and running with them. Asking questions in the beginning is normal, but if you have a good grasp on a task and feel like you can take hold of it, why not try? Unless it's a decision that can cost a company their reputation or money, it never hurts to show a bit of your leadership strength.
Problem Solving
Managers, shift supervisors and other middle positions are there for a reason—to help when the going gets tough. But, this doesn't mean you should run to them with every little problem. Employers will be impressed if you can diffuse a situation with little to no help (unless it is an HR concern).
Communication Skills
Proper grammar, punctuation and basic writing tools go a long way for most jobs. Especially with the increase of technology and internet use (yes, even though we have spell check and Grammarly), these technologies don't often help with sentence structure or clarity. As for oral communication skills, those skills, believe it or not, come in handy for networking events and growing within the company, and will help with landing the job you want in the first place.
