When it comes to recruiting graduates you might sometimes wonder how we differentiate between thousands of applications coming in the top of the funnel. Well to start with, all (and I mean all) employers want the "balanced graduate". If they can get a straight "A" student with loads of personality they are delighted. However, there aren't too many of us left, so invariably they have to trade off academic performance against personal development when they are assessing candidates. It is one of the reasons many graduate employers now use psychometric testing and assessment centres in their graduate programs.

So what is a "Balanced Graduate" and how do you rate?
The first step in deciding this generally occurs when someone is reviewing the application. Typically, they may consider some or all of the following:

Academic Performance

• relevance of the degree to the job - is it an exact match or is there a degree (excuse the pun) of flexibility needed;
  
  
• quality of secondary school results - not just the TER but the balance of subjects ie: humanities: maths/science and particularly the English mark;
  
  
• quality of tertiary results - some may apply a grade point average criteria, however, most recognise it is a combination of factors and will discount failures if a logical reason is given (I often tell students for goodness sake don't leave it up to their imagination - explain yourself!). They were young once too (Oh yer!! you say) and know sometimes students have difficulty settling in to uni. The range of subjects and whether grade averages are improving over time or declining are important. Variances between university courses are also taken into account;
  
  
• academic achievement - such things as awards, scholarships, Dean's honours list, post-graduate study, etc., will receive some brownie points in the right circles.

Now for the Balancing Act - Personal Development

• team orientation - the issue here is the extent to which a student seeks out and participates in team involvement both sport and non-sport and not only when they have been forced into it in university assignments. It might be achieved on the sporting field or in extra-curricular activities or at work. They need to realize that even if they haven't done much then it is never too late to start - stamp collecting, reading, bushwalking and surfing the internet as your only interests will not win the day. The continuum of team based activity from school to uni/work is also considered - many students are involved at school when they have to and drop all activity when the leave school. Activities that stretch and place demands on them will also invariably outweigh basic social activity.
  
  
• demonstration of leadership - note the small 'l' in leadership. A student doesn't have to be school captain or president of something. What is being looked for here is how prepared they are to take the front running on things that are important to them, take the initiative and be proactive. Students far too often hide their light under a bushel - they should be encouraged to express in their resume when they have been a self-starter, independent and self reliant, eg: maybe they have travelled or been given responsibility at some stage - how did it develop them, what did they learn from it - these are the issues they need to sell.
  
  
• involvement in extra-curricular activity - do they just study, do some part-time work and socialize with friends like the majority of the student population or do they do things that develop their personal skills in organizing, planning, communication, business acumen, influencing & negotiating. If they don't, then they should start now - it really curries favour with employers. It doesn't have to be at uni and it should be fun - if they play tennis, join the match committee; if they like bird-watching, join the club committee; if they are concerned for others, join a community/charity group - but, for goodness sake, get off your backside and be proactive.
  
  
• relevant work experience - all work experience is well regarded. However, the more relevant it is to the job for which they are applying, the more value will be placed on it, eg: jobs that have a lot of customer service involvement are considered highly, particularly if they are applying for a role that requires dealing with others. Again, what they need to sell in their resume are the skills they have learned from the experience and how it relates to the employer's graduate role.
  
  
• career reasoning - this is where the reviewer will look across the combination of education, work experience, personal interests and activities to gauge the extent to which they point towards stated career goals and the employer's job opportunities. Is there a common thread - a student can input to their thinking by talking about this inter-relationship in their resume - it is all about being creative.

As you can see, it is not just a matter of 'gut feel' and students need to clearly differentiate themselves if they want to get to the interview stage in the recruitment process. The issue for most university graduates is not whether or not they will get a job, it is whether or not they will get the job they really want. So they should begin asking themselves how they rate against the above criteria and begin building a case. It is never too late to start.

So tell your children, tell your friends, tell your grandmother! In reality, these principles don't just apply to graduates, in one form or another and at differing levels of complexity, they are essential to all career development activities - even yours?

Chris Perry
GM, National Graduate Recruitment
Chandler & Macleod

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