What do employers want from young professionals?

Let’s try to figure out what requirements employers place on inexperienced young professionals, which increases employment chances, and what mistakes applicants make when looking for a job.

Which areas do young professionals need the most?

In this article we will draw on the study of HeadHunter website 2019 and 2020. The picture has not changed much in the last two years: the sales industry is still the happiest without the experience of young professionals.

The 5 Most Popular Offers for Professionals Without Experience on the HH Website: Sales Manager, Food Production Intern, Sales Assistant, Courier and Call Center Operator. By the way, we have a cool example of a sales manager resume – use it if you decide to try your hand at sales.

All of these specialties have a low entry threshold: employers do not require mandatory experience and higher education, you can study basic subjects on the spot. Many university graduates dream of getting a prestigious and well-paying job upon graduation, but only a few will succeed. Usually – those who were still thinking about the need for work experience while studying.

If you are faced with a choice – get a job that is not the most prestigious or do not work at all – I recommend you choose the first. You will gain experience, get the cherished lines in the workbook and be able to find more interesting work just without the risk of eating noodles.

In the future, the employer will realize that at the beginning of your career you were forced to work in a non-specialty, but prolonged inaction may raise questions for him.

How can young professionals search without work experience

An internship is an excellent option for professionals without experience. Many people think it’s a pointless job to bring coffee or sort paper clips by color, but this is not the case. Now many companies (of course large) pay for internships and offer flexible working conditions. You do not have such a high responsibility for the internship, you have the opportunity to let go and learn and if you do not like it, you can just go. And the selection of internships is not as strict as for regular vacancies.

In the absence of experience, there are 2 ways to find a permanent job. The first is finding a job that does not require experience. The second way is to gain experience. Experience is available at summer camp, internship, university, volunteer program, etc. Expand your search box: Ask your friends, write to university teachers, search for vacancies on social networks and instant messengers. Here are some good choices for groups and chats to find work.

Feel free to contact recruiters, even if there are no open positions. But work on the cover letter: No “At least someone took me to work”. Clearly describe what value you can bring to the company. And do not forget to diligence on your resume – it is very important.

What skills do young professionals need?

We compared HeadHunter survey data for 2017 and 2020. The most popular requirements are the same from year to year, although their ratio varies. Sales skills for 2020 are listed in almost half of the vacancies for young professionals – that’s a lot!

Literacy is still very important. Young professionals often trust client relationships and work with papers, here it will not be easy without competent speech and spelling.

Knowledge of computer and basic programs is an important point for vacancies of young professionals. We can show you how to work in Word at an advanced level.

By 2020, employers will be increasingly demanding English language skills for young professionals. To a basic level, you can independently raise your language with the help of podcasts or TV shows.

What mistakes do inexperienced professionals make when looking for a job?

Let’s find out what not to do if you do not want to find a job for months:

1. Do not specify “beginner specialist” instead of the desired position in the resume – this is how you confuse search engines. Write a resume for each vacancy and describe the desired position as indicated in the vacancy.
2. Do not dismiss an internship, even a paid one. If finances allow, it is better to go for a paid internship in a cool company than to be satisfied with everything. Hiring an intern already familiar to an employer is easier than finding a specialist from scratch.
3. Do not pick a job for too long. Everyone wants to get a job in the classroom after graduating from university, but this is not always the case. If for a long time (from six months to a year) you can not find an interesting job, find a job where it will take you right now.
4. Do not ignore cover letters. Young professionals with no work experience should definitely use all means to draw attention to their candidacy. A good cover letter is perfect for this. How to write a cover letter that draws attention.

Result

Summarizing the results of our research, let’s answer the question of the article – What do employers want from young professionals?

1. Employers want to see young professionals have soft skills due to a lack of hard skills.
2. Companies want to hire people without experience who are willing to connect with customers, sell and consult.
3. It is important for employers that young professionals be proactive and proactive.
4. Managers are happy when specialists want to work not only in prestigious high-paying positions, but also ready to start from ordinary job positions.

source: i can choose