Karl-Léonard Aebli, Skillspotting and Anna Mika, OAKland Group
For young graduates, finding a first job can be a major challenge. To stand out on the job market, they need to be able to demonstrate their uniqueness. In order to do so, non-technical skills, such as those associated with interpersonal skills, must be taken into account
First job: How to find the right one?
The major challenge for any young graduate today is to promote their technical and behavioural skills in the often opaque and competitive job market. It is not an easy task for a student who has just graduated to distinguish himself/herself from other young graduates who have undergone similar training.
However, although the training intends to give the same level of knowledge to all its graduates, the fact is that everyone will have a unique spectrum of skills.
Whether it is through extra-curricular activities (community life, sport, projects, competitions, etc.), the type of internship or school, the level of technical skills can vary from one graduate to another.
But the difference is more significant in terms of behavioural skills and attitude. Each graduate has his or her own unique interpersonal skills and abilities.
Those skills that make us unique
Most employers are mindful of attitude when recruiting. A good job-profile match generally leads to sustainable performance.
Therefore, it seems necessary to provide young graduates with a tool to analyse their technical and behavioural skills (hard and soft skills) so that they can describe them and match them to job requirements.
By taking stock of their skills, graduates will be able to better position themselves with regard to the positions they like. This positioning will enable them to choose a job that best suits their skills, but also and above all their interpersonal skills. For example, a young graduate who likes to work in a structured way will not be comfortable working on a range of tasks on their own, without specific guidance.
By showing that they have the knowledge, technical skills and, above all, the ideal behavioural profile for the position, they will be able to stand out more easily from other candidates.
Data, a core element of HR performance
This job-profile matching provides a set of data that will be used not only during recruitment, but throughout a person’s career. This is achieved by updating the data at regular intervals. Through annual interviews, for example, the company builds a data-driven human resources strategy and enhances the value of its human capital.
This is only possible if the data used to carry out this continuous matching of skills is reliable, secure and compliant with the regulations.