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What companies look for when hiring fresh graduates

JobStreet.com's survey in Singapore

Social skills take precedence over having the right qualification for Singapore employers when they make the decision to hire staff, a survey has showed,

The survey by JobSrreet.com on what employers and graduates look for what hiring or applying for a job covers 480 fresh graduates and 150 employers in Singapore,

While fresh grads regarded "sufficient qualification" as the most critical key to be hired by the company, the survey results actually showed that employers regard social skills such as "good interpersonal and good communication skills" as more important.

After social skills, "salary acceptance aligned to the company's offering" ranked as second, with "command of the English language" next.

On the other hand, fresh graduates are influenced by the company's credibility, salary and job scope when applying for a job.

The survey also revealed that 40 per cent of fresh graduates took 1-6 months to secure a job while 32 per cent took more than half a year.

Anthony Ung, Country Manager of JobStreet.com Singapore, gave this advice to young jobseekers: "Fresh graduates should place long-term career growth ahead of remuneration.

"Do not decline a job opportunity based on salary alone. Gain the relevant experience first and you'll naturally be armed with better bargaining power".