Spotlight for Career Services Professionals
Students who want to impress employers via their resumes will emphasize their solid GPA, detail their abilities to work as part of a team and solve problems, and offer proof of their strong communication skills, according to NACE’s Job Outlook 2017 report.
For the third consecutive year, the percentage of employers reporting plans to screen graduates by GPA has grown. This year, 70 percent of respondents will screen Class of 2017 candidates by GPA, up from 69 percent last year. (See Figure 1.)
Among the employers that will screen candidates by GPA, more than 60 percent will use a cutoff of 3.0, which is also the mean and median reported cutoffs for the entire group.
Also of great importance to employers: A student’s ability to work as part of a team is the top attribute for 78 percent of respondents. (See Figure 2.)
While problem-solving skills may be difficult to exhibit on a resume, they will be required by more than 77 percent of respondents. Rounding out the top attributes employers are seeking on a candidate’s resume are communication skills—both written (75 percent) and verbal (71 percent)—and a strong work ethic (72 percent).
Data for the Job Outlook 2017 survey were collected from August 5, 2016, through October 4, 2016. A total of 169 surveys were returned—a 17 percent response rate. The Job Outlook 2017 report is available at www.naceweb.org/surveys/job-outlook.aspx or through the MyNACE area at www.naceweb.org/job-outlook/index.aspx.
Figure 1: Screen candidates by GPA, by percentage of respondents
| Recruiting Year |
Percentage of Respondents |
| 2017 |
70.1% |
| 2016 |
69.3% |
| 2015 |
68.1% |
| 2014 |
67.1% |
| 2013 |
78.3% |
| 2012 |
73.4% |
| 2011 |
76.9% |
Source: Job Outlook 2017, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Figure 2: Attributes employers seek on a candidate’s resume
| Attribute |
Percentage of Respondents |
| Ability to work in a team |
78.0% |
| Problem-solving skills |
77.3% |
| Communication skills (written) |
75.0% |
| Strong work ethic |
72.0% |
| Communication skills (verbal) |
70.5% |
| Leadership |
68.9% |
| Initiative |
65.9% |
| Analytical/quantitative skills |
64.4% |
| Flexibility/adaptability |
63.6% |
| Detail-oriented |
62.1% |
| Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) |
58.3% |
| Technical skills |
56.8% |
| Computer skills |
49.2% |
| Organizational ability |
47.7% |
| Strategic planning skills |
37.9% |
| Friendly/outgoing personality |
25.8% |
| Tactfulness |
25.8% |
| Creativity |
21.2% |
| Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker |
19.7% |
| Fluency in a foreign language |
4.5% |
Source: Job Outlook 2017, National Association of Colleges and Employers