Grads often unprepared for today’s working world, survey says

February 3, 2012

Recent college grads and the Class of 2012 might not be as ready for the working world as they think, say senior managers and C-suite executives polled for a recent study on behalf of the architectural firm Woods Bagot. Fortune/CNN reports that a 65 percent majority of business leaders say that young people applying for jobs right out of college are only “somewhat” prepared for success, while 40 percent of C-suite executives say grads are “not prepared at all.”

As identified by the survey, the most sought-after skills in recent grads are problem-solving, collaboration and critical thinking, along with clear, persuasive writing. Technology and social media skills came in last, valued highly by only 5 percent of senior managers. Ironically, new grads fell short in every area except tech savvy, the least valued. Woods Bagot principal Jeffrey Holmes said that contrary to the widespread impression that social media make people better at communicating and collaborating, social media mostly involves one-way communication.

“Companies need people who can synthesize information and apply it to business problems,” Holmes says. “There’s less room for new hires who don’t have that ability.” As Fortune/CNN reports, most of the executives surveyed blame academia for failing to keep pace with rapid change in the business world. — Greg Beaubien

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