May 24, 2019 | By Melita Wallace

It’s that time of year again. The time when our timelines are immersed in a continuous flood of creative grad photos. A time of caps and gowns that are sprinkled with happy tears. A moment of celebrating an achievement that many don’t have the perseverance to achieve. College graduation season is one of my personal favorites because it celebrates the powerful impact that higher education can have on the lives of those who have the opportunity to take advantage of it.

In recent years, however, once the sunny gleam of graduation subsided, a grim cloud of unemployment would take its place. With the unemployment rate lower than ever, the competitiveness of the job market has increased but this years’ graduates may not have to worry about that as much as the classes a couple of years prior. In an interview conducted by the Chicago Tribune, the Research Director at the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Edwin Koc, stated that the job search this year will be easier than any year in the past decade. Koc expects, “U.S. employers to increase hiring of new college graduates by 11 percent compared with last year.” The reasoning behind this uptick is a prevalent need to fill the gap that baby boomers will leave once they enter into retirement.

Across all industries, employers are usually satisfied with the hard skills of recent graduates, but the lack of soft skills among prospective new hires has been a frustrating dilemma for recruiters. “Some companies are even dropping the idea of hiring by academic major,” Koc states. “Rather, they’re hiring workers with strong soft skills and plan to teach them role-specific skills on the job.” So, while many companies are eager to hire, they will be even more eager to hire a new grad that can exhibit polished Soft Skills on their resume and during the course of their interview. And according to Koc’s research, less and less companies are sending recruiters to campuses and more are relying on online platforms to find new recruits. So what you can show them on your resume and the short time you have with them in an interview are critical to the selection process.

If you or someone close to you are a recent grad, then CONGRATS! This accomplishment is an extremely notable one. We want to ensure that your success continues beyond the walk across the stage and into a long career. Make sure you’re equipped with the additional skills that employers are looking for by adding our Soft Skills certifications to your resume. With classes that are 8 minutes or less, you can get certified in no time! Jumpstart your success and enroll today!!!