Top Ten Things Employers Look for in New College Graduates

While you may think that choosing the “right” major is key to getting a good job, your long-term professional success will depend far more on acquiring the right skills for a rapidly changing workplace.

1. The ability to work well in teams—especially with people different from yourself
   
   
2. An understanding of science and technology and how these subjects are used in real-world settings
   
   
3. The ability to write and speak well
   
   
4. The ability to think clearly about complex problems
   
   
5. The ability to analyze a problem to develop workable solutions
   
   
6. An understanding of global context in which work is now done
   
   
7. The ability to be creative and innovative in solving problems
   
   
8. The ability to apply knowledge and skills in new settings
   
   
9. The ability to understand numbers and statistics
   
   
10. A strong sense of ethics and integrity
    
    

Source: "How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed in Today's Global Economy?" (Results of a national poll by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, 2007).