Career Advice - New Grad Skills
I have had the pleasure, and sometimes the displeasure, of interviewing, hiring and training dozens of new grads thus far in my career. There are a few skills that are sure to get you hired and help you succeed in your career. The list I have below is specific to the STEM field with a particular focus on engineering and engineering consulting. However, these skills help you shine in every field.
In order of importance:
- Communication
- Communication
- Communication
- Time Management
- Dependability
- Ownership
- Organization
- Personability
Good communication skills are absolutely critical! I have seen young engineers with stellar technical skills only to be held back by their lack of communication skills. On the flip side, I have seen young engineers with average technical skills but with outstanding communication skills. In my experience, after a few years on the job, the latter group always outpaced the former in career growth, opportunities and compensation.
Over the course of the next few months, I will take time to dive into each skill and share how I developed each one. Yes, I did not possess these skills but through coaching and lots of trial and error, I developed each of them and have been helping our new grads develop as well.
