Everyone who has accomplished something understands the value in being able to “see” or visualize the final product.  When students go to college, that visualization tends to be very abstract and difficult to see. No worries! There is an organization called the National Association of Colleges and Employers and they do it for you! In their 2016 Job Outlook Survey, they asked employers what are the top skills they want to see in college graduates and what choices impact those skills.  Of employers surveys, 65% or more rated the following seven skills as “attributes employers seek on a candidate’s resume.”

1. Leadership
2. Ability to work in a team
3. Communication skills (written)
4. Problem Solving Skills
5. Communication skills (verbal)
6. Strong work ethic
7. Initiative

Employers then rated the following choices a “3” out of “5” or above on their influence over the development of these traits.

1. Major
2. Has held a leadership position
3. Has been involved in extra curricular activities (clubs, sports, student government, etc.)
4. High GPA (3.0 or above)

What’s not there is the school you attended, placing far greater importance on the major you choose. In other words, employers value your major over the college you attend as the top influence on desirable attributes. In a survey of “Top 10” lists that anyone can Google online, the top success strategies for college students are:

1. Be proactive and seek out opportunities,
2. Attend class and ACTIVELY participate,
3. Think of your future early and often (i.e. Students MUST Start With the End in Mind),
4. Get involved to gain valuable experience, and
5. Challenge yourself.

Finally, to borrow one more cliche, “the early bird gets the worm.”  Preparing for your career begins at a very early age but becomes more focused during high school.  Do the things you need to do in high school to prepare for college success and you will not only develop the skills you need but the habits of success necessary for achieving your goals.

Steven J. Harvey, Ph.D. 
CEO & Founder, My College Max, Web Site: www.mycollegemax.com
Executive Director, The WNY Consortium of Higher Education, Web Site: www.wnycollegeconnection.com

The overall graduation rate for college students has improved to 54.8%.  That is, 54.8% of all college students earn a 4-year degree in 6 years.  Yes that’s right.  We are excited about “finishing” when that is rarely something other fields/industries/activities focus on.  For example, a runner runs a race and when asked how they did, rarely do you hear, “I finished the race.”  When an employee completes a huge project and the employer wants to know, “How did it turn out?”; rarely do they accept, “I finished it.” as an appropriate response.  I’m sure you can think if a 1000 examples of when the answer, “I finished.” does not impress.  So why do colleges focus on this statistic?

1. Far too many students fail to earn a 4 year degree (and yes most earn that degree in 6 years).
2. Colleges and universities have been put to the task of increasing graduation rates.  So has K-12 schools.  However, in both cases, there is strong evidence that the quality of those graduates is not as strong as is desired.  In higher education, NACE surveys report that employers are not impressed with college graduates.  In K-12, while the graduation rates go up, the scores on ELA and Math assessments, ACT, and SAT go down.
3. Finally, as the saying goes, “You have to be in it to win it.”  If you are going to have any chance of success, you are going to have to complete some form of post-secondary education, with college degrees providing the highest return in a number of areas including improved health, better personal relationships, greater satisfaction with your career, and yes, higher earning potential.

Bottom line is, while colleges and universities are focusing on graduation rates, don’t make the same mistake.  You need to ask questions about availability of student groups, activities, competitions, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning opportunities; internships and service learning opportunities; and what the institution’s job placement rate is for graduates.  Also, what is the average salary broken down by major? While the answers to the placement rates and salaries are not easy to track and often are extremely expensive to determine, every college and university should have some information on their graduates.  After all, don’t you think you deserve to know more than the number of students who “finished the race”?

Steven J. Harvey, Ph.D. 
CEO & Founder, My College Max, Web Site: www.mycollegemax.com
Executive Director, The WNY Consortium of Higher Education, Web Site: www.wnycollegeconnection.com