The question, “Are college graduates ready for their careers?” is a bit misplaced. The answer is, “No,” but the reason or blame isn’t what you might believe. In the report, How well is higher education preparing their graduates?, 89% of employers did not think college gradutaes were prepared for their career. Conversely, 92% of college and university Chief Academic Officers believed higher education did a great job preparing graduates for their careers. So what is the truth?
The truth is:
- College courses provide a foundation of what students need to be successful. However, that foundation is only a small fraction of the experiences employers are looking for when they evaluate college graduates.
- Employers respect grades but they are more interested in the experiences of the students over 4 years that demonstrate their grit, determination, abilities, and capacity to grow. Every college provides for these opportunities but does not require them.
- Graduates who engaged in a variety of activities that demonstrate professional development, leadership, communication, organization, and other career skills are what employers are looking for.
Bottom line: College students need to spend most of their time in a variety of experiences that build career readiness. If you want to learn more about these experiences, purchase my book Unlocking the Code to College Success.
Steven J. Harvey, Ph.D.