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Young applicants need 'soft skills' too

15/08/2008

Young job applicants need so-called 'soft skills' as well as good qualifications, a leading recruiter has said.

According to PricewaterhouseCooper's head of recruitment Sonia Stockton, at 18 , communication skills and teamwork are as equally important as school exam results.

She told the Financial Times: "Students need to look more widely at their skills," because these 'soft skills' were the "icing on the cake" when it came to securing a post.

Ms Stockton's views echo those revealed by the Association of Graduate Recruiters. Last year, its biannual study found many university leavers were equally short on soft attributes.

Employers found candidates were normally "academically proficient but lacking in soft skills such as communication as well as verbal and numerical reasoning", the research showed.

This week's exam results could make life harder for recruiters. A-level pass rates reached 97 per cent and more than a quarter of students achieved top grades.

 

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