Employers are looking for experience

A study we recently commissioned has found that 61% of recruiting businesses value experience in the industry. We conducted a study of 1,561 Managing Directors across the UK in a wide range of sectors. The results show that 61% of recruiters are likely to hire an applicant based on relevant experience and see it as more important than formal qualifications.

1 in 5, 19%, of the employers asked said they would hire an applicant with 2 years experience yet no qualifications over another applicant with no experience but a degree with honours. Of those employers, 11% said qualifications bore little importance in their short listing process.

The results highlighted 5 specific industries that particularly value experience: Sales, catering, graphic design, photography and care work.

It is clear that with the current economic climate, job vacancies are receiving large amounts of interest and it is becoming more and more competitive - a reason many graduates are struggling to find jobs relevant to their degrees. One of the core aims of studentgems is to put students and recent graduates in front of employers, to encourage students to seek out relevant part time work rather than retail or bar work. We recommend students spend time on preparing their CVs and put great care into improving their experience in their chosen study field in order to make them as employable as possible.

First impressions are so important, whether it’s the opening lines of a CV, covering letter/email or a studentgems onsite message, it is vital to make sure spelling and grammar are correct and the ubiquitous ‘text speak’ is avoided!