10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Importance of Candidate
Qualities and Skills
Communication skills (verbal and written)
Honesty/integrity
Teamwork skills (working with others)
Interpersonal skills (relating to others)
Strong work ethic
Motivation/initiative
Flexibility/adaptability
Analytical skills
Computer skills
Organizational skills
Detail oriented
Leadership skills
Self-confidence
Friendly/outgoing personality
Well-mannered/polite
Tactfulness
GPA (3.0 or better)
Creativity
Sense of humor
Entrepreneurial skills/risk taker
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
4.69
4.59
4.54
4.50
4.46
4.42
4.41
4.36
4.21
4.05
4.00
3.97
3.95
3.85
3.82
3.75
3.68
3.59
3.25
3.23
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
1
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Bill Coplin
Establish a Work Ethic
Know How To … …
Developing Physical Skills
Know How To … …
– Kick yourself in the butt
– Stay well
– Be honest
– Look good
– Manage your time
– Type 35 wpm error free
– Manage your money
– Take legible notes
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
2
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Bill Coplin
Communicating Verbally
Know How To … …
Communicating in Writing
Know How To … …
– Converse one-on-one
– Write well
– Present to groups
– Edit and proof
– Use visual displays
– Use word-processing tools
– Send information electronically
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
3
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Bill Coplin
Working Directly with People
Know How To … …
Influencing People
Know How To … …
– Build good relationships
– Manage efficiently
– Work in teams
– Sell successfully
– Teach others
– Politick wisely
– Lead effectively
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
4
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Bill Coplin
Gathering Information
Know How To … …
Using Quantitative Tools
Know How To … …
– Use library holdings
– Use numbers
– Use commercial databases
– Use graphs and tables
– Search the web
– Use spreadsheet programs
– Conduct interviews
– Use surveys
– Keep and use records
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
5
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Bill Coplin
Asking and Answering the
Right Questions
Know How To … …
Solving Problems
Know How To … …
– Detect BS
– Identify problems
– Pay attention to detail
– Develop problems
– Apply knowledge
– Launch solutions
– Evaluate actions and policies
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
6
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
10 Things Employers Want
You to Learn in College
Bill Coplin
Bill Coplin
Add to Your
“Know-How Score”
Calculate Your
“Know-How Score”
Establishing a work ethic
Developing physical skills
Communicating verbally
Communicating in writing
Working directly with people
Influencing people
Gathering information
Using quantitative skills
Asking and answering questions
Solving problems
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
/10
– Stress sports skills
Extra credit
/10
– Pursue pleasure activities
Your Know-How Score
/100
– Gain software expertise beyond
Microsoft Word and Excel
– Master in-depth knowledge of any
field
– Accent foreign language skills
– Emphasize artistic and music
knowledge and/or skill
(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
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(Coplin, Bill (2003). 10 things employers want you to learn in college. Ten
Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.)
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