The Employer Perspective on Employability

Abstract

Employability is a term used for describing the skills, knowledge and personal qualities a graduate should possess to get a job. In this paper we suggest what these skills and qualities are for IT undergraduates specializing in network administration. We have interviewed 10 recruitment managers from 9 different companies who have employed candidates from an IT network administration study program. They suggest that personal qualities are the most important aspect they look for in the graduates. We found that several of the recruiters want the graduates to have an interest in technology also outside of the curricular activities or work setting. This type of interest is taken as a sign that the graduate/job seeker is able to employ their knowledge in practice and engage in continuous self-development and lifelong learning, validating their employability. We discuss how the university can cater for curricular as well as extra-curricular activities, thus leveraging as well as developing the interest in the field valued by employers.