Work Experience vs. University grades – Which one is more important?

With the current state of the economy, the importance of having relevent business and job skills should not be overlooked. Last month, the CBI conference discussed several issues in the current business world including efficent workplace and employability skills and revealed that UK schools and Universities were not putting enough emphasis on improving students’ skills for the workplace. The NUS and CBI released a survey which showed that 57% of University students feel that their institution should emphasize more on employment skills. 79% of students decided to attend University soley because of the skills or opportunites it would create for their future career. In response, CBI has called for a change in UK education which would aim to emphasize work skills rather than exams. CBI Director John Chridland called UK schools “exam factories” due to its large emphasis on testing and called for a change in schools to empahsize learning on improving people and workplace skills among its pupils.

The recent findings only emphasize the importance of work experience and skills while job searching. From a employer’s perspective, work experience is the first thing that catches the eyes when first looking at an application. 82% of employers find work experience and skillset the most important factor when hiring. While some find University results might be important, from a employers perspective, for some, it is not a factor at all. Several Universities have taken steps to incorperate work experience into the degree by including a work placement requirement to graduate. Here students can apply their classroom experience to the workplace which helps develop the necessary skills to find a job.

CBI’s Director of Education & Skills stated, “employability skills are the most important attributes that businesses look for in new recruits, but graduates are currently falling short of employers’ expectations. Competition for jobs is intense and graduate unemployment remains high, so students need to proactively develop relevant employability skills. But at the same time all universities need to explain these skills better and make sure they embed them in teaching.”

Within the travel industry having the necessary experience and skills when working with particular companies or industries is crucial and for some, required to work. Hiring a potential employee without the necessary skills or background for some tourism or travel companies is undesirable. With the current state of the economy in many parts of the world, having the relevant people skills and competencies for the working world is mandatory. Without them, finding proper employment may be more difficult.

Written by, Emily Ziolkowski