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In Job Outlook 2000, the National Association of Colleges & Employers asked employers to rate the importance of new-hire skills in college graduates. Their top seven are:

1. Interpersonal Skills (4.54)

2. Teamwork (4.51)

3. Verbal Communication (4.51)

4. Analytical Skills (4.24)

5. Computer Skills (4.12)

6. Written Communication (4.11)

7. Leadership (3.94)

(5-point scale where 1=not important and 5=very important)

Employers say however, that it isn't the specific word processing or email programs that students know that will get them jobs and help them move up in their careers. According to a survey by Cornell University librarian Philip Davis, employers value the concepts students have mastered in using software programs and their ability to adapt to technology as it changes. Although technology drives the demand for graduates with technical and computer-related degrees, employers are willing to hire humanities and social science graduates who have basic computer-related skills and who are eager to continue testing the technology.

Davis discovered that almost all employers he surveyed (96%) said they look for word processing knowledge on candidates' resumes. Almost as many (93%) said new hires need email experience, and more than half (63%) said they expected hew hires to know how to do Internet research and have online competence.

Data-entry skills were considered a plus by more than four-fifths (83%) of respondents, and 86% cited the importance of having spreadsheet knowledge to perform basic and intermediate numerical data analysis.

Further details of the Davis survey are below:

Not applicable 0%

Not important 2%

Somewhat important 14.7%

Important 41.3%

Very important 42.0%

Not relevant 0.7%

None 3.3%

Basic skills 40.0%

Intermediate skills 44.7%

Advanced skills 11.3%

Not relevant 42.0%

None 22.7%

Basic skills 27.3%

Intermediate skills 6.7%

Advanced skills 1.3%

Not relevant 7.3%

None 16.0%

Basic skills 46.0%

Intermediate skills 24.7%

Advanced skills 4.0%

Not relevant 43.3%

None 26.7%

Basic skills 22.0%

Intermediate skills 6.0%

Advanced skills 2.0%

Not relevant 30.7%

None 10.0%

Basic skills 40.7%

Intermediate skills 10.0%

Advanced skills 6.7%

Not relevant 13.7%

None 21.0%

Basic skills 41.5%

Intermediate skills 16.4%

Advanced skills 6.8%

Not relevant 63.4%

None 13.7%

Basic skills 18.3%

Intermediate skills 6.2%

Advanced skills 8.2%

Not relevant 8.2%

None 8.8%

Basic skills 49.0%

Intermediate skills 25.9%

Advanced skills 8.2%

Not relevant 4.7%

None 9.3%

Basic skills 38.7%

Intermediate skills 33.3%

Advanced skills 14.0%

Email 93.3%

Downloading 74.7%

Internet/Online searching 63.3%

Other (network configurations & software, etc.) 7.3%