Skills and attributes of it graduates: Evidence from employer's perspective

Abstract

In the past, when employers were recruiting Information Technology (IT) professionals, they were keen on hard skills to perform the job. However, recently there is a rising awareness that technical skills alone are insufficient for the success of IT professionals and they must also develop a broader set of soft interpersonal skills. This shift is primarily due to the rapidly evolving IT landscape and the widening portfolio of organization wide responsibilities expected to be undertaken by IT professionals. Therefore, it is imperative for potential IT professionals to be equipped with the most current soft skills pursued by employers. This study uses a horizon scanning of the current job market in the UK to capture a snapshot of the most in demand soft skills. In doing so, this study seeks to answer the research question: what soft skills do IT graduates need in the current market?.