In 2024, employers most value problem solving and teamwork

There are questions that are asked every day, every week, every month, and every year. In the context of early career hiring, one of those is, “What is it that employers most want when they’re hiring students for internships or recent graduates for entry-level jobs?”

“Students hoping to catch the eye of potential employers through their resume should forego relying only on their strong GPA and instead highlight the attributes and skills they developed in their classwork and through their various experiential assignments”, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2024 report.

The findings by NACE are similar to what we see at College Recruiter. We regularly talk with the Fortune 1,000 companies and government agencies that advertise their internships and entry-level jobs with us. This year, when asked what they’re looking for on the resumes or CVs of their applicants, virtually all indicate that they want to see a demonstrated ability to solve problems and teamwork. A significant but slightly smaller majority want to see evidence of a strong work ethic, written and verbal communication skills, analytical and quantitative skills, flexibility and adaptability, and technical skills.

What is less important? Well, as recently as 2019, about two-thirds of employers wanted to see a grade point average at or above their minimum threshold for the role. In 2024, however, only 35 percent of the respondents to the NACE survey indicated that they’re even looking at GPA as a hiring factor.