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1. Introduction: How can international students become more employable?
One main goal of secondary and tertiary education is, naturally, to find rewarding employment after graduation. To reach this goal, many international students work hard to become “employable”, that is, to gain the necessary subject knowledge of their chosen field and to stand out by getting good grades. And yet, ENZ’s report Understanding the international student experience in NZ (May 2018) has shown that international students can face challenges finding work opportunities in New Zealand during their studies and after graduation.
A possible reason for this problem is that employers in New Zealand expect graduates to have more than just good subject knowledge: they also want to see transferable soft skills in successful job applicants, such as the ability to talk to clients or to work in a team.
In this project, we will look at the most important transferable soft skills that employers in New Zealand want to see in graduates and that students should develop while still studying. We give tips on how and where students can gain and train these soft skills before graduating, for example by volunteering or by getting a part-time job. We also provide helpful tools and resources for you to support your students’ development and for your students to understand their employability profile and the expectations of New Zealand employers.
2. What do we mean by employability and by soft skills?
While most New Zealand companies provide induction programmes and/or mentoring for recently hired staff, there might still be the expectation that new employees are already employable. In other words, they expect that graduates are already somewhat “work-ready” and have an understanding of how to function in a real work environment.
In particular, employers expect that graduates not only have good subject knowledge but that they also have more general skills, often called soft skills. These transferable soft skills are not specific to a particular industry, job, or role. Instead, they comprise skills, knowledge, and personal attitudes that employers in any field would like their employees to have, regardless of the position they hold. We have observed that some international students have strong subject and technical knowledge, but they are unaware of the importance of the soft skills that New Zealand employers are looking for in students and graduates.
“I tell my students that working hard and getting good grades is often not enough to get your dream job. Some students think that they have time to slowly learn about New Zealand work culture, about self-management, about professional communication, and so on in their first few months at the new workplace. They think they will be given a lot of mentoring and reduced responsibility when they start. But in my industry, that is rare. New graduates are sent to audit clients and are charged at full price, so audit clients expect full professional service from the graduates. In other words, in many cases newly hired graduates often have to hit the ground running from day one. There is no lengthy period of guidance and handholding.”
(Dr Angela Liew, senior lecturer of accounting at the University of Auckland and lead researcher for The Future of Accounting Work)
Before we explore these skills in detail, let’s take a look at a case study of a graduate with very good grades applying for a job:
CASE STUDY: Jackie has excellent grades but …
Jackie from Malaysia has graduated with a degree in accounting from a New Zealand university. Now, she is trying to find her first full-time job. She applies at a big accounting firm. The selection committee likes her CV and invites her – and other potential candidates – to a meet and greet function in the evening. Jackie is unsure about what to wear, but since it is an evening event, she puts on a very elegant evening dress and heads to the function.
When Jackie arrives at the event, she notices that most people in the room are dressed “business casual”. She feels a little overdressed now. The job candidates meet and mingle with selection committee members, other company staff, and management. There are drinks and there is finger food. Jackie doesn’t quite know how to behave and decides to take a cautious approach: she takes a glass of orange juice and quietly stands in the corner, observing the party and everyone around her chatting and laughing. A few days later, Jackie receives an email notifying her that she won’t be invited to an interview. She starts to wonder: was that more than a social function? Was that somehow a test? Were the candidates observed? And if yes, for what, exactly, were the selection committee looking?
Back to you: Where did Jackie go wrong? What might have happened during that social function that convinced the selection committee that Jackie wasn’t the candidate they wanted? Please read on to see what the selection committee might have been looking for, as they observed the candidates in this social situation.
Some international students are unaware of the soft skills that employers typically require, so they don’t always mindfully develop these skills and attitudes during their studies, or highlight them when they apply and interview for a job. When Jackie, the graduate in our case study above, attended a social function, the selection committee clearly wasn’t looking for her use of accounting skills at a party. They were looking for soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
“The skills I look for are really soft skills, so: Are they [the students or graduates] coachable? Can they work as a team? Can they think for themselves, outside of the box? Those are the kinds of skills that I really look for.”
(Employer, Study with New Zealand)
3. What soft skills are employers in New Zealand looking for?
Regardless of the subject area or industry, employers in New Zealand are looking for particular soft skills in students and university graduates. International students aren’t always aware of these skills and sometimes don’t take the appropriate measures to systematically develop them during their studies. So, what are these skills?
“For us, attitude is more important than degree-related knowledge.”
(Employer, VUW Employer Survey 2018)
Below you will find a list of 13 top skills sought by employers in New Zealand. Please click on each of the skills to see a detailed description. Also discussed are which of these skills and attitudes Jackie’s selection committee might have been looking for. While these skills have been ranked from 1 to 13, many employers agree that “having to rank attributes on importance is extremely difficult. None of the attributes are really ‘less important’ or ‘least important’. We are looking for all of these areas of strength in our graduates” (employer, VUW Employer Survey 2018).
Soft skills that NZ employers are looking for:
Work ethic
- Employees with a good work ethic are reliable and do consistently good work. They take responsibility for their work and strive to deliver the best performance possible. They arrive on time and aren’t easily distracted.
Verbal communication skills
- Employees with good spoken communication skills are aware that different listeners or interlocutors require different styles of communication. In other words, they can communicate clearly with different audiences and in different situations. They can contribute to staff meetings, and they can express and accept feedback. They have public-speaking skills and can present ideas in front of other people.
- They can also make friendly small talk with colleagues and with strangers. Our case-study graduate Jackie, for example, is looking for a job in accounting. She will be sent to different clients to conduct audits. This means she needs the ability to engage in friendly conversation with strangers. She needs to be able to negotiate well with clients and win them over, so that they are supportive of her work. At the social function, the selection committee might have expected her to mingle with strangers and make enjoyable small talk with business contacts at different levels of the professional hierarchy. Instead, Jackie seemed shy and stood quietly in the corner.
Energy and enthusiasm
- Employees with energy and enthusiasm are interested in and excited about their work. They are self-motivated instead of having to be “pushed” by their manager. They are eager to complete their tasks well, and they don’t give up easily, even when facing challenges. They have a positive attitude and contribute to a good atmosphere at work. Many employers prefer to provide job skills training to an inexperienced person with a positive attitude instead of hiring a person with all the right qualifications but with a negative attitude. In the case study above, Jackie had the opportunity to show enthusiasm and interest in her potential future employer by asking staff about the work at the company. In fact, she could have used this opportunity to gather helpful information for the (potentially) upcoming interview.
Analytical and critical thinking
- Employees with analytical and critical thinking skills can understand complex and abstract issues. They can recognise patterns, and they can analyse small parts of an issue, while not losing sight of the whole problem. They are able to synthesise information, that is, find and bring together pieces of information to arrive at a “big picture”. They can critically evaluate information and decide whether it is true as well as relevant for the problem at hand.
Problem solving
- Employees with good problem-solving skills ask the right questions when facing a problem. They are able to find and collect information, and they can evaluate the information and decide whether it is true and relevant. Based on evidence they can make clear decisions on how to solve a problem and how to move forward. In the above case study, Jackie was unsure about what to wear for the social function. The invitation didn’t give her any clues. But she could have asked: “Thank you for the invitation. May I ask: what is the dress code for the evening?” The company might have told her: business casual. She could have asked an experienced friend what that means or she could have searched the internet for an explanation.
Teamwork
- Good team-workers collaborate well with others and can complete a task by engaging in discussion and planning as a team. They know when to lead and when to follow, and they can take directions from superiors and experts without feeling resentful. They are willing to share their expertise with others, and they recognise and rely on the skills and knowledge of their colleagues. They also actively look for opportunities to work in a team to learn from others and increase their expertise.
Interpersonal skills
- Employees with good interpersonal skills are aware of and accept the diverse viewpoints and feelings of others. They respond to the needs of others with sensitivity and respect. They also understand unspoken messages in different situations. They contribute positively to the resolution of conflicts. In the case study above, Jackie didn’t take the opportunity to display interpersonal skills. The selection committee might have feared that she would not be able to engage well with colleagues and clients, given her awkward silence at the party.
Written communication skills
- Employees with good written communication skills are aware that different audiences require different styles of writing. In other words, they can communicate clearly and in an appropriate way in writing with different audiences and in different contexts. They use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and they can edit their own texts effectively.
Self-management
- Employees with good self-management skills have confidence and are not afraid to deal with challenges. They can regulate their emotions and show self-control, also in difficult situations. They manage their own work and deadlines well. They follow health and safety guidelines and other important rules without having to be supervised. They are able to maintain a good work-life-balance and take care of their own wellbeing. They actively seek out opportunities for life-long learning and for gaining more expertise. They seek support when they need it.
Initiative and enterprise
- Employees who display initiative and enterprise think creatively and “outside the box”. They contribute to the team and the company by coming up with new ideas and by being open to innovations proposed by other team members. They take action and solve problems without always being told to do so. They go beyond the basic job description and are willing to contribute in a range of ways when necessary. In pressing circumstances, they don’t shy away from tasks that are usually done by lower-ranking staff, including menial tasks.
Willingness to learn
- Employees who are willing to learn are open to new tasks, new skills, and new ways of doing things. They accept advice, follow instructions, and learn from feedback. They are not satisfied with their current skill level but actively seek out opportunities to gain more knowledge and expertise.
Resilience
- Employees who display resilience are not easily discouraged by changing circumstances, problems, and setbacks. Instead, they flexibly adapt to new situations and face challenges without getting angry or disheartened. They accept when they have made a mistake, and they learn from mistakes, advice, and feedback. They realise when they need help and then ask for support. In the above case study, the selection committee might have noticed Jackie’s embarrassment about being overdressed. If she had been unfazed by her dress-code error and just joined in conversations regardless, they might have been impressed by her self-confidence and her positive attitude.
Cultural competence
- Employees with cultural competence show respect for other cultures and viewpoints. They can wait with any (negative) judgment of other people’s behaviours and observe others to see what they really mean with their words and actions. They accept that different viewpoints can be equally valid. They are aware of and can apply Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in their work.
Have a look at this video by Careers New Zealand (YouTube) and note that even experienced professionals with a long career emphasise the soft skills listed above: Work Connect #HowToSeries - Transferable Skills.
Resilience is highly valued
Please note that many of these desired soft skills align with the learning goals of the New Zealand National Curriculum for primary and secondary schools. For more information about the explicit goals of New Zealand education, please see our project “Understand New Zealand’s education system”.
Two additional areas that employers would like to see in the CV’s of potential employees: community engagement and knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi, are discussed below.
4. Another advantage in the CV: Community engagement
Community engagement is not a skill but an activity that many employers see as a plus when reviewing the CVs of applicants. In other words, employers value it if students are out and about in the community, for example volunteering, getting involved in neighbourhood activities, and more.
Community engagement does not necessarily have to be connected to the students’ study subjects or the particular job for which they are applying. Many students engage in a wide range of activities, from building mountain biking trails and cleaning up beaches to founding a group for long-distance runners or helping out at the local animal rescue. This is noted positively by many employers, who value employees with diverse interests and community spirit.
Have a look at the story of former international student Pengbo Jiang, who received help from volunteers when he first arrived in New Zealand. Later, Pengbo wanted to give back to the community, and he has done so in many ways – from helping out with a “sausage sizzle” at a fundraising event to being a student buddy at university and a board member of a large NGO. Besides giving back to the community, Pengbo has also received further benefits from being a volunteer: he reports that he has gained valuable skills and made meaningful connections, which have helped him in his career.
5. A New Zealand “must have”: Understanding the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
All New Zealand workplaces require employees to have knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi and how its principles apply in their professional practice. It can also be an advantage to speak some te reo Māori or at least show the willingness to learn the basics of the language.
You can learn more about the Treaty/te Tiriti in Bicultural Ethos You can share the following resources with students wanting to learn more about Treaty principles and their relevance and application in New Zealand workplaces:
- Venture Taranaki explains what the Treaty is and highlights some questions that an applicant might be asked during a job interview: The Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand (PDF)
- The Tertiary Education Commission (careers.govt.nz) summarises how the Treaty should shape workplaces in New Zealand: Te Tiriti o Waitangi in work.
Next, we discuss what international students can do to develop soft skills and to collect evidence of their efforts and abilities.
6. How can international students develop transferable soft skills?
International students can gain and train soft skills in various ways while still studying. Opportunities are available at their institutions and in the wider community. Such opportunities include skills workshops, career advice, volunteering, part-time jobs, life choices such as flatting with Kiwi flatmates, everyday activities like talking to your neighbour on the bus, and more. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
6.1 Skills development through studying
Some students are unaware that many of their study skills translate directly into work skills. These include such soft skills as having a good work ethic, problem solving, self-management, and analytical/critical thinking.
“I know a contractor who is doing good work – if they do the work. I have repeatedly observed them being on their phone during work hours, engaging with social media, not doing their work, and not listening to instructions. I wouldn’t hire this contractor again.”
(Employer in New Zealand)
It is important for students to reflect on why they are doing certain things during their studies. This awareness will help them get the most out of these activities, and they will be able to present them to potential employers as evidence for their soft skills during a job interview.
Read what three lecturers at New Zealand universities and polytechnics have to say about study and work skills. Compare their arguments with the list of soft skills that New Zealand employers are looking for (section 3):
Lecturer in Statistics: Self-management and prioritising
“One question that can probably tell you a lot about recent graduates in a job interview is: how did they manage their timetable and their workload while they were studying? Studying is not so different from working. If students have good self-management skills when it comes to their timetable, assignment deadlines, study time, and their work-life-balance, they are probably also good at self-managing their professional work, their meetings, and so on. Another important question is: can they prioritise? In other words, can they decide which assignment or task is more or less important? At work, you might have to do three parallel tasks, but you don’t have time to do them all to the same level of quality. Do they all have to be done at that standard, though? Maybe all three just need to be ‘good enough’. Or maybe one needs to be done at a very high standard, while the two others need less attention. How do the graduates decide?”
Lecturer in Agricultural Science: Listening and focusing
“An international student once told me that he wouldn’t come to my lectures. He said that I was talking too fast and that he couldn’t focus for 50 minutes on someone else talking. He would listen to the lecture recording at home instead – in short bite-sized parts of 5 minutes or so. He said he could get a coffee in between, and he could also rewind and listen again and again. I told him: ‘When you work at a company in the future, will you be able to tell your boss that you won’t come to the meetings because they are too long and you cannot concentrate well? You should use the lecture as an opportunity to practice focusing and taking notes while listening. The lecture recording is for you to review the content again later.’ The student was a smart guy. He always came to the lectures afterwards.”
Lecturer in Writing: Analytical and critical thinking and written communication
“Some of my students complain about having to write essays. They say that it is not a realistic activity. But I have noticed that the same students are often not very good at the essential tasks required to produce a good essay. And these are often also essential tasks in many workplaces. You must be able to
- analyse a problem,
- find and evaluate information that helps you understand and solve the problem,
- make a logical argument or propose a good solution based on that information,
- summarise the information and your conclusion in a well-written report.
I have worked in different fields before I started teaching, and these were everyday activities in my professional life.”
Secondary school students: Choosing courses (school students only)
High schools in New Zealand offer a variety of pathways towards graduation and aim to support students’ strengths and interests. Listen to international student Barry explain this freedom of choice: Can school students choose what to study?
International students should see a careers adviser who can help them choose their courses wisely and get prepared for their dream career. Careers NZ also provides advice for secondary school students on how to select their subjects: How to choose NCEA subjects.
Whatever their strengths and interests: if high school students want to attend university after graduating from college, they need to make sure that they select the subjects required for university entrance.
6.2 Seeking career advice
New Zealand schools and tertiary institutions provide careers advice. A reminder: international students have already paid for this service through their student fees, so they are not asking for anything “extra”.
School students can meet with a careers adviser to discuss their professional goals and how to make them a reality. They can also see careers advisers at different tertiary institutions and inquire whether the institution or a particular programme would be the right choice for them.
Tertiary institutions provide career support services, and tertiary students should take advantage of their support and resources. Those typically include:
- One-on-one appointments with a careers adviser
- An online portal, listing recent job ads, internship opportunities, and volunteer positions
- Career events such as employer presentations, career talks, networking and recruitment events, and more
- Training on how to write a CV and do well in a job interview
- Workshops helping students to identify their strengths and talents as well as areas that require improvement
- CV checks and drop-in sessions
- Self-study materials describing different career paths and assisting skills development.
6.3 Participating in competence programmes
Many institutions offer competence programmes alongside students’ regular studies. These programmes help students develop leadership, intercultural, and other soft skills. Participating in such an extracurricular activity also shows future employers that a student is willing to learn more, beyond the required course content. Take a look at two example programmes below available to secondary and tertiary students.
The New Zealand Global Competence Certificate
The New Zealand Global Competence Certificate (NZ GCC) is a blended online and face-to-face programme that prepares secondary school students for a future as global citizens who can easily study, work, and live across borders and cultural boundaries in an increasingly connected world. The programme connects students from around the world and fosters essential future-oriented skills such as self-awareness, cultural sensitivity, and intercultural communication. A programme for tertiary students has also been piloted and well-received. Listen to participants of the 2021 cohort review the programme: 2021 New Zealand Global Competence Certificate.
Student Ambassador Programmes
Many education providers train select international students to be ambassadors who organise events, support other international learners, and represent the institution locally and nationally. ISANA NZ and ENZ offer an additional Student Ambassador Training Programme with workshops and mentoring around intercultural and leadership skills: ISANA NZ’s Student Ambassador Training Programme.
6.4 Volunteering on and off campus
A saying in many languages goes: “Experience is the best teacher.” Without experience, it is difficult to understand a workplace and to make good career choices. High school students, especially, should try to get some practical work experience to understand what they are good at, what they like doing, and whether their dream job really meets their expectations. A good option is volunteering, for example during the summer break. Let’s look at Nithin’s story and how he used career advice and volunteering to his advantage:
“I was in year 13, and I thought that I wanted to be a doctor. But I didn’t really know much about being a doctor. I met with a career adviser at a local university. They also see prospective or potential students, and they give you good advice. I asked how I could get practical experience that will help me understand what it’s like to be a doctor. The adviser said that I could volunteer in the summer or on the weekends. She asked me what kind of skills a doctor needs, and I said: ‘I think doctors need to be really good with people. They need to talk to people in a friendly way, even in scary situations. Maybe they should also be good with young children.’ I ended up volunteering on weekends – no, not at a doctor’s office – in a museum! I gave guided tours for visitors, including small children – not through a medical exhibition but in the geography section. Surprise: now I am in my second year of studying geography! Without my volunteering job, I would have never realised that that is my true passion!”
Education providers offer a range of volunteering opportunities. Students can take on responsibilities as student buddies, campus guides, in leadership roles in student associations, clubs, and research-oriented student groups, as conference helpers, and more. Students can list their roles in their CV and highlight their enthusiasm, team work, interpersonal competence, and other important technical and soft skills they gained and practiced.
To hear from Divya, an engineering student who volunteered on her department’s student board, read: Think New – How volunteering can boost your employability. See also former hospitality student Sirawit Pattanacharoenkit’s article on how volunteering helped me find a job.
Students can also volunteer in the wider community, for example to support social, environmental, and animal welfare efforts. Daniel, a former university student from Nigeria, studied animal science in Palmerston North and volunteered at Wildbase Recovery, a rescue centre providing care for injured native animals.
Daniel volunteered at an animal rescue centre
“I graduated with very good grades – but so did many of my classmates. When I applied for a job, the interview committee was impressed by my volunteer efforts and my contribution to the protection of native wildlife in New Zealand. They saw that I had applied my theoretical skills very practically, while I was still at university, by preparing food for the animals and helping with the upkeep of the centre. They also saw that I had connected well with staff and other volunteers. I was able to tell the committee about my role as visitor host, educating the public about the animals and their protection. This way, I could highlight my communication and interpersonal skills.”
6.5 Finding a part-time or a summer job/internship
Many employers mention that they would like new employees to arrive with a certain understanding of the processes and the culture of a New Zealand workplace. Students can gain such experience through a part-time job or internship, which are often advertised on job portals at their institution.
NauMai NZ offers advice for students on:
- how to get a part-time job
- what to consider when working in NZ (taxes, visa requirements etc.).
A part-time job doesn’t need to be in a student’s future professional field to develop essential soft skills. For example, Dr Angela Liew, a senior lecturer in accounting at the University of Auckland, explains how working in the hospitality sector, for example as a waiter in a restaurant, can help accounting students develop important employability skills desired by large accounting firms:
“Some students need to learn how to make small talk and have a conversation with strangers. Some of them don’t realise that good client interaction is one of the most important skills in being an auditor. As an auditor, you need to be able to converse with people, to negotiate with them and to convince them to support your audit work. If you get along well with your clients, they will make your job easy in securing the necessary information and meeting your deadlines. You cannot simply expect people to be helpful because you are the auditor – it doesn’t work like that. As a student, how can you practice making small talk and being friendly with strangers? My answer is: start by talking to strangers whom you see regularly, whether waiting for a class or at the bus stop, and get a part-time or holiday job in hospitality while you are studying. Practice making conversations. Work in a restaurant. And when you are interviewed for a job in accounting, you can use your work experience as evidence that you are skilled in having client contact and in talking to strangers.”
While this advice is specifically targeted at accounting students, good communication and interpersonal skills are truly transferable and are required in many industries. Listen also to former international student and public health specialist Monica Mu from China explain how she found work and volunteering positions while at university and after graduation: Staying to work in NZ after study.
6.6 Making mindful life choices that foster soft skills and cultural learning
International students can make mindful choices in their everyday life that will help them develop skills and grow as a person. For example, living, working, and socialising with Kiwis and with students from countries other than their own can help international students develop an understanding of New Zealand society and of other cultures. Staying in a cultural bubble by socialisi
Having an interesting hobby shows employers that a student will be an interesting colleague.
Many employers also like to see hobbies and extracurricular interests in an applicant’s CV. Hobbies allow students to develop particular employability skills, but they also signal to employers that an applicant is a well-rounded individual with diverse interests. Students can list their hobbies in their CV and indicate that they will be interesting and sociable future colleagues who can benefit the team not only with their skills but also with their personality and attitude.
6.7 In all they do: international students should become cultural detectives
International students live and work in a culture that is different from their home culture, which means that there can be many moments of cultural misunderstanding. International students might not understand another person's behaviour and intentions correctly – or they might not be understood correctly by other people because of cultural differences.
For example, many international students have told us that they are sometimes seen as impolite without meaning to. So they need to develop the skill to observe how New Zealanders express politeness.
“If international students want to find work in New Zealand, the most important skill they should develop is the ability to observe the people around them and adapt to the local culture or the workplace culture. I think that small cultural misunderstandings, which can happen on a normal day, are the biggest barrier to international graduates being hired or being promoted.”
(Senior lecturer at a New Zealand university)
Our advice for agents is: tell your students that they should learn to be “cultural detectives”. A cultural detective is someone who can:
- observe other people’s behaviour
- remember that there might be cultural differences
- describe the behaviour without judging it immediately in a negative way
- find out what the other person really tried to say or do with their behaviour.
The intercultural service Cultural Detective writes: “A good detective also analyzes potential motives, looking at possible reasons why people may have behaved the way they did.”
A successful cultural detective can eventually “speak” more than one cultural language: they can understand the behaviours of others around them within the specific cultural context, and they can themselves act in a way that others around them can understand. When cultural misunderstandings occur, they can talk about and resolve the problem.
6.8 In all they do: international students should collect evidence
The gist of this project is: students should continuously reflect on their strengths and areas that need improvement, and they should develop their soft skills while still studying. But there is one more thing: they should also keep a written record of their development and of the activities they engaged in to gain and practice those skills. What exactly does that mean?
Students should:
- Keep and file any contracts and the exact dates of their jobs, internships, and volunteering roles
- Ask their managers, programme leaders, etc. to provide them with a reference
- Reflect continuously on their skills and how exactly they practiced or displayed them.
We recommend that students keep a written record, with exact dates, reflective notes, examples of how they displayed certain skills and attitudes, and more. This will come in handy when facing interview questions like: “Can you describe a time when you contributed to resolving a difficult conflict?” One way to build a skills portfolio is to use professional networking platforms like LinkedIn. Here, students can also collect recommendations and endorsements from other people as evidence of their skills.
Another tip: students can ask other people to describe them and their strengths and use this as evidence. See what careers adviser Yvonne Gaut recommends.
“Students should ask other people around them – people they trust – to describe them. They can ask: ‘How do you see me? What kind of person am I in your eyes? What am I good at? What are my strengths?’ This might feel awkward, but in a job interview the students can explain: ‘My friends say that I am really good at talking to strangers. They admire how easily I talk to other people on the bus.’ Asking other people to describe them can also give students a confidence boost. It’s nice to hear that your friends or teachers have observed very positive things about you.”
(Yvonne Gaut, postgraduate and international careers adviser, University of Otago)
In the following linked article, a career consultant, an engineering graduate, and an accounting student explain how international students can identify and highlight their skills and abilities: Think New – How to identify your job skills and abilities.
7. Further resources for you and your students
Here are further resources that you can use with or recommend to your students:
- You can give this checklist to your tertiary students or help them fill it out over time: Skills Checklist (PDF).
- School students can use a shorter, simpler Employability Skills Checklist provided by Careers NZ: Short Skills Checklist (PDF).
- NauMai NZ provides advice for tertiary students on how to become more employable: NauMai NZ – Employability
- Careers NZ offers further information and tools to explore employability skills, including an online “skills matcher” that allows students to enter their skills and find matching jobs: Careers NZ – Skills employers are looking for.
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8. Summary
In this project, we looked at 13 top transferable soft skills that employers in New Zealand want to see in recent graduates and that students should develop while still studying, including problem-solving, critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and good written and spoken communication. We also pointed out that NZ employers value community engagement and knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi.
We provided advice on how and where students can gain and train these soft skills before graduating, for example by participating in leadership programmes, by volunteering at their institution or in the community or by finding a part-time job. We highlighted that students should always be aware of what they are doing and how it can benefit their skills development: if they have to produce a group assignment for their course, how did they engage in successful teamwork? If they live in a multicultural flat with flatmates from different countries, how did they resolve conflicts and develop intercultural competence?
A case study, student reports, and expert comments gave insight into New Zealand work environments and realistic experiences of international students. Finally, throughout the project, we provided helpful tools and resources for you to support your students’ employability development and for your students to understand their own employability profile and employer expectations.
Heoi anō tāku mō nāianei - that’s all for now!
9. References
All references included as hyperlinks in the text.
