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53% of young professionals believe that gaining technical experience and working beyond their job description are important factors for career growth. On the contrary, HR managers considered this to be of far less importance and lower down their list of priorities (36%). As revealed in recent research buy CEMS, a misalignment between what young people think they should be doing for career growth and what potential employers see as useful is apparent.
According to HR managers, the main drivers for young professionals’ career growth are:
- Working outside their comfort zone (61%)
- Gaining broad experience (59%)
- Networking (56%)
- Taking international assignments as a career driver (36%)
Big hours, little benefits
Reassuring for young professionals is that potential employers placed little value on working long hours. Neither students nor employers thought that working long hours would aid career growth, with only 5% and 4% respectively considering this to be something young professionals should be doing.
Roland Siegers, Executive Director, CEMS, commented “Although technical skills still have relevance, global recruiters we work with believe that it is most important for young professionals to develop a diverse skillset, gain broad experience, and develop resilience by working outside their comfort zone.”
Key takeaways: Work smarter rather than harder; and if possible, take international assignments to really make your CV glow.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
