Attributes For Recruting College Graduates in Management Training Programs

      A recent blog post by John Murtha in HOTELS magazine identified 4 critical characteristics that managers should seek in recruiting new college graduates for management training positions.  The corollary to the article are the 4 traits that new college graduates should manifest when seeking gainful employment in the working world.


      The first trait is PREPARATION-- Is the candidate prepared?  Has he/she reviewed/researched the company web site, do they know about the company, its culture, how they might fit in and add value to the corporation?  This is easily determined in the first few minutes of an interview.  You can easily tell if the candidate has done his/her due diligence prior to meeting with a company hiring official.  If they have, wonderful!  If not, this might cause you to question how sincere they are in seeking a gainful employment opportunity with your firm.


      The second trait is PRESENTATION-- Does the candidate  dress the part?  Short hair, shiny shoes?  Heels and hose?  High degree of poise and confidence?  A sharp presentation normally means a sharp candidate-- not always, but normally!


      The third trait is PURPOSE--  What does the candidate wish to accomplish?  In your firm?  In their lives?  The answer, "I don't know" is probably not one that is acceptable!


       The fourth trait is PASSION-- Does the candidate have a high degree of passion, desire and interest in the position that he/she is seeking?  If yes, you may have a good candidate.  If not, may be cause for concern.


       These ideas are easy and simple, however, giving you, the hiring authority a good idea on the caliber and quality of the candidate.  Each job seeking candidate should possess and manifest these traits.  If they do, you probably have a viable candidate for your position.  If they don't-- might be a reason to continue to search further.  After all, it is easier to run one person short, than have to continually manage a set of challenges and problems.