heir foreign language ability, although many agree the ability is crucial to their competitiveness in the job market, according to the results of a survey released yesterday. The survey was conducted by the Council of Labor Affairs’ Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training from March 5-27 among 3,287 job-seekers and 492 employers.
The survey found that 85 percent of new graduates had begun to look for jobs before graduating and the electronics, information technology and service industries are the most popular employment fields.
However, 13 percent of the employers said they are not hiring new graduates because they lack experience and because there are few positions suitable for them.
The survey shows that in addition to academic background and proficiency on the part of job applicants, the major criteria used by employers in hiring workers also include sales ability, professional skills, computer skills and foreign language ability.
While 58 percent of the new graduates surveyed said they believe a higher education background will facilitate their job searches, 46 percent of the employers said the educational background of job applicants will affect their hiring decisions.
However, most of the employers surveyed do not care whether job applicants are graduates of famous universities or not, with 52 percent saying there is no direct connection between their hiring decision and the universities from which the applicants have graduated.
Meanwhile, 33 percent of the employers said they will not hire job applicants who are self righteous and arrogant, 27 percent will reject applicants who are unable to express themselves clearly and 20 percent will say no to those who lack manners.
