A few years ago, the rule was simple: graduate, find a job, gradually learn. Today, the reality is different. Companies expect graduates to come prepared - not only with knowledge, but also with experience.
The numbers speak for themselves. The share of job offers suitable for graduates is falling, while employers' demands are growing. Not because companies don't want young people. Quite the opposite - they need them. They just expect more from them than they used to. What's the deciding factor today?
The biggest difference between a successful and unsuccessful graduate is in work experience. "In practice, we see that graduates without experience find it much more difficult to apply. Companies cannot afford long apprenticeships, which is why the importance of internships and project work is growing. Our statistics show that up to 75 percent of companies in the technical and administrative sectors today prefer a candidate with at least one year of experience in the field over an applicant with better grades but no experience,"explains Martina Fandelová, HR Director in our PPA CONTROLL group.
It is the internship, even if only partial or project-based, that gives the graduate an advantage. It shows that they can work in a team, understand the pace of work, and can take responsibility for the result.
Technological developments are also playing a role. Automation and artificial intelligence are taking over roles that were once natural career paths, changing the very nature of junior positions.
Today, companies expect graduates to be able to engage quickly and effectively with modern tools. The ability to navigate the digital environment and work with new technologies, including AI, is becoming standard.
This doesn't mean that everyone has to be a tech expert. What's important is a willingness to learn, try new tools, and incorporate them naturally into the work process.
"Today's job market rewards activity. Graduates who are interested, try out, and gain experience during their studies have a significantly better starting position.,” adds M. Fandelová.
Companies realize that if they want to attract quality people, they must give them room to grow during their studies.
All subsidiaries belonging to the PPA CONTROLL group are among the companies that have been developing this approach for a long time. We cooperate with schools, we involve students in real projects and we create an environment where young people can experience what real work looks like before graduating.
This approach helps to reduce the gap between market expectations and graduates' readiness, while also giving young people the confidence that their first work experience will have real value.
A diploma is no longer an automatic ticket to the job market. The real advantage lies in those graduates who actively gained work experience during their studies and are open to trying new things.
