Employers, Jobseekers Have Different Priorities

Employers and jobseekers have very different ideas when it comes to qualities needed to land a job, a survey suggests.

Jobseekers usually feel it is important for them to have as many paper qualifications as possible and to be young enough as they believe companies tacitly impose age limits on new hires.

Employers, meanwhile, look for a positive attitude in the interview and their knowledge of jobs they apply for.

The Institute for International Trade surveyed 1,001 employers and 3,191 jobseekers and found that 67 percent of employers and 52 percent of job seekers said work-related experience was the most important factor in hiring.

But apart from that their choices differed widely. Employers cited attitude (54 percent) and understanding of the job (48 percent), while jobseekers named age (45 percent), qualifications (32 percent) and language skills (28 percent).

In terms of work-related experience, employers put the priority on acquiring necessary computer or other skill certificates and working on internship program. Jobseekers also put obtaining job-related certificates on the top but they rated language skills as second most important.

Lee Eun-mi at the institute said, "Gaining experience related to the job you want is far more helpful for applicants than language skills or other paper qualifications."