Research shows that personal statement is more important than qualifications

Millennials looking to get into the labour market should sharpen their personal statement rather than be too concerned about their qualifications, according to research.

Conference Genie has surveyed 500 managers from different UK industries. The conference calls supplier asked the managers what they think makes an ideal employee.

16.4% said that the personal statement was important. 14.4% said the same about qualifications. Skills (29.8%) and work experience (25.8%) were seen as the most important things that managers looked for in an employer.

Last week, recruitment firms in the City told candidates to stop listing their hobbies on their CVs. The Survey from Conference Genie confirms the notion as only 3.1% of the managers thought that a candidate’s interests are important.

Simon Prince is the Head of Marketing at Conference Genie. He tells Executive Grapevine: “Those surveyed did state that the personal statement is more important in their opinion than qualifications on a CV, which is also reinforced by the findings that a ‘people person’ is highly valuable, as well as being efficient, proactive and confident in your abilities.”

“Interestingly, managers stated ‘having no qualifications’ has nothing to do with and employee’s superstar quality and believe the best way to nurture superstar employees is with hands-on experience.”

Candidates under the age of 30 are more likely to get an interview than their older peers, according to recent research from Anglia Ruskin University. However, Conference Genie’s survey found that once they get the job, they still tend to work too many hours each week.

Prince says: I think it’s natural for those just starting out in their career to feel like they need to prove themselves and show their hunger and dedication. However, as our research has found, the majority of managers really value those employees who can efficiently organise their time within working hours and not overload themselves by taking on too many tasks.

“Our research suggests that our older generation of managers have learnt from many years of experience, believing that it isn’t always those who are seen and heard the most often that actually shine the brightest.

“The older generations were in agreement that a team player is more valuable than a clear leader and that the proof of a superstar employee is more about the actual quality of work put in, not the quantity of hours spent in the office.”

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