Graduate Employability: An Update on Behaviours Prized by Employers

Abstract

Abstract There is a strong need for MSc occupational psychology courses to produce employable graduates. However, many universities and students want to know what are the skills and behaviours needed by employers? To answer this question, two job analyses were completed in a multinational management consultancy and in a boutique firm specialising in assessment and development centres (Biggs, 2010). This research highlighted eight competencies that could be developed by students making them more employable. Many students have used this competency framework, not only in our successful evening-based MSc in Occupational Psychology at Gloucestershire, but at other universities and on other degrees. As such there was a call by others to ensure that the research completed over a decade ago still had currency today and that the eight consultancy competency framework was still valid. This paper sets out an update to that original research demonstrating that the framework is still relevant today.