CAREER READINESS - How to Get A Job
What many students and new graduates must come to understand is this: a degree does not make you exceptional. In most competitive hiring situations, nearly every candidate applying for the same role has comparable academic credentials. A degree is no longer a differentiator—it is merely the baseline.
The issue is that too many students and those new to the job market continue to emphasize and rely only on academic achievements at a time when employers are prioritizing something else entirely: workplace attitudes and behaviours. The reality is that the challenge is no longer about education—it is about soft skills. Employers consistently cite communication, professionalism, teamwork, adaptability, and workplace etiquette as critical success factors, yet these essential skills are rarely taught in formal education.
Employers are expressing growing concern about the lack of job readiness among young professionals. Despite earning degrees and diplomas, many graduates are struggling not only to secure meaningful employment, but to keep it. While approximately 87% of students believe they are prepared for the workplace, only about half of hiring managers agree.
Having worked with hundreds of corporations, universities, and government organizations over the past 25 years, I have seen this gap repeatedly. Technical competence may open the door, but it is what makes you exceptional - interpersonal conduct, professionalism, and the ability to work effectively with others that ultimately secure the position and determine long-term success.
In response, I developed an online program, Career Readiness: Get a Job, Keep a Job, which is already being used by institutions such as Seneca Polytechnic. The program equips students and new graduates with the practical skills employers expect—professional communication, confidence, workplace etiquette, and the ability to build and sustain strong professional relationships.