Will sales training help grads sell themselves?

• Position: Education - Brief article

In a world where more college graduates are being created than there are graduate jobs available, a leading international sales training provider believes that universities are failing job seekers. Doug Tucker, managing director of Sales Commando, has observed firsthand, through the major employers he works with across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, "a gulf between the employment expectations of graduates and the expectations of potential employers.

"Of course, employers are looking for those with the best exam results and take into account all the other key facets of university life, but employers are also looking for candidates who are team players, problem solvers, and who can organize and prioritize their work. All too often, they tell me, they find candidates lacking the crucial, top-level business, communication, and interpersonal skills."

He believes universities need to equip students better to find suitable employment once they have graduated. "The best graduate jobs are scarce and I believe that more than ever universities have a duty of care to ensure their students are properly equipped to meet the...