During two hazy, rainy days towards the end of February, the 40th annual eeeDays unfolded at Holger Crafoord’s ekonomicentrum. LUSEM annually stands as a host of the largest career fair in the Nordic region, which this year eee-committee nailed with honors. 

The premises were filled from opening to closing with bigshot exhibitors like H&M and European Investment Bank, as well as visitors who took the chance to chat with possible future employers, partake in engaging lectures, or perhaps snag a coveted goodie bag.

For me, perhaps like many of my peers, currently in the trenches of one of my earlier semesters here in Lund, the eeeDays served as a stark reminder that my days as a student sadly are numbered. And that one day I will have to leave the student life behind, dress up in my best suit and with a CV in hand embark on the hunt for a job. 

But what should one do to stand out in the crammed crowd of capable applicants, all pursuing the dream job? There is an age-old adage that stresses experience and grades, it’s a truth so widely withheld that it has gotten a snapsvisa dedicated to it.

“eeeMässan” suggests that one has to be “creative and social”, with a resume of quality, preferably all A’s and 4 part-time jobs. 

But is this still what the employers are looking for? And what does a resume of quality entail today? who better to answer these questions than the plethora of employers present on the eeeDays? Therefore, amidst the sea of coffee machines and consulting firms, I embarked on a mission to gather information on the attributes of the ideal modern-day employee, which I have now compiled in this article. 

The skills sought after, do to no surprise vary in their respective fields. However, the majority of the consulting and revision firms talked about the increased emphasis on sustainability in the context of ESG integration, sustainability transformation, and the new EU legislative CSRD, which requires companies within the EU to report their environmental and social impact with clearer accounting requirements. 

In order to meet the needs of their customers the companies are giving existing employees in-house education on the subject. However, the unanimous meaning was that more competence where needed, and the advice from corporate representatives was for applicants to broaden their knowledge within the area already, for example through some additional courses tied to sustainability.

The volatile global conditions of today also seem to have had an impact on the desired qualities of an employee. As a result of continuous globalization, challenges created by conflicts, economic instability, and political unrest affect companies to a greater extent today. Therefore individuals with a global perspective, dynamic capabilities, and a diverse skill set are increasingly sought after as these are deemed more capable of navigating this environment. 

Beyond skill-based attributes, the representatives also offered some tips in generality. One easy and actionable way to get a leg up in the process was to show that you have an actual interest in the specific company and the ability to take initiative. For example, applying to companies that are not currently recruiting might lead to an interview, and showing up well-read in regards to the organization as well as the role that you are applying for might take you even further. 

Nonetheless, I am not going to sugarcoat it for you; grades and experience were mentioned. However experience could be acquired in various ways, and many of the company representatives stated that applicable skills learned from extracurricular activities such as unions, nations, sports clubs and committees were still meritorious. Perhaps there should be some emphasis placed on the word applicable, but participation in organizations does speak to your ability to collaborate and assume responsibility. 

And on the subject of extracurriculars and committees, I would like to conclude my article by paying some tribute to the eee-committee and their continuous hard work. I had the opportunity to staff this year, which was such a fun and rewarding experience. It was a treat to be a part of the event, and I wholeheartedly encourage all of you to consider applying for staff positions at next year’s eeeDays.