UPSA arms students with employable skills

Students of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance (FAF) of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) had the opportunity to be exposed to what employers look out for when recruiting fresh graduates, during the school’s annual week celebration in Accra.

The students had the chance to interact with an experienced Human Resource (HR) expert who took them through the basics of what is required of them and how they can position themselves to be employable after their professional training in the university.

The Executive Director of Deon and Noed International, an Advisory, Tax and Audit firm, Mrs Edem Sorkpor (PhD), who spoke on employable skills, said employers were looking out for people who would add value to the business, uphold integrity and remain loyal.

“Every employer out there is looking for people who are honest, people who are true and people who will be able to stand the test of time. As professionals in training getting ready for the job market, it is important that they acquire these values of integrity and learn how to be honest,” she said on the third day of the celebration which was marked as a Professional Day.

She stated that it was important for graduates to develop the habit of being true to themselves and ensuring that whatever information they put on their CV when applying for jobs could be done when they were employed.

“You should know yourself so you can use your strength to serve the public when you go out there and where you realise you have weaknesses, you should be able to improve upon yourself. Your works and your speech must match. If you know you cannot do what you are saying, then don’t say it,” she added.

On attitude, she explained that some professionals got to the job market with adequate professional knowledge but their attitude became a stumbling block for their ability to fit in that space.

“Some people have the professional qualification but their attitude is so horrible. They have the knowledge, the qualification but their attitude becomes the stumbling block for them,” she stressed.

Upholding integrity

Mrs Sorkpor said graduates should be able to work with integrity in organisations because they became representatives of those organisations and whatever they did, told on the organisation.

“The employers out there are looking for people who can do the right thing even when the employer is not watching. People who have values and moral principles that will not change under any circumstance,” she stated.

She added that it was important for the students to position themselves and be recognised as people with integrity, especially when they were finance people.

Mrs Sorkpor also added that beyond the talk, it was important for the students to imbibe the skills and ensure that they put it to use to ensure their success on the job market.

“It is up to us to live and imbibe them; it is easy to talk about them but if you are true, it will show in your work and in your speech,” she stressed.