Being a Student While Recruiting Has Completely Changed How I See Graduates

What actually makes a good hire

When I first started recruiting, I had this vision of what a "good" graduate looked like. They'd have great grades. Perfect interview answers. Someone who'd figured out exactly what they wanted from their career. I was wrong about almost all of it. I'm now in my first year of recruiting whilst doing my degree, and I've realised something that's completely shifted how I see graduates: the best ones aren't the ones who have it all figured out. They're the ones who are honest about what they don't know and actually hungry to learn.

I interviewed a graduate last month with a 5.5 average. Nothing special on a 7-point scale. But when I asked about a project they'd struggled with, something changed. They explained what went wrong, what they'd learned, how they'd approach it differently next time. They were thoughtful and honest. Not defensive about the failure. That conversation made me realise I'd been measuring graduates completely wrong. Grades tell you one thing. The ability to think critically and learn from failure is something else entirely.

"Grades tell you one thing. The ability to think critically and learn from failure is something else entirely."

Why graduates are better than they think

Being a student and interviewing students simultaneously gives me a unique perspective on how much pressure everyone's under. In my lectures, I see students stressed because they think they need the perfect answer by graduation. They think hiring managers are looking for someone who's read every business book and understood every framework, but that's not the case. They want to see how someone thinks. Can you work through problems logically? Can you ask good questions? Are you curious? The disconnect is massive.

Graduates are way more self-aware than I expected. Most know exactly what they don't know. The problem is they catastrophise about those gaps instead of being honest about them. I had a graduate tell me: "I haven't done this before, but here's what I'd do and what I'd need to learn." That's maturity. But I bet they went home thinking they didn't nail the interview because they didn't have "the answer." But the ones who actually get hired are the ones who let their personality show through. The ones who relax. Who laugh. Who admit they're nervous. The perfectly polished ones who never drop the act are actually the hardest for me to assess.

What balance really looks like

Most graduates are juggling far more than people realise. Internships, side gigs, volunteering, their degree, and trying to have a social life. They're already stressed before they walk into an interview. And then someone asks "tell me about a time you showed leadership" and expects a polished story when they're managing five things at once. That's changed how I listen in interviews. I'm not just listening to what they achieved. I'm listening to how they managed everything else at the same time. I'm trying to understand their ability to balance competing priorities. Because that's the real skill—not whether you led one perfect project, but whether you can manage multiple things and still perform.

They're more selective than you'd think

Graduates aren't desperate for any job either. I thought they would be, but that's not what I'm seeing. They're actually quite selective. They want to know if they'll learn something. If the team is decent. If there's real support and mentoring or if they'll be thrown in the deep end. They're not just chasing a paycheque.

What a resume gap actually tells you

Being a student has made me less judgmental and more curious about people's stories. I used to look at a resume and think "what's missing?" Now I think "what's the story here? What were they juggling?" A gap on someone's resume used to feel like a red flag. Now I ask real questions. Were they burnt out? Caring for someone? Did they travel? Try something that didn't work out? Those answers tell me much more than the gap itself. And I'm significantly less interested in perfect interview answers. I'd rather someone admit they're nervous than pretend everything's fine. I'd rather they ask a genuine question than recite something they Googled. I'd rather they be honest and open.

The skill nobody's teaching them

Being in both worlds has made me realise there's a gap that nobody's talking about: the gap between knowing your stuff and communicating your worth under pressure. University doesn't prepare you for being judged in an hour. For having someone decide your potential based on a conversation. For being rejected without feedback. Companies don't address this either. So graduates are left to figure it out alone.

If I could tell myself at the start of this year anything, it would be this: you don't need to have it all figured out. Nobody does. The people who look like they do are just better at pretending. The graduates I'm most excited about aren't the ones with perfect resumes. They're the ones who know what they don't know, ask good questions, and can have a real conversation. Being a first-year recruiter and student has taught me that graduates are going to be fine. Most of them will be okay. They're overthinking it, but they're capable and curious. And that's more than enough.