ASSESSING NEW-GRADUATE APPLICANTS: ACADEMIC PERCEPTIONS AND AGRIBUSINESS REALITIES

This study empirically compares the level of importance assigned to the knowledge, skills, and experiences of applicants for entry-level positions by members of the agribusiness community and how these criteria were perceived by chairpersons of departments of agricultural economics. Chairpersons had a good understanding of criteria important to employers in evaluating applicants and how they prioritize these criteria. Communication and interpersonal skills were ranked as the most important criteria by both groups. Industry members assigned lower levels of importance for formal international training, an attribution largely shared by academic counterparts.