For an advertising job recently, she said, the recruiters “told me I was a strong team player during the group assessment, but that I didn’t have an individual moment where I talked a lot and showed I was passionate about the ideas we were presenting”.

Having studied animation in school, the 23-year-old Londoner broadened her search this year to also include design and illustration work. “I know I am a creative person who can do many of these jobs, but I think employers have these expectations that an applicant must bring a mid-level professional’s work experience and technical skills — even though it’s only an entry-level job,” said Nguyen-Cat, who has been working as a sales assistant at Ryman’s, a stationery and office supplies retailer, during her search.

Finally this month, she landed a job with a small luggage and handbag designer. Her technical knowledge proved to be a good match for the company’s needs.

“I’m excited, but also nervous,” she said. “They said my web skills secured me the job, along with my ability to use [the software program] Illustrator. It turns out they might open a factory in Vietnam, so my ability to speak Vietnamese fluently was another reason for why I was hired.”

Measuring up

Nguyen-Cat’s long job quest is far from unique these days. Many employers say today’s university graduates don’t quite measure up. In survey after survey, they rate young applicants as deficient in such key workplace skills as written and oral communication, critical thinking and analytical reasoning.