In today’s fiercely competitive labor market, the question of which skills accounting graduates consider essential for employability has gained unprecedented importance. A novel study led by researcher F.T. Haidar investigates this issue through an innovative lens, utilizing the content of students’ curriculum vitae (CVs) to decipher their self-perceived critical skills for professional success. This approach penetrates deep into the students’ mindset, revealing how those on the cusp of graduation prioritize their competencies and how various experiential factors shape their employability arsenal. The findings hold substantial implications for higher education institutions (HEIs), employers, and policymakers intent on bridging the gap between academic preparation and workplace demands.
What distinguishes this research is its methodology, uncommon in labor market and education studies: the rigorous analysis of self-reported employability skills as they explicitly appear in CVs. Unlike traditional surveys or interviews, CV analysis captures the tangible manifestation of students’ awareness about the skills they believe matter most for career readiness. Since these CVs are crafted by soon-to-be graduates, they arguably reflect a relatively informed anticipation of what the professional world expects. This approach extends the current scholarship by supplying a data source that is both authentic in nature and directly linked to the way students market themselves in their imminent job search.
Through a comprehensive evaluation of these CVs, the study reveals that accounting students demonstrate a strong alignment with globally recognized employability competencies. Their declarations frequently cite proficiency in computer applications, particularly Microsoft Office tools, as fundamental. Beyond technical skills, communication abilities, command of the English language, capacity to work effectively under pressure, teamwork, and time management emerge repeatedly. This pattern indicates a layered understanding among students that the modern accounting professional requires a balanced mix of hard and soft skills to thrive. These competencies mirror those identified in prominent frameworks, including the latest reports by the World Economic Forum (WEF), affirming that students are well attuned to the evolving requirements of their future employer base.
The impact of experiential learning opportunities on skill development is another focal insight coming from this analytical approach. Specifically, the study underscores the transformative role of pre-graduate work experience, internships, and dedicated training courses in accentuating employability skills. Students who engage actively with these experiential elements tend to report a broader and more nuanced skill set in their CVs. This correlation suggests that practical exposure, coupled with formal education, bolsters readiness and enhances the integration of both technical and interpersonal skills. The implication is clear: active participation in work-related learning environments serves as a critical bridge between theoretical knowledge and professional application.
What emerges from this research is a nuanced conceptual framework linking curricular offerings and extracurricular engagements as complementary forces driving employability. Students leverage three principal avenues for skills acquisition: self-directed learning via training programs, hands-on experience gained through employment or internships, and the structured competencies embedded within their formal accounting curriculum. This triadic synergy facilitates a holistic development path that equips students for the unpredictability and dynamism inherent in contemporary labor markets. By concretizing how these factors interact, the study offers future graduates a roadmap to strategically align their educational journey with workforce expectations.
Beyond the immediate realm of student self-perception, this research casts light on imperatives for institutional policy and pedagogy within higher education. Educational providers are encouraged to recalibrate their strategies, integrating more deliberate and coherent mechanisms that fuse theoretical content with practical skill cultivation. The findings suggest that HEIs should amplify their commitment to creating environments where curricular knowledge is reinforced by experiential learning opportunities. Such an ecosystem would not only facilitate improved employability outcomes but also mitigate the often-cited disconnect between academic instruction and real-world job demands—a gap that persists across disciplines and global education systems.
A critical observation herein is the varying degree to which students appreciate the comprehensive importance of employability skills. Not all learners exhibit full awareness of the nuances behind skill prioritization or its direct link to successful employment. Consequently, universities must proactively foster awareness and competence-building through both classroom innovation and enriched extracurricular platforms. Institutional design that actively promotes continuous skill-enhancement and reflective self-assessment can significantly elevate graduate readiness, improving their competitive edge in saturated job markets.
Employers stand to benefit profoundly from the implications of this study. By understanding the employability priorities as perceived by emerging professionals, organizations can calibrate their recruitment, onboarding, and workforce development processes to better accommodate the realities of new entrants. Collaborative partnerships between employers and HEIs, especially around internship placements, can evolve to produce more targeted, meaningful experiential learning. Such coordination ensures that graduates are not only equipped with theoretical knowledge but are also acclimatized to the practical challenges confronting accounting professionals, thereby smoothing the transition from academia to industry.
Nevertheless, the study acknowledges intrinsic methodological limitations inherent in relying exclusively on CV content for measuring employability skills. Self-reported data poses risks related to overestimation or misrepresentation of capabilities due to individual biases or lack of sophistication in self-evaluation. Previous research, including findings by Arquero et al. (2022), highlights the phenomenon of student overconfidence concerning skill levels. While the present study’s results are robust within its context, the authors advocate for future expansions employing mixed methods. Integrating CV analysis with qualitative techniques such as interviews or focus group discussions could uncover deeper contextual influences and validate self-reported skill claims.
A much-needed evolution in this research trajectory involves assessing actual performance of skills in authentic or simulated workplace scenarios. This would provide empirical grounding, potentially involving skill evaluation during internship activities or through competency-based assessments. Such performance data would complement self-assessments and illuminate gaps between perceived and demonstrated employability capabilities, thus furnishing a more holistic picture to educators, students, and employers alike.
The geographic and institutional specificity of the present study also invites interpretational caution. The generalizability of findings demands replication across diverse educational settings and international contexts. Exploring analogous populations of accounting students in other universities or countries with comparable curricular frameworks and labor market structures may confirm the universality or reveal contextual variances in skill prioritization. This comparative dimension would enrich the global dialogue on graduate employability and help tailor interventions to varied cultural and socioeconomic environments.
Importantly, the study situates itself at a critical juncture where higher education and professional expectations are rapidly evolving due to technological advances, digital transformation, and shifting economic landscapes. The prominence of computer skills and communication as top-ranked skills in the students’ CVs underscores the pressing need for continuous learning and adaptability. These dimensions will only intensify as automation and artificial intelligence redefine traditional roles within the accounting profession, challenging future graduates to continuously upskill and reskill to maintain relevance.
In essence, this research articulates a compelling narrative: students nearing graduation are not passive recipients of educational content but active agents shaping their employability through strategic engagement in multiple learning dimensions. Their CVs act as analytical windows into how they comprehend and project their readiness to meet workplace demands. By recognizing this dynamic, all stakeholders—students, educators, employers, and policymakers—can better collaborate to craft educational ecosystems that nurture competencies aligned with both present and future labor market exigencies.
The implications stretch beyond mere academic interest; they hold transformative potential for workforce planning, curriculum design, and policy formulation. As the global economy increasingly prizes agility, emotional intelligence, and technological literacy, this investigation spotlights the intersection where education meets employability. It invites a paradigmatic shift in how skill acquisition is understood—not as isolated classroom pursuits but as an integrated developmental continuum weaving together formal instruction, experiential learning, and lifelong self-improvement.
In conclusion, the study sets a new benchmark for employment-related research in accounting education by unlocking rich insights through CV analysis, a methodology ripe for expansion and refinement. Its findings press higher education institutions to innovate strategically, urging them to construct learning trajectories that are both coherent and contextually relevant. Additionally, it challenges employers to rethink their role in shaping talent pipelines collaboratively with educators, thereby facilitating a more seamless transition from student to professional.
Ultimately, empowering accounting students with a robust, validated set of employability skills promises not only enhanced individual career trajectories but also a more resilient, agile, and future-ready workforce. As the labor market continues to evolve at breakneck speed, such empirical investigations and the dialogues they provoke will be indispensable guides toward a more responsive and effective educational paradigm.
Subject of Research: Employability Skills of Accounting Students Analyzed Through Curriculum Vitae Content
Article Title: Employability Skills of Accounting Students: What Do Their CVs Tell Us?
Article References:
Haidar, F.T. Employability skills of accounting students: What do their CVs tell us?.
Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 910 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04991-w
Image Credits: AI Generated
