Education can offer more technical skills, while experience can provide transferable business skills acquired in a work environment. So the debate continues, what is more important for business, hiring for education or experience? One of the main benefits of eligible candidates is that they tend to have more advanced skills, after learning to get a degree. Not only this, but they will have a proven academic record, and will learn to think critically, analytically and creatively during their time in education.

They will also have networks with a variety of people, perhaps offering more diverse ideas and opinions. As a business, you can expect them to apply their technical skills, and as a result, trust them with a higher level of responsibility.

Those with industry experience do not have the same level of skills as graduates, but they are most likely to have a better understanding of how a business works.

Having prior experience in the industry also means that candidates will build an understanding of the market and key competitors, which are assets for any business. This is probably why 71.9% of the surveyed workers who have studied into a degree feel that it will have more benefit if their university has included more business and office skills, because this will help bridge the gap between education and employment.