What Really Gets You Hired

Many undergraduates feel that surviving university is the toughest challenge—until they step into the marathon of building a career. For years, BBA students have been trained to believe that having the "correct answer" is the ultimate goal. But what happens when you walk into an interview and the recruiter looks past the definition you memorised? The reality of the job market is a massive plot twist: employers are not looking for walking textbooks. They are looking for people who can think.

Major is not a barrier

There is a common myth among students that choosing a specialisation in a certain major is permanent and restrictive towards their career field. They often tend to think, "If I majored in HR, will a Marketing team ever look at my CV?"

According to Syeda Adiba Arif, Head of Talent, Organisational Effectiveness & Inclusion (APMEA Central) at BAT Bangladesh, the corporate world is much more fluid than your university department list. "We hire in entry-level roles across all functions, and hence we invite all BBA specialisations," she explains.

Unless you are applying for a specialised Finance role (where a Finance major is preferred), big companies are flexible. Whether you studied Marketing, HR, or Management, the door is open. They focus on hiring the person, rather than being subject to the degree certificate.

However, Imtiaz Ahmed Chowdhury, Sales Director, Syngenta Bangladesh Limited, reflects on the current job market trend. "In most organisations, the Sales function holds approximately 40% of total employees. Because of this sheer volume, Marketing majors often have a little competitive advantage simply because there are so many entry-level commercial roles available," he shares.
 

You Don't Need to Know Everything Yet

Many graduates think, "I don't know enough about how a company actually runs." And you aren't supposed to know yet.

Adiba notes that while foundational business knowledge is good, it's not a strict prerequisite. "Our new joiners go through a rigorous and structured onboarding ecosystem," she says. The company will teach you the business models and the processes.

However, how you present yourself, how you act, is not something the company can teach you.. Adiba emphasises that they value "learning agility"—how fast you can adapt—over what you already know. They are looking for resilience and an appetite for challenges.

Be logical

Imtiaz highlights a significant shift in the industry, noting that the standard for graduates is moving from basic MS Excel and PowerPoint to data analytics.

In an era of "Big Data," students often panic, thinking they need to master complex coding languages or expensive software to get an entry level job.

The truth is, "We are not looking for advanced analytics skills," Adiba clarifies. Most technical skills are learned on the job.

However, you do need to be data-fluent. In assessments, candidates are often given a business case to see if they can interpret data to make a sound decision. Can you look at a set of numbers, find the story behind them, and explain your reasoning clearly? That is the skill that matters.

Show the Impact

When you list an internship on your resume, don't just list the company name and your daily duties. Recruiters are looking for the uniqueness of your experience.

"We always look for prior evidence of leadership, initiative or impact," Adiba says.

They want to know how you worked. Did you own a project? Did you face a difficult problem and find a smart way to fix it? The value of an internship is in the specific challenges you navigated and the accountability you showed.

The bottom line

The transition from campus to corporate isn't about carrying over all your textbook knowledge. It's about shifting your mindset.

As Syeda Adiba Arif reveals, employers aren't hunting for the student who got every answer right on the exam. They are hunting for the graduate who is resilient, agile, and ready to solve problems that don't have a textbook answer.

So, take a breath. You don't need to know everything. You just need the right attitude to learn anything.