Recruiters are not assessing a new graduate as though they already have years of experience in the job. They still need evidence that the person understands the opportunity, brings a useful starting point and can learn what comes next.

We compared eight CareerFairy Live Streams with EY Germany, EY Switzerland, Henkel and Forvis Mazars. The Henkel technology conversation and EY women-in-tech session add workplace context to the application advice: curiosity, collaboration and adaptability matter alongside the knowledge a role requires. Watch the recordings: EY Germany (2026-02-04), Henkel (2025-11-26), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (2026-09-14), EY Switzerland (2025-05-14), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (2026-02-09), EY Germany (2026-05-28), Forvis Mazars (2025-12-10), Forvis Mazars (2025-01-15).

The quick answer: Make your relevant experience understandable, explain why the actual work interests you, and show how you learn and contribute with others. Use specific examples from studies, jobs and activities. Be honest about gaps. Grades, degree subjects, languages and technical knowledge still matter differently by role; potential does not cancel a vacancy's essential requirements.

These discussions took place in 2025 and 2026. They show how the speakers assessed applicants in those settings, rather than one scoring system used by every recruiter.

What does “potential” mean when you have limited experience?

It becomes more concrete when you show a starting capability and a credible way of developing it.

EY Switzerland told graduates to recognise what they were missing and what they wanted to learn, rather than inventing extensive experience. Its recruiters wanted candidates to connect their knowledge, skills and interests to the position, with examples from their background.

Henkel's technology speakers looked for curiosity and intrinsic motivation. They described a new colleague who could look beyond the initial task, discover another useful topic and take on more responsibility. Openness to learning mattered especially because digital and AI topics changed quickly.

Forvis Mazars explained that an interview invitation already indicated that the recruitment and professional teams saw potential for the position. The conversation then helped them understand the person more fully.

Our synthesis is that potential is easier to assess through behaviour than a promise that you are a fast learner. Describe something you had to understand, how you approached it and what you could do afterwards. A modest example can still show a useful learning pattern.

How do you make your motivation credible?

Connect your interest to a responsibility or problem in the role.

Forvis Mazars's December 2025 recruiters wanted to know what in a vacancy had attracted the applicant. A repeated career history did not answer that question. They also explained that an interesting university course could help show why someone with little professional experience wanted to enter a field.

Henkel's November session encouraged applicants to connect experience to the company's current challenges. Its speakers acknowledged that a student's contribution might be small compared with a large company's projects. The useful step was finding the part of the challenge where the student's knowledge could connect.

EY Germany's women-in-tech recruiter said experience did not always have to come from the matching degree or the most obviously relevant internship. She needed to understand the connection and why the person wanted the new direction.

Write down the work you want to do, what made it interesting and which experience led you there. If the explanation works unchanged for any company and any department, add the detail that makes this choice yours.

Does a non-linear background count against you?

The recordings suggest that explaining the connection is more useful than trying to make every past step look identical.

EY Germany discussed applicants whose internships had been in other areas. Its recruiters suggested using the motivation explanation to show why the new field interested them and how they could fit. The women-in-tech session similarly described recognising a connection from different experiences.

Henkel's technology team said an IT-related role could be worth considering when someone had relevant knowledge and experience, even if they had not studied IT. The speakers also stressed that the skills and expertise required by the position still mattered.

A change of direction is therefore a question to explain, rather than something to conceal. What did your earlier experience help you understand? Why does the new role follow from it? Which part of your background transfers, and which part will you need to learn?

Avoid claiming that everything is transferable in exactly the same way. An honest distinction between existing capability and a learning goal gives the recruiter a clearer picture.

What evidence can you use if you have not had a professional job?

Studies and activities can show relevant work, provided you explain your contribution.

Henkel's November recruiters encouraged graduates with limited experience to highlight projects from their studies. Its September 2026 session used a student-organisation example to connect leadership experience with communication and presenting.

The speaker emphasised specific examples. Membership alone says little about what you did. Describing a presentation, a coordination task or a responsibility you held gives the reader something to assess.

EY Switzerland also encouraged candidates to relate university and previous experience to the role. Forvis Mazars described the connection between course interests and the wish to gain practical experience as useful context.

Before writing your application, list examples across your studies, work and activities. Under each, note the responsibility you personally took, the skill you used and what you learned. Then choose the examples that connect most closely to the vacancy. This is our preparation exercise, rather than a document recruiters require you to submit.

What does teamwork look like beyond saying “I am a team player”?

It involves how you coordinate and communicate with other people to get work done.

Henkel's technology speakers said their teams succeeded through collaboration and working hand in hand. They highlighted clear communication, including being able to explain what you wanted and expected. The interviewer also encouraged candidates to ask what a new position holder would be expected to do.

In Henkel's September session, individual contribution mattered. A group project's successful result did not automatically tell the recruiter which part belonged to the candidate.

Forvis Mazars likewise discussed exploring traits listed on a CV during the interview. If a candidate described independence or initiative, the interviewer could ask for more detail. A label becomes useful when the person can explain a real situation behind it.

Choose an example that includes other people and your own action. What needed coordinating? How did you communicate? What did you do when the group had different views or a problem? Keep the result accurate, including the limits of your responsibility.

Why do curiosity and adaptability matter in technology roles?

Because the subject, project and working environment can change around you.

Henkel's technology conversation explicitly connected flexibility to the speed of change in digital and AI work. The speakers wanted people who were eager to learn and open to new challenges, not simply familiar with one tool.

EY's women-in-tech session made a related point about long-term success in consulting. A speaker highlighted curiosity about topics, clients and colleagues, as well as resilience when a client, manager, project or subject changed.

That account was about adapting and developing in a changing environment. It should not be turned into a claim that a candidate needs to accept every demand without support. The useful evidence is how you respond to a change and keep learning.

You might discuss a project where the initial approach did not work, a tool you needed to learn or a new requirement that changed the plan. Explain the action you took and what it taught you. The relevance comes from the learning behaviour, not from making the story sound dramatic.

How much do grades matter to recruiters?

They can matter, but the speakers did not describe one universal threshold or weighting.

EY Germany's application session referred to the overall picture: experience, motivation and the ability to explain a match to the work sat alongside academic performance. Its recruiters also discussed applicants with strong grades but limited practical experience.

EY Switzerland said degree and experience were both useful data points for candidates entering with little professional experience. For someone further into a career, relevant professional exposure became more central. The role and stage changed the comparison.

Forvis Mazars's January recruiter explained that grades could provide an initial view of relevant knowledge in areas such as tax or accounting. The speaker contrasted this with an earlier industry role where motivation, knowledge and understanding of the business had mattered more than grades.

Avoid concluding either that grades decide everything or that nobody looks at them. Include the academic information requested by the vacancy and pair it with evidence of relevant capability. If a result is less strong, prepare a truthful explanation and show what else you bring.

Do you have to meet every requirement before applying?

Distinguish essential conditions from skills that can develop.

Henkel's November recruiters said candidates did not need to meet every listed requirement, while also acknowledging that some requirements were not optional. Its technology session discussed being open to relevant experience from a different educational path.

EY Switzerland likewise noted that some requirements, including languages for certain roles, were critical. A learning mindset does not automatically resolve a condition the team needs from the start.

Read the wording of the current vacancy carefully. Identify what is required, what is preferred and what you can support with examples. Where you are uncertain, ask a focused question about the actual condition instead of asking whether a recruiter will overlook all the gaps.

The decision to apply should be based on a credible match and a clear development path. Do not self-reject because your background is not a perfect replica of someone else's, but do not present missing essential skills as though they were already there.

What should LinkedIn add to your profile?

It can make your interests and experience visible, but it needs substance too.

Henkel's September 2026 speaker encouraged a personal voice and examples from classes, internships, events or development experiences. The aim was to explain something you had done or learned, rather than write in generic corporate jargon.

Its technology recruiter also asked LinkedIn applicants to describe their responsibilities clearly. A blank position entry did not help the team understand whether the experience related to the vacancy.

The connection across the sessions is clarity about your journey. Your profile, CV and interview should give compatible accounts of your experience and interests. They do not need identical wording, but you should be able to explain the facts in all of them.

Choose material that adds useful evidence. A concise description of a relevant project can say more than frequent posts repeating that you are passionate about innovation.

How can you tell whether the role fits you too?

Recruitment is a conversation about the work and the person, not only a test you must pass.

Henkel's September speaker asked students to identify their non-negotiables, including location preferences. Its technology conversation encouraged asking what the team expected of the person joining.

EY Switzerland framed honesty and authenticity as connected: candidates should understand what they bring, what they lack and why they want the team. An explanation that hides your actual priorities may make the conversation less useful for both sides.

Prepare a few questions about responsibilities, learning support and the way the team works. Listen to the answers and compare them with what you want to develop. A role can be attractive on paper and still be a poor match for your interests or practical circumstances.

Frequently asked questions about what recruiters want

Can I show potential without a matching internship?

Yes. Henkel and EY discussed examples from studies and different experience. Explain the connection to the work and your own contribution.

Is motivation enough if I lack an essential requirement?

Not necessarily. Henkel and EY distinguished development potential from conditions a role may require from the start. Check the vacancy.

Do recruiters care only about grades?

The speakers discussed grades alongside experience, knowledge and motivation. Their importance varied by role and career stage.

Should I hide the skills I still need to learn?

EY Switzerland encouraged graduates to recognise gaps and learning goals. Be accurate about your starting point and explain how you develop.

What makes a teamwork example useful?

Explain the shared task, your action and the outcome. Henkel emphasised personal contribution and clear communication rather than only a group result.

Must my career path look perfectly linear?

EY and Henkel described recognising connections from different backgrounds. Make the reasons and relevant skills understandable rather than disguising a change.

Explore CareerFairy Live Streams to hear what hiring teams need and decide which opportunities fit your interests.

Live Streams behind this guide

This article draws on the following CareerFairy recordings. Programme details and recruitment processes reflect the dates of the conversations.

• EY Germany: Bewerbertraining für deinen Berufseinstieg (2026-02-04)
• Henkel: Henkel wants you! And this is how you're guaranteed to stand out (2025-11-26)
• Henkel AG & Co. KGaA: Interviewing & LinkedIn Branding - Insights from Henkel (2026-09-14)
• EY Switzerland: Winning strategy in interviews with EY (2025-05-14)
• Henkel AG & Co. KGaA: Persil, Loctite & Schwarzkopf: When Tech meets Chemistry at Henkel (2026-02-09)
• EY Germany: Frauen in Tech: Karrierewege bei EY (2026-05-28)
• Forvis Mazars: 🚀 KI als euer Karriere-Booster: Einblicke & Bewerbungstipps von Forvis Mazars (2025-12-10)
• Forvis Mazars: Bewerbungstraining und Praxiswissen: Dein Karrierestart mit Forvis Mazars (2025-01-15)

Want to ask employers your own questions? Explore upcoming CareerFairy Live Streams to hear directly from recruiters and employees.