Purpose The purpose of this paper is to construct soft-skill indicators and measure their effects on graduates’ earnings using survey data from a sample of master’s degree graduates in France. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a quantile analysis to measure the effects of soft skills on income. Findings Certain soft skills explain a proportion of the earnings of recent master’s graduates. In particular, they influence the highest salaries and are important for the most highly skilled jobs. Research limitations/implications Most of these soft skills are measured using declarative responses and may result from the feeling of having skills rather than actually possessing the skill. Moreover, this paper only looks at graduates who are employed, and a deficit in soft skills may be more penalising for job seekers. Social implications While some young people take advantage of soft skills early and benefit from them in the labour market, it is likely that it is even more important for those less endowed with these skills to further develop them before entering the labour market. Originality/value This research illustrates the heterogeneous nature of the skills that young post-secondary graduates acquire. French diplomas do not seem to homogenise all of the skills that young people develop through their academic and professional experiences.

Employer's hiring behavior is changing and educational qualifications alone are not enough to explain hiring of graduates. In France, more and more young people drop out and return to full-time study. Therefore, they gain different life experiences outside the sphere of work: travel abroad, period of employment, civic services, etc. Yet, there was little research on this topic in France. This study explores the relationship between atypical schooling pathways and labour market entry from the perspective of employers. On the basis of vignette study, we stimulated a hiring process with a sample of recruiters. A study delay (Master level) was a negative brand in applicants' resumes if experiences during schooling interruptions are not specify.

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En France, les reprises d’études sont de moins en moins rares. La question de la poursuite d’études comme alternative à l’entrée sur le marché du travail se pose puisqu’elle représente un coût pour les individus. Si certaines études ont tenté d’évaluer l’impact du retour en formation longue sur la situation professionnelle, il serait intéressant de s’interroger sur sa rentabilité en termes de revenus. Nous mettons en évidence la difficulté de mesurer l’écart de salaires entre les parcours linéaires et les reprises d’études. Au premier abord, la reprise d’études semble avoir un impact positif sur les salaires. Cependant, en comparant la valeur des niveaux de diplôme dans deux groupes distincts, nous observons que les diplômes obtenus après un parcours non linéaire peuvent avoir une valeur près de trois fois moins élevée en termes de salaire. Les « repreneurs » semblent en fait avoir un profil avantageux, en dehors de leur niveau d’études, qu’ils peuvent valoriser sur le marché du travail. Il est possible qu’ils valorisent d’autres compétences moins académiques telles qu’une forte persévérance au travail. De plus, l’expérience récente acquise pendant une interruption d’études pourrait être davantage valorisée par les employeurs que celle acquise en formation par les jeunes au parcours linéaire.