In a competitive job market, a traditional university qualification that delivers technical knowledge, in itself, does not guarantee graduate employment (Crebert et al., 2004). This study aims to determine what personal characteristics, skills and attributes lead to successful employment after graduating from undergraduate/postgraduate programs in financial planning degrees across Australian financial institutions. The first survey identifies a number of skills that education providers can do more to develop, and that females may prefer roles with more responsibility and less technical knowledge. The inclusion debates, role plays, group work, developing business plans, mentor programs and internships can overcome many issues.