His reply was that knowledge was important and he could find plenty of those who had the requisite knowledge he needed but he would like to see people who didn’t stop when faced with an obstacle but rather tried to strategize other ways of doing things, to problem solve. He wanted people who worked well with deadlines and were able to break down the steps to complete a project on time. He also wanted people who could work together as a team.
And, as the employers who called my college have shown, someone who can write reasonably well.
And listen. Actually listen. And hear what the other person said. And understand it. And remember it.