Bankers typically study finance, economics, math, or computer sciences. Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon looks for a surprising key skill that isn't specifically taught in any of those disciplines.

The new boss of Goldman Sachs, David Solomon, has the pick of the crop of fresh graduates: the U.S. investment banking giant is still a powerful draw for recruits on the job market. Goldman reportedly hires less than 2 percent of graduates who apply – many of them from science, technology, and engineering backgrounds.  

And yet even among the heaps of applications from Ivy League graduates with stellar marks in everything from finance to physics, Solomon said he is missing one key skill in new hires. «I'll tell you one that we're finding less and less inside the firm that I think is an important skill set...is an ability to write», Solomon said during an interview recently (see below).

Solomon, who graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in political science and government in 1984, has long espoused a liberal arts education for honing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Famous alumni of the Clinton, New York-based university include poet Ezra Pound and activist Bob Moses.

Emotional Intelligence

The 57-year-old CEO, known for hitting the turntable with electronic dance music, credits Hamilton for communication skills which he said heavily influenced his career success. He also argued that intelligence quotients may be overrated.

«There is a real emphasis when people are interviewing around academics and I.Q. I think it's way overweighted» Solomon told students. «There should be equal emphasis on E.Q. and how you interact with people, how you relate to people, and how you connect with people», he said, referring to emotional intelligence and empathy.

Though the world – and finance – are increasingly influenced by automation and technology, humans still create value in how they can marshal others behind them, Solomon said. «All of those are things in my experience here that had a meaningful impact on me and helped me along the way.»