Do not prepare for job role, prepare to learn: Recruiters on what makes a graduate ‘job ready’

In a scenario where skills are getting obsolete by the time a student graduates, the focus should be on establishing expertise in a field and learning agility or art to adapt, say experts.

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Students often left confused over which skills to acquire. (Express photo by Sumit Malhotra/Representational image)

If you are working on a specific skill as a student and think that it will help you as a professional, chances are that your estimate will be wrong. Chances are, by the time you graduate, the particular skill might get obsolete. According to the Skill Confidence Report 2019, as many as 91 per cent of Indians think that the skill they are learning now will be out-of-date in next five years — which is the time by when a student attains his/her degrees. But this just not stop at apprehensions, neither it is a thing of future. According to the Future of Skills report 2019 by LinkedIn, 42 per cent of the core skills required for a job will change by 2020.

In such a scenario, what should a student stepping into a college learn, where should his or her focus be? Stating another LinkedIn report, Sameer Wadhawan, senior vice-president and head of human resources, Samsung stated that 57 per cent of senior leaders today find soft skills more important than hard skills.

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“For way too long, corporates have focused on hiring people basis the requirement of the role being offered, now there is a need to hire people who are open to befriending technology and not just one role,” said Wadhawan.

While he stated that the demand for data scientists and specialists across the areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics are growing, agility or ability to learn will eventually top all other skills. “Students need to be thorough with their subjects and come across as domain experts. The industry would eventually move towards a gig economy wherein candidates would be hired for their expertise. Hence, graduates need to withhold skills which help them stay relevant in the competitive environment. They should further focus on skills that can assist them in working with people from unorganised and diverse sectors,” he added.

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Mastercard which announced an investment of US$1 billion in India over the next five years, said that the firm will focus on people with skills in Big Data, Analytics and AI, skills from programming and coding to project management and seasoned technology leadership.

Sukanyya Misra, senior vice-president, India Technology Hub, Mastercard said mere functional skills will not help in making graduates employable. “Communication skills, networking and other inter-personal skills making it more vital than ever,” said Misra.

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Suggesting students on choosing their field wisely, she said, that the most neglected area is developing communication and business skills in addition to technical expertise. “Interact with more people, participate in inter-college or industry events and read on a variety of topics. This not only builds confidence but also offers a perspective that is much needed to grow,” she said.

India produces one of the largest pool of STEM graduates every year, still, the skill shortage in the STEM sector of the country has increased from 6 per cent to 12 per cent from 2014 to 2018. “The key is to enable students to move out of the classrooms and have some real work exposure right from the first semester,” added Misra.

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