Sudershan Kumar
The list of desirable traits for employment is long but not endless. We have to empower our young aspirants with the right skills right through their education so that they become job-ready from day one. Here’s my list of skills to make graduates work-ready.
Teamwork: Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. The need to work within a team and becoming a part of it is important for any fresh talent getting into an entry-level job. It is a ‘must’ skill to have in today’s work environment where large projects are often executed by teams spread across the world. Individualism can easily derail a well-oiled project team.
Clear communication: Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose. Each fresh talent should be equipped with communication skills. Since teams are scattered all over the world, knowledge of English as the common language of communication is a must. Moreover, talents should know how to communicate on multiple platforms like email, video conference, telephone and face-to-face discussions. Inability to understand instructions is a negative that will ensure that the candidate never gets to work with national/international teams.
Analytical skills: Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect and analyze information, problem-solve, and make decisions. Employees who possess these skills can help solve a company’s problems and improve its overall productivity and success. In a global work environment, this is one skill that goes a long way in establishing an individual’s talent. With inputs pouring in from all over and at a fast pace, there is no one available to decode and explain each new instruction. People need to have the ability to analyse and work out complex problems on their own. There are no textbook problems or solutions in the real world.
Adaptability and positive attitude: Adaptability in the workplace means being flexible and able to change in order to become successful. Change is the norm especially in high-end industries, such as media, medicine, telecommunication and information technology. New information pours in every day and there are no fixed models of doing a job. When changes come, they have to be incorporated. There is no place for a laid-back person or one who gets jittery or irritated by change. Fresh talent should be open to the idea that work is never executed like it was taught in schools-there is always room for improvisation.
Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking: Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. It is characterised by the ability to perceive the things in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. Creativity is rated highly in any industry today. There are big prizes for individuals who can think differently. We need to urge our youngsters to never lose the creative edge if they want to stay ahead.
Taking the lead: Leadership is the ability of an individual to guide and motivate otherr members of an organization, society or team to work towards achieving a goal. Leadership skills are highly rated in individuals. A person with leadership skills will not just get a job done but also pull the team to a photo-finish by motivating and supporting them throughout.
Computer proficiency: Having a basic knowledge of computer and computer applications is a must for any aspirant to join a suitable job. Apart from that, having awareness of various applications, terminologies, shortcuts and software is a must. This is a given though many talents are often not comfortable with computers. Every aspirant for any job today should know basic computer skills such as operating emails, making presentations and using Word and Excel, apart from being Internet savvy. Almost all jobs mandate this.
Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at work, and achieve your career and personal goals. Many youngsters do not understand when they are being steered and end up assuming it to be a reprimand. Many, especially those working for service-oriented sectors, do not realise that a customer’s anger is on a product or service and not on the individual. They crumple at the first tick and crash out fast. Emotional intelligence is a very important life skill that every new talent should acquire and apply to be able to flourish.
Negotiation skills: Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of difference and gain an advantage for an individual or a company. We negotiate on a daily basis – with friends, family, landlords, car sellers and employers, among others. Negotiation is also the key to business success. No business can survive without profitable contracts. The power of negotiation is a very strong tool that empowers an individual when working with people at various levels. Whether handling clients, customers, bosses or team members, the ability to negotiate helps a young talent to maintain a level playing field at work.
People management: We all know the quote, ‘Individuals don’t leave organisations, they leave their bosses’. Not just bosses, fellow team members who don’t see eye to eye often get on each other’s nerves. People management skills allow young talents to co-exist in highly competitive work environments that tend to become taxing if they don’t know how to make friends and influence people.
Time management: Time management means working efficiently. It is the process of prioritizing, planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific activities. Good time management enables an individual to complete more in a shorter period of time, lowers stress, and leads to career success. Companies in every industry look for employees that can make the most of the time available to them on the job. you can manage your time well, you may find it easier to be more productive and more likely to finish your projects by the deadline. Developing time management skills will help you focus on time-sensitive tasks and reduce wasted time.
Continuous learning: The days of getting a job and simply punching in and punching out are over. If you want to get ahead, you need to embrace continuous learning. By improving your work-related skill set, whether it’s soft skills or hard skills, you boost your chances of improving your career trajectory.
Employers love to hear that candidates enjoy learning, because it’s necessary in a business world where change and growth are happening at remarkable speed. Those who don’t embrace learning new things will be left behind simply because they lack the important job skills employers need.
The list of desirable traits is long but not endless. We have to enable our young aspirants with these basic skills right through their education so that they become job-ready from day one. As the world gets ready to shift to artificial intelligence, we should not only insist on changes in the delivery methods but a thorough upgrading of the syllabus. As leaders of the skill development industry, it is our duty to keep our ears to the ground and ensure that we don’t miss a beat.
(The author is Director Skill Development Department, Jammu & Kashmir.)
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