If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. —Milton Berle
‘Employability’ has become a buzzword in today’s VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world. Be it Engineering, Management, Humanities or any other field, being an employable candidate is a requisite now. Having sound theoretical knowledge is not sufficient these days. The era of disruptive technology and industry 4.0 has posed a new set of challenges for students. Information can be accessed by almost anyone, anywhere, at any time. This means that a mere pool of knowledge is no longer enough to transform a fresh graduate into an effective employee; rather it is the application of this knowledge, through carefully crafted employable skills, that distinguishes graduate from other prospective candidates of the information age. To be precise, employers in the industry 4.0 are looking for an employable person with a broader skill-set. Apart from core skills, there is also a dire need of employability skills to keep pace with the global competition.
A pertinent question arises, are we catering to employability skills?
Employability skills are otherwise known as life skills or job-readiness skills. Robinson (2000) points that employability skills are those basic skills which are necessary for getting, keeping and doing well on a job and they can be divided into three categories: Basic Academic Skills, Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Personal Qualities. Recruiters today are keen on finding employees who not only have core academic skills, but also critical thinking skills, decision making and problem solving skills, self management abilities. As for Zinser (2003), employability skills include areas such as managing resources, communication and interpersonal skills, team work and problem-solving and acquiring and retaining a job. Employability skills can also be defined as a set of achievements, understandings and personal attributes that makes individuals more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations (ESECT, 2004).
In order to stay relevant and improve their efficiency, students should focus honing their employability skills. This article throws light on various employability skills that are much in demand in today’s workplace.
- Self-management is considered to be a must-have for graduates. Managing self can help one become more productive and responsible. When we are able to regulate and control our actions, feelings, and thought, we become more reliable, focused and dependable. Those without these skills may be unpredictable, which can make an employer perplexed. Self management also shows a strong emotional intelligence.
- Resilience has become a requisite skill in this New Normal. It means having the ability to overcome stress, having the ability to face challenges head on. Failure and stress being a part of life, it is now important that how we are coping with stress, bounce back with the same zeal. Moreover, in a pandemic era, recruiters hunt for a person with an ability to face unprecedented challenges and ability to overcome barriers in the workplace as they rise. Resilience helps one to stay grounded, become adaptable.
- Accountability is another key skill employer needs to see in every candidate. By being accountable, one can win employer’s attention and trust. When one is accountable for his/her own decisions, work, and results,the effectiveness of an organization can greatly increase. Today’s employer looks for honest, reliable and accountable candidate.
However, most of our graduates fail to pay attention to these highly required skills. To be precise, they don’t see the connection on what they do in class with the real job world that they will venture into later. Keeping this in view, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad has been hitting the right chord with its Employability Enhancement Program( EEP). EEP ensures that students are well-equipped with employability skills in order to further succeed in their job field. The tremendous intellectual pool of our faculty members combined with continuous hands on experience provides the students a solid platform to launch them dive deeper in the management horizon. Students here receive a life-turning and enriching experience while attending various skillfully designed activities.
Dr. Devi Archana Mohanty
Assistant Professor
