It is often misunderstood that college is just about academics, however, it can give you experiences and skills that you will cherish for the rest of your life. The extracurricular activities and society or club experiences college has to offer gives students the opportunity to explore their interests, gain valuable skills, and form lasting friendships. Recently I had the opportunity to be a part of the annual cultural festival of my college. Being a part of the core organizing committee, I gained experience and skills that would come in handy in both, my personal and professional life. These activities contribute to boosting one’s self-confidence and overall personal development.
I have heard so many people talk about how you should just focus on academics because that will give you a job in the future, which is very true, academics play an extremely important role in deciding how your future life would look like, but what about when you get the job? Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation introduced a concept called “Buniyadi Siksha” almost 85 years ago, which is based on wholistic and collective life development of life. it is a beautiful concept that focuses on skill development and not just passing classes. I believe it is extremely important to focus on our skills, which can not be taught in a particular class. They are something you have to gain on your own while exploring.
Nowadays, more than ever, employers are looking for candidates who are ‘work ready’ and poised to leap into a business. From experience, the most successful graduates at finding employment are those who possess ‘soft skills’ such as good communication, confidence, and adaptability to underpin academic or vocational qualifications. The job market is full of students with exemplary grades, for one available post, there are many candidates who have the same grades, and here comes the value of soft skills: they set you apart from the crowd.
Most universities offer various clubs and societies which will help you develop these skills. Other than college, there are various courses and internships which can be useful for gaining life skills which will make you stand out from the other candidates who are applying for the same position or seat. Your proficiency in soft skills like adaptability, assertiveness, tenacity, and hard skills like Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Canva are the ones that employers are looking for these days. If you are proficient at these skills, it might give you an edge over all the other candidates who are not, irrespective of their grades.
Reed Graduates regularly runs ‘blind’ assessment centers where candidates’ qualifications are not disclosed to the employer until after the interview, meaning candidates are judged purely on their performance in the tasks set throughout the assessment. Employers often select people they wouldn’t have even considered in a traditional recruitment process due to their academic background. Using this format, it is often found that those with well-developed people and communication skills stand an excellent chance of success. Over the past ten years or so, management styles have gradually changed. Especially in knowledge-based industries where innovative problem solving and abstract thought are essential, the numbers-driven, autocratic leader is slowly fading away, making room for those with emotional intelligence, compassion, and trust in their teams.
Learning these skills in college gives you an advantage, as the earlier you learn, the better. There are plenty of courses online which help you gain both soft as well as hard skills. Nowadays, it is extremely important to have knowledge in diverse fields. Thus, I believe that one should not stay in the limits of their major or minor course, we should also focus on wholistic development.