The time of graduation is coming around soon and students such as you will be excited to get into exciting careers. But take some time to introspect on a few factors. Have you decided what you want to do? Have you planned if this is meant to be a long-term career or it is something that you wish for the time being? More importantly, do you have the skills and/or abilities for that line of career? The subjects or disciplines you learnt in college are simply the sharing of knowledge. In other words, you learn what to do in educational institutions, but do you know how to do the same in real-world? Moreover, there is a huge difference between practising what you learnt in college through projects or theses, and applying them in the world among many others. An issue here is that students are mainly being assessed on lower-level thinking skills such as memorization and recall. Normal question types of multiple choices, as well as short answers and matching questions continue to rely on core models of assessment. In your educational institution, your teachers/professors along with other mentors are there to correct you whenever you go wrong. But in your careers, you may not get a second chance. Competition is very high and recent impacts on the economy as a result of the pandemic will put you among many others at the bottom of the pyramid. There are fewer chances that prospective employers will spot you and be impressed. Let us get straight to the point of this discussion. Technical skills are even now highly regarded by employers. However, there also are other skills which are in demand. These important skills can be obtained with engagagements outside the four walls of a classroom. Examples are welcoming leadership roles in various organizations that may be on and/or off campus. In addition, there can be instances such as taking part in internship programs and making presentations at conferences. They are known as soft skills Examples are communication, teamwork, problem solving, and leadership qualities. In addition, an important skill that several people need is the ability to research, analyze and then implement well. This article from MindCues gives more details on the skills that need to be developed and mastered for better prospective in your career. The elements provided through skill-building sessions and skill-building guides are:

• Adaptive Thinking -

  Technology and the approach to work are rapidly changing. More AI and data engineering are sneaking their ways to every profession. Also, new versions of software and technology as a whole are released almost every day. By the time employees learn the newest software or program, a better version is coming about. Prospective employers are on the lookout for employees who will continuously adapt to changing conditions as well as be able to learn new things quickly and efficiently. Hence, an important skill that you must have for a good career is the ability to learn and relearn.

• Communication Skills -

  This has been given emphasis all throughout the years and will continue to be one of the top skills that is required for any branch of career. It must be observed that communication is no longer limited to only direct-interaction with other team members and clients. Communication can also be through emails, phone calls, video-conferencing, and more. Prospective employers will need people who can communicate within the team, as well as people outside of the team and organization. Hence, skill building measures must be adopted and perhaps skill guidance sessions must be attended to completely keep your prepared.

• Collaboration Skills -

  There will be many departments in a company and perhaps many members in a single team. The perfect employee will know how to collaborate as well as coordinate his or her work processes with others. This is because a company is a team and not a single person. Hence, future employers will seek candidates who can quickly get used to a company culture of collaboration. Employees will be required to collaborate with internal as well as external members using several new techniques.

• Problem Solving Skills -

  Employees must focus on critical thinking to solve problems instead of simply following directions. In a rapidly changing world, employers need employees who can solve problems, offer suggestions that can improve business strategies. For instance, there could be several challenges in a normal line of business. These could include tight-schedules, lack of resources and several difficult-to reach requirements from customers. A good employee will possess great problem-solving skills.

• Time Management Skills -

  An employee may have several tasks to do in his or her own line of work. This may also include understanding client requirements and communicating with the client continuously. Take a software developer for example. He/she has to analyze client requirements, conduct research on the latest trends along with technologies, coordinate with other team members as mentioned earlier, conduct software development, and then make modifications based on quality analysis. These were just samples of what a software developer would have to do in daily schedules. There could be more. And all has to be finished within a working day. Employers require candidates who can manage their time productively and effectively.

• Technological Skills -

  We must acknowledge it. Technology is involved in every part of our lives. Hence, employers will give preference to candidates with basic technical skills. These include knowledge of Microsoft Office as well as some coding skills. Schools, however, have been slow to adapt to this change. Rarely are students required or taught to learn technology efficiently. This needs to be emphasized.

MindsCue can help you here. We are an online employment consultancy run by a team of subject matter experts in Hyderabad with the core objective of cultivating better workers among graduates and working professionals. We do this by offering career counselling guidance through online/hybrid sessions, documents prepared by experienced people in the field giving career guidance, skill building, and technical training sessions among others. We recognize that human potential is a complex subject which needs intense exploration through scientific methods. MindsCue can give you that. Reach out to us to have further discussions.