The current situation in our country is very ironical where on one hand the newspapers are full with employment news, implying there are several organizations paying a good amount to attract the right talent. While on the other hand there is a large population of graduates who are still jobless. This is further enumerated by the fact that there are several recruitment agencies and manpower consultancies which are in operation and doing great business.

This situation is most likely caused by a huge skill gap between the qualified and the employable. The solution to this can probably be given more logically by breaking it down into different parts. The first part is to ‘just get a job’ and the second is to ‘get the right job’!

To ‘just get a job’ you need to have the requisite qualification and an attitude to work. The base minimum requirements of companies are very low for the low paying mass level of jobs in various sectors such as real estate, insurance, etc. where simple field calls need to be made mechanically. Manpower is quickly trained and deployed within a week’s time for such jobs. Such graduates with the passage of time learn from real life experiences and gradually grow up the corporate ladder.

The second part is to get a better job commensurate with the desired qualifications. This is where the right skill sets come in. The first and foremost is communication skills. One is always required to be fluent in the universal language English, however even an expertise in a local language, if so required can come handy at times. Next most important is the presentation skills which implies being able to collect data and put it in a logical manner along with concisely putting down thoughts, suggestions and recommendations that go along side. This is followed by domain skills such as that in Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, etc. which comes when a student not only learns the relevant concepts but also builds the acumen to apply the concepts logically to the real life situations. Proper administering of case studies, problem solving approach through live corporate projects, guided internships etc. are ways that help develop these skills.

Beyond these skills comes the creative part and an out of box thinking because unique results are only possible when things are done differently. This final part is based on the initiative of the student and comes from self-learning and experimentation catalyzed by a conducive and mentored environment. In the management field, this can be compared with entrepreneurship skills in which taking calculated risks is the crux of doing business effectively.

While all this sounds quite easy, only a few are able to take the right steps to change from ‘what they are’ to ‘what they want to be’ by analyzing the skill gaps, deciding the means to bridge them, creating the action plan for the same and the strictly implementing it. Moreover, there is hardly anyone who has actually gone through a process of systematic development and yet failed to achieve what they aimed for.