Get a job before you complete graduation

Let's discuss and reiterate the facts about Education & Employment in our country. India is blessed with the second largest working population in the world after China. It is estimated that by 2022, 63 per cent of our population will be in the working age group.

Our nation is poised to become the world's youngest country by 2020, with an average age of 29 years. Coinciding with that event, India will account for 28 per cent of the world's workforce, according to an E&Y- FICCI report. Based on some credible surveys, the following are the statistics of job market,

• The third edition of the National Employability Report, Engineering Graduates - 2014, released by a private employability solutions company, revealed that though 18.33 per cent of the engineers are employable, only 18.09 per cent actually get a job.

• A similar report on MBAs (2012) informs that employability of management graduates in functional domains remains below 10 per cent. Whereas one third of management graduates lose out because of lack of English and Cognitive skills, at least half the students are not employable in functional domains for lack of knowledge and conceptual understanding of the domain.

• Besides these, the following are the crucial factors to be taken care of:

• The curriculum in most cases is out-dated;

• Less scope for learning; the academics are mostly examination oriented;

• Focus more on vocational training to impart skill is required;

• Faculty positions are vacant or industry experts do not join institutions;

• Only Tier 1 colleges’ are preferred choice for corporate companies; Tier 2&3 colleges are neglected...

So, what can you do for yourself?

You cannot change the education system altogether but you can focus on your career at least. Follow these tips to boost your chances of making yourself employable before you come out of your academics...

• Do not think of getting a job in ‘somehow, somewhere’ approach. Have clarity about yourself; consider where your interest lies.

• Prepare a CV even though you're not ready for any job.

• If you like any company, see if there's any contact person who can give you information about relevant opportunities.

• Do not keep awkward content in your social media profiles, clean up and make sure it showcases your talent.

• Be open to work for free during internship and focus on the learning aspect.

• Reach out to people relevant to your interests/industry and build network.

• Observe those who are a step ahead of you, and learn from their moves.

• Gain more marketable skills through internship especially when you're in final year of college.

• You can attend interviews to understand the employer's expectation.

• At the end of any informational interview, make sure to ask if you could learn more about the industry. This creates new leads.

• Participate in college, university level competitions.

• Form a team of people to work on a real time project and seek expert’s guidance.

• Connect to people of different backgrounds through social media, events, workshops and find out if anything interests you.

• Follow the web & social media to know the latest trends across the globe.

As someone said, excellence is not a destination; it's a continuous process for your own betterment and that of your society.

By: Kamal Pabba