How crucial are extra-curricular activities to a student’s overall development?

Research shows that having an impressive academic track record might not be enough to secure a job after graduation. Employers today believe that a degree alone is not indicative of a well-rounded graduate. According to most corporate recruiters, a University should be seen as an overall transformative experience rather than focusing just on academics. So, what else can help?

 

70% of businesses believe extra-curricular activities make job-seeking college graduates stand out from the crowd (Source: Prospects, UK). Extra-curricular activities play a vital role in developing and harnessing essential skills in students. Here are some ways that doing activities outside your academics can help you!

 

• Time management: As a working professional, you will be expected to get a variety of stuff done every single day. These tasks may include meeting work-related deadlines, doctors appointments and other personal work too. They will require task prioritization, organisational ability and multi-tasking. Most clubs and societies on campus require you to stay back after college and take out additional time for the activity. It requires you to balance your energy and ensure it doesn’t hamper your academic performance. Given peer pressure, you also need to ensure that the tasks assigned to you are done on time. This is a great way to start learning how to manage multiple tasks and still keep your grades intact. Employers are impressed when they see that a student has not only done well in their academics but also had the bandwidth to make a mark elsewhere. It also shows that the person isn’t boring or unidimensional and can make time for their interests and passions!

 

• Positivity and initiative: The highly competitive and ever-evolving job market requires the candidate to grasp things quickly and always have a positive attitude toward work. This can be inculcated by participating in extracurricular activities at college. For example, organising a college festival might require you to look for sponsorships, which might not be always be smooth sailing. Sometimes events go well, at other time the turn-out isn’t so great. As the organizer, you need to keep your chin up at all times! Additionally, since students are the governing body at such college societies and festivals, they need to be self-starters. There is no-one to spoon feed them how to do each task. They have to take initiative and figure out everything themselves – from the planning to the execution. This ability to learn quickly and take initiative is much appreciated in the work world.

 

• Leadership and team-work: Extracurricular activities provide a platform to students to build leadership qualities by taking up responsibilities. Most such activities require students to work in teams and delegate work to one another, thus inculcating the very important skill of how to get your work done. Since most college positions are unpaid, there is a lack of proper hierarchy in college student bodies. As a result of this, getting your work done is an art in itself! You need to learn how to function in teams more effectively and extracurricular activities help you achieve that.

Employers are looking for potential employees who are great communicators, can think outside the box and are able to perform well under pressure. All you need to do is demonstrate to them why you’re that person. Extra-curricular activities are a good way to go about it since they help in the overall development of a student. They play a significant role in creating a bridge-to-career and help you stand apart from the crowd when applying for jobs! 

Link to the published article: http://bit.ly/2dlGTfN

Introspection is critical to select your specialization

After finishing with the class XII Board examinations, or your college degree, students in India and their parents spend a significant amount of time deciding which stream they want to pursue further. After speaking to several such students and their parents, I realized that we tend to spend a lot of time taking advice and doing research. However, the choice is more personal than anything else.

 

Instead of agonizing over what is the “right” choice, it’s more important to reflect on who you are, and what you want from life! First, focus on the following 3 things. The choices will follow.

1. Self Awareness: 

Take the time to think about what your interests are. Which subjects do you truly enjoy studying? What do you like to read about in your free time? What kinds of people do you admire and what news do you actively try to keep up with? Any path requires hard-work, so if you enjoy the subject you are more likely to put in the hours. What are your strengths? What comes naturally to you? It’s a competitive world, so you want to be good at the stream you pick.

Now think of the intersection between your interests and your strengths and look for streams accordingly! For this, you need to believe that there is something that you truly love doing and you will find it.

 

For example, if you are passionate about music but cannot sing, it’s probably not a good choice. If you are excited about numbers and are also a math whiz, that makes sense for you!

 

2. Life vision:Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? Identify your end goal and work backwards. Your degree should only be an enabler in helping you meet your larger goal. It’s not an end in itself. If your parents have a vision for you, understand their perspective and see whether you are aligned with them. If not, work to convince them because their support will make you more confident and happier about your choices.

 

3. Bridge to Career: If you are picking something specific to study like a Masters in English or a Graduate Degree in Physics, find out what the career prospects are before getting into the program. Understand which companies  hire candidates from those streams on a regular basis and see if you are interested in those kinds of jobs. This is important especially to avoid herd mentality. People tend to follow either their friends, their older siblings and cousins, or their parents and often overlook the reality of what jobs are actually going to be available if they pick a certain stream.

 

Ultimately you have to live with the choices you make. Getting into any program be it Engineering or an MBA program is one thing, fitting in to that program is another. So don’t give in to pressure to pursue something if you aren’t convinced it is right for you. Stay true to yourself and find what you love! There is something out there for everyone.

 

Link to the published article: http://bit.ly/2d7faUc

 

 

Dainik Bhaskar weekly: Does ‘will’ matter more than ‘skill’ at your first job?

 

While the perception is that people are hired for their skills, their ‘will’ once they join actually differentiates one newbie from another! Based on conversations with ~200 managers over the past 2 years, we have found that there are several aspects that matter to them when someone new joins! Here are some tips to keep in mind as you enter the work world, whether it is your first internship, or your first job.

 

1) Be open-minded and flexible

 

Irrespective of the role that you were hired for, as a fresher, all sorts of tasks will be put on your plate. Be open to all kinds of work, no matter how big or small. By being flexible, several freshers found their true calling – you may think you are the right fit for analytics, but might enjoy more creative work that is given to you! It is only when you try out different types of work and experience different projects that you will recognize where you are truly happy. Additionally, being positive to take on work helps you build your reputation as a good team-player and employee. How your colleagues perceive you is important because most jobs require you to be working on various projects in teams.

 

2) Ask for feedback and approval

 

Every week, reach out to your manager for feedback on your performance. How are you doing? Is it as expected? What more can you do to improve? Try and understand the kind of person your manager is and how he or she is reacting to your work. Understand their working style and adjust to it.

 

During a feedback session, your manager will highlight areas you are doing well, as well as areas you need to work on. Take the feedback as a gift. Do not argue or get defensive. If appropriate, you can ask clarifying questions but keep your tone calm and positive. Don’t take things personally. Feedback is critical to improving performance, because since it’s your first time doing many things there is no way you will be perfect!

 

Before you roll out anything, especially to external customers or clients, make sure to get your manager’s approval. It’s better to check-in with him or her on a daily basis (both morning and evening) to ensure both of you are on the same page. At the beginning of every project, create an execution plan and run it by your manager to ensure the timelines and deadlines are also aligned!

 

3) Seek out mentors

Learning from others in your career is of immense importance and value. A mentor can guide and help you excel at your first job. Seek out someone either within or outside your company who is well-respected and someone you can connect with. You can have multiple informal mentors if your company doesn’t have a formal mentorship program. They can be across ages (either recent graduates who have been in your shoes or older, more experienced corporate professionals). Both kinds of mentors can add value in their own way. Seek out a conversation at least quarterly with this person and share any questions or concerns with them!

 

4) Be willing to work hard

“The harder I work, the luckier I get.” – Thomas Jefferson

Hard work and humility are critical as you enter the workforce. The ability to recognize that you don’t know everything (which is why you have a manager!) is important. Taking the time to understand what is required and then putting in the hours to complete your tasks are critical. Initially, you might be expected to stay late, work on the weekends, and be the first person entering office. These are all part and parcel of being in your first job at several organizations. Don’t get intimidated by the time commitment – you will slowly adjust to it! If you find that you cannot manage your work hours after a few years of trying, you can always switch to a company with lower expectations. However, your commitment and your rewards / recognition are usually linked so keep that in mind as you think about how much time you want to put in!

Remember that your first job isn’t going to be easy. Ups and downs will be part of the journey. Don’t get emotional and involved with company politics. Find activities and friends outside work that help you manage your stress. This will bring you the required positive energy to do a fantastic job!

Link to the published article: http://bit.ly/2cxkPkU

 

 

How to prepare for your first job interview?

On average, every corporate job opening attracts 250 resumes*! In a scenario so competitive, applicants should be aware of what is required of them on their first interview or job.

Research with 400+ college students from the top 50 colleges in India shows that the following steps make a huge difference in acing your interview:

1) Preparation can go a long way in acing an interview.

• Background Research and pre-work: Ensure that you research the company well before you sit for the interview. What position you are applying for? This will help you in answering smartly in the interview and also asking relevant questions at the end of the interview. There are certain questions that you can prepare beforehand, such as: Tell me about yourself, Why should we hire you, What is your 3-5 year plan going forward, what are some of your leadership experiences at school or college, Tell me about yourself and what is the most challenging situation you’ve faced.
• Practice makes perfect: Make sure you practice some basic questions with a friend or in front of a mirror before you go for the interview. This will improve your knowledge and  your confidence. Prepare your resume, carry it for the interview and practice going over all the points on it.

2) On the day of the interview, how you present yourself is 55% of your first impression!

• Dress Sense: Unfortunately, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Ensuring that you are dressed appropriately is a good start to making a lasting first impression at an interview. Make sure you are in proper business attire and know the difference between Business casuals and Business formals. We recently had a student interview with a large business conglomerate at Talerang and he was rejected because he was in jeans and looked too casual for the interview!
• Punctuality: This is the most important aspect. One should always be on time. Make it a point to reach at least 15-20 minutes before the time of your interview.
• Body language: Introduce yourself, speak clearly and confidently, a firm handshake with the interviewer and most importantly, eye contact. This reveals a lot about you. The way you carry yourself is the key to be remembered at an interview. Never forget to smile. Keep your body calm and mind too. Your body language should reflect your inner qualities. Smile, shake hands and thank the interviewer for spending their precious time.

3) Next steps from the interview:

Send a thank-you mail to your interviewer expressing your interest in the job.

Ankit Samdariya, VP at Xander group says, “Preparedness is one of the major factors that I look at while interviewing students. If you’re going in for an interview, make it a point to look up your interviewer on LinkedIn, have 2-3 intelligent questions prepared, present yourself well, exuberate confidence and you should be good to go!”

Pooja Aggarwal, Deputy General Manager at Aditya Birla Group says, “It’s extremely important to know yourself very well; your biggest areas of strength and how it will help the company. Ensure your basics are strong, they will help you throughout your life!”

A ‘first interview’, is like scaling a mountain. It seems difficult because you don’t know what’s on the other side. It’s scary at first, but with preparation and practice you can reach the top!

*As cited by Glassdoor for employers

Link to the published article: http://bit.ly/2c9lh7m