PSET-1 EMPLOYERS EXPECTATIONS FROM A FRESH ENGINEERING GRADUATE

As per a published report, with over 300 universities and 15,600 colleges in India, spewing out 2.5 million graduates each year, in terms of the volume of production, India trails behind only the US and recently China. Figures of 2006 suggest that each year India produces 350,000 engineers, twice the number produced by the US and these figures could have only grown further in last 5-6 years. On the other hand, according to a NASSCOM-McKinsey report, the Indian industry will face its biggest challenge ever- a talent shortage of 3.1 million knowledge workers, across industry, compounded by the fact that only 25 per cent of fresh engineers; and a mere 10% of fresh graduates are actually employable. Notwithstanding these statistics, one cannot stress enough on the importance of employers to cherry pick the best fresh graduates from colleges across India. Although the expectations of the prospective employers differ for professional skills across economic sectors, company sizes and regions, the process of selection are varied- based on factors like demand, criticality of role and domain of industry. So how would one select the right candidate from a big pool within the given time-slot? This brings us to the question of what are the skills employers need to check out, in their quest for the right candidate. Based on a research conducted by World Bank, the skills which Indian employers demand from engineering graduates could be categorized into three factors: 1. Communication Skills 2. Professional Skills 3. Core Employability Skills Of the 3 above, though Core Employability Skills are the most important, Communication Skills are the ones which can be measured relatively easily, followed by Professional Skills, during an interview. 1. Communication Skills: These include (in English): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Written Communication Reading Listening and comprehension Experiments/data analysis and interpretation Verbal Communication

Unlike a country like China, India has been pre-dominantly a service sector industry which underscores the importance of good communication with the majority of our customers. These skills usually get displayed during an interview conversation, but the focus is on gauging how the candidate converses and conveys his views across to the listener.

2. Professional Skills: These include various shades of academic skills: 1. Academic Knowledge 2. Use of modern tools 3. Creativity 4. Problem solving 5. Customization to suit a clients needs 6. Contemporary issues appreciation 7. Customer Service Some of these skills get captured during the written tests, and then during a face-to-face interview. The project work usually says a lot about the candidates capability and knowledge on the subject. A good interviewer can always make out if the project work is genuine and the emphasis is to find out the level of effort put, creativity, ability to deal with issues and sensitivity to the needs of the subject. 3. Core Employability Skills: These include the following factors: 1. Integrity 2. Reliability 3. Teamwork 4. Willingness to learn 5. Entrepreneurship 6. Self-discipline 7. Self-motivation 8. Flexibility 9. Empathy These skills are not occupation specific, but cut across occupations. Some studies refer to this set of skills as generic, catalytic, core and/or employability skills. These skills more define a person rather than his or her academic knowledge. It is relatively challenging to measure these skills in a candidate within a short time, but face to face interview conversations do reveal and help uncover these skills. A small example of a candidate not coming on time can question his/her Reliability or Self-discipline. But more queries on a candidates past history and his/her views on the current and future plans does help in making a good perception. From an employers perspective- Attitude, Aptitude and Adaptability differentiate the best from the average. The graduates need to understand that these are not difficult to evaluate though written tests /case studies or personal interviews and hence cannot be faked.

PSET-2 Some Dos and Donts for Fresh Graduates

1. He/she should be aware of the fact that college is over! The Corporate world is a different ball game and he/she needs to be prepared for the big change! 2. Domain knowledge is a given-which means that it is expected that the graduate will have good technical grounding in his subject. Hence this needs to be brushed up before the test/interview. 3. Try to find out from seniors/faculty/contacts about the hierarchy and work ethics of the organization he/she is expected to join. 4. Some other traits/qualities that fresh graduates are expected to display: (The items listed below are not in any order of preference but in the order that people will probably notice a new persons attributes over time. For example, the first thing that sticks out about someone is his/hers being on time, being well turned-out etc.) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24) 25) 26) 27) 28) 29) Be neat and tidy in appearance, without being flashy. Display a positive attitude. Be energetic. Follow instructions. Be able to read and understand written information. Have good listening skills. Maintain clean and healthy habits at work. Know how to use basic work materials and equipment. Be organized. Take initiative. Have some self-knowledge about personal (not professional - that comes later in life!) strengths and weaknesses. Be willing to learn from others. Be willing to help others without impacting your own deliveries. Be willing to admit a lack of knowledge. Be willing to admit mistakes. Communicate effectively both in speech and in writing. Be culturally sensitive. Be dependable in a clearly operational sense. Enjoy sports or some form of exercise. Be a "team player". Have basic arithmetic, writing, speaking and comprehension skills. Have good problem-solving skills. Work hard AND work smart. Have a willingness to use tools. Be curious and interested, in a professional sense. Be creative. Work without close supervision. Work well under pressure. Be loyal to the organization.

PSET-3 8 SETS OF SKILLS REQUIRED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT WORK:

1. Communication

Speaking clearly & directly Listening, understanding and negotiating Reading independently Use empathy to understand the needs of customers Persuading effectively Using numbers effectively Being assertive Sharing information

2. Teamwork

Working with people of different ages, gender, race, religion, political persuasion Working as an individual and as a member of a team Knowing where you fit as part of a team Applying teamwork skills to a range of situations Looking for strengths in team members Coaching and helping a team member Giving feedback Appreciating other team members

3. Problem Solving

Developing creative, new and interesting solutions Developing practical solutions Showing independence and initiative in solving problems Solving problems in teams Looking at different ways to solve problems Using mathematics including budgeting and financial management to solve problems Applying problem-solving strategies across a range of areas Resolving customer concerns

4. Initiative & Enterprise

Adapting to new situations Developing a strategic, creative, long-term vision 4

Being creative Identifying opportunities not obvious to others Turning ideas into action Coming up with a range of options Coming up with innovative (new and bright) solutions to problems Looking for things that need to be done

5. Technology

Having a range of basic IT skills Applying IT as a management tool Using IT to organize information Being willing to learn new IT skills Having an understanding of Occupational Health &Safety Having the appropriate physical capacity Keeping up to date with new IT information Ability to share IT knowledge with others

6. Self Management

Having a personal vision Having a personal goal Evaluating your own performance Accepting ideas from others about your performance Monitoring your own performance Having knowledge and confidence in your own ideas and vision Articulating (speaking about) your own ideas and vision Taking responsibility

7. Learning

Managing own learning Contributing to the learning community in the workplace Using a range of different ways to learn eg. mentoring, peer support. Having enthusiasm for ongoing learning Being willing to learn in any setting - on and off the job Being open to new ideas and techniques Being prepared to invest time and effort in learning new skills 5

8. Planning & Organisation

Collecting, analysing and organising information Managing time and priorities Being resourceful and making decisions Establishing clear project goals Planning how you are going to use your time wisely Participating in continuous improvements Predicting and weighing up risks Planning and organising tasks for self and others

Follow the three Golden Rs: - Respect for self Respect for others and - Responsibility for all your actions.

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