Careers are unpredictable for two reasons, firstly, there are new verticals and domains coming up; secondly, we have choices to make and passions to pursue. If careers are unpredictable; should we remain unprepared?
The fact is that jobs are tough to get. Another fact is that jobs are hard to save. Yet another realisation is that there are no jobs for those who are not ready. Organisations and Institutions have come under a term known as Job Market or Market to be precise.
When we call it a market we redefine the requisites that used to be straight but now are complex. Our curriculums have never been made of equity rather equality has been the focus. I have recently read the difference between Equality and Equity.
I am being convinced that Equal treatment cannot be given to all because it leads to a further divide between the 'haves and have-nots'.The same idea seems to have entered the minds of employers. The impact is visible to the already hired and to be hired. The employers are finally becoming selective to avoid further corrections and they have also realised that potential risk is avoidable. The methodology of selection largely remains the same but the tools have been redefined and the temperament has also been revamped.
It is said that Job Interviews are no more the stress interviews where there is a bombardment of tough questions to force the candidate to surrender. One reason I wish to share is that the interviewers are not that prepared now. They come with a defined preparation yet they pretend to be smart to the candidate. In return, the interviewee also reflects the same 'act' of pretending. In this utopian selection process, the loss is of 'SKILLS'. Candidates are selected very strictly and care is the core of the whole process. There are complaints and feedbacks to the institutions that the communication skills or professional knowledge are quite weak and the students need to work more. How this irony, oxymoron or confusion exist together?
On one hand, the observation is that there is a concern about the right selection now. The other observation is that there are no more good interviewers or even interviewees. I wish to bring this vagueness and peculiar ambiguity to the forefront in this discussion on the Capability to Make a Clever Career Choice.
Career Kaushal is the topic of discussion here in the EklavyaParv Insights and Views. What is Career Kaushal or Career Skills?
It is making the right decision at the right time and joining a career wagon which does not fall into the trap of recession or insecurity. How do we make this Career Kaushal a part of our life then? Career Kaushal asks for a few elements to be present in the learner and a few determinants to be kept active in support.
Career Kaushal is made of two aspects: Professional Knowledge and Professional Competence.
Career Kaushal can be understood as the Skill to Plan-Prepare and Polish one's Career in a SAFE-STRONG-SMART domain.
Employers have been rejecting the institutional submission that the students can learn after joining. The employer is less willing to undergo the risk. We as teachers or the care-takers have got this task on us. Decreasing the Skill-Gap, we are to move ahead towards a 'supportive eco-system' where jobs are not magic mountains but results of focussed preparation and planning.
