Mend gap between degree & job

Gauri Chhabra

Students entering college have to be aware of the challenges posed by a fast changing career landscape. Most of the career options that are available today might be extinct tomorrow — thanks to the Generative AI and Machine Learning. According to a Forbes article, employers predict that by 2027, the AI job quake is going to disrupt as many 44 per cent of the critical talent jobs that exist today. It’s like we know what we are today, but do not know what and where we may be tomorrow.

Thus, the million-dollar question while choosing a college and a course now is which jobs, should one prepare for? How does one prepare to hold ground in this quicksand?

Well, the answer is easy. Prepare for everything yet prepare for nothing in particular. Follow a generalist approach and focus on the softer aspects of career progression like certifications, immersions, and internships.

When someone looks for a job, he has the same ‘degree’ as all his other classmates. What provides an edge to him are his internships, summer schooling or other forms of hands-on experience.

Hence, internships have started hogging the limelight like never before. So, while zeroing in on a college, alongwith the placements, also look for the internship opportunities it provides. Here are some ways in which internships can help:

Helps you get ‘real’: You may read about how organisations thrive and function in textbooks, hear from guest speakers who talk about organisational structures or dive into case studies about workplace culture, but nothing compares to living the actual experience. It is here that all pages of your test books come to life. You get a reference to the context of all that you have learnt in college. Also, you get to talk to leaders who actually have pushed the envelope beyond to be where they are today. You get to interact with great mentors, nudge you, help you truck through mistakes and learn from them.

Getting fluid with soft skills: With AI and ML quickly changing the career landscape, you need to have ‘fluid’ skills that help you ship your way through the tides of time. Internships are the best way to acquire soft skills like strategic thinking, negotiation, presentation, financial management, problem solving, resilience, etc. You will be able to navigate through problems that come your way, think on your feet and accelerate to meet deadlines.

Testing the waters: Internships let you try different responsibilities at different kinds of organisations. If you are unsure of your professional goals, pursuing multiple internships while completing your degree can teach you about the day-to-day realities of various careers. This first-hand experience can help you narrow your preferences before you graduate and embark on a job search.

Getting a foot in the door: If you have a goal to get yourself a job in a particular industry, apply for internships in the start-ups of the same industry. Start-ups would give you a ‘blue hat’ experience and make you actually work in different types of roles and environments. And since there is always a crunch of talent, you might land yourself a pre-placement offer.

Here is how students from varied streams can grab internships in different sectors. Besides your college placement cell, some of the online portals that can help you are: Internshala, Naukri, LinkedIn, MyGov, AICTE Internship portal.

The writer is a Career Counsellor & Academic Trainer

Compiled and Edited by Geetu Vaid, Silky Bajaj, Akanksha Sharma, Jigyasa
Design & Layout: Sanjeev Kumar, Ravi Parkash
Photos: Pradeep Tewari, Ravi Kumar, Nitin Mittal, Vicky, Malkiat Singh, Vishal Kumar and iStock