How to Be Succe

ssfully Employed

By:-
Prashant P Kulkarni
Asst Engineer
Thermal Power Station
Bhusawal Deepnagar
• As per one report published, with over 722 universities and 3345 col
leges spewing out 14,73,781 engineers each year India produces, twic
e the number produced by the US.
• On the other hand, according to a NASSCOM-McKinsey report, Th
e Indian Industry will face its biggest challenge ever: a talent shortage
of millions 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.
• Although the expectations for the prospective employers differ for pr
ofessional skills, across economic sectors, company sizes and regions.
The processes of selection as well are varied based on factors like the
demand, criticality of role and domain of industry.
• So how could one select the right candidate from a big pool within t
he given time-slot? This in turn brings the question as to what are the
skills employers need to check out in quest for the right fresher/candid
ate.
• Based on a good research conducted by World Bank, the skills whic
h Indian employers demand from engineering graduates could be cate
gorized into three factors:
• Communication Skills
• Professional Skills
• Core Employability Skills
Of the 3 above, though Core Employability Skills is the most importa
nt, but Communication Skills are the ones which could be measured r
elatively easier, followed by Professional Skills during an interview.
1. Communication Skills:
These include various shades of soft skills: in English
Written Communication, Reading, Listening, Technical Skills
Experiments/data analysis Verbal Communication
Unlike country like China, India has been pre-dominantly a service se
ctor industry and it necessitates the importance of good communicatio
n with their majority of western customers.
These skills usually get displayed during an interview conversation, b
ut stress stays on gauging how the candidate converses and conveys hi
s views across to the listener.
2. Professional Skills :
These include various shades of Academic skills:
Academic Knowledge, Use of modern tools, Creativity, Problem solvi
ng, Customization, Contemporary issues, Customer Service
Some of these skills get captured during the written tests, and then dur
ing a face to face interview. The project work usually says a lot about
the candidate’s capability and knowledge on the subject.
Though a good interviewer can always make out if the project work is
genuine and there are various ways to find out the level of effort put, c
reativity, the dealing of issues, designing to the needs and application
of the subject.
3. Core Employability Skills:
These include various shades of following factors:
Integrity, Reliability, Teamwork, Willingness to learn, Entrepreneursh
ip, Self-discipline, Self-motivated, Flexibility, Empathy.
These skills are not occupation specific, but cuts across occupations. S
ome studies refer to this set of skills as generic, catalytic, core and/or
employability. These skills more define a person rather than their acad
emic knowledge.
It is relatively challenging to measure these skills in a candidate with-
in a short time, but face to face interview conversations does reveal a
nd help uncover these skills.
A small example of candidate not coming on time can question his/he
r Reliability or Self-discipline.
But more queries on a candidate’s past history, his/her views on the c
urrent and plans for future does help in making a good perception.
From an employer’s perspective it is important for a fresher to unders
tand and appreciate that:
Attitude, Aptitude and Adaptability
differentiate the best from the average.
 Some Do’s and Don’ts for Fresh Graduates
He/she should be aware of the fact that college is over! The Corporate world is a differ
ent ball game and he/she needs to be prepared for the big change!

 Domain knowledge is a given-which means that it is expected that the graduate will ha
ve good technical grounding in his subject. Hence this needs to be brushed up before t
he test/interview.

Try to find out from seniors/faculty/contacts about the hierarchy and work ethics of the
organization he/she is expected to join.

 Some other traits/qualities that fresh graduates are expected to display : The items liste
d below are not in any order of preference but in the order that people will probably no
tice a new person’s 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) Be neat and tidy in appearance, without being flashy.

 2) Display a positive attitude.

 3) Be energetic.

 4) Follow instructions.

 5) Be able to read and understand written information.

 6) Have good listening skills.

 7) Maintain clean and healthy habits at work.

 8) Know how to use basic work materials and equipment.

 9) Be organized.

 10) Take initiative.

 11) Have some self-knowledge about personal (not professional - that comes later in li
fe!) strengths and weaknesses.

 12) Be willing to learn from others.

 13) Be willing to help others without impacting your own deliveries.

14) Be willing to admit a lack of knowledge.
15) Be willing to admit mistakes.
16) Communicate effectively both in speech and in writing.
17) Be culturally sensitive.
18) Be dependable in a clearly operational sense.
19) Enjoy sports or some form of exercise.
20) Be a "team player".
21) Have basic arithmetic, writing, speaking and comprehension skills.
22) Have good problem-solving skills.
23) Work hard AND work smart.
24) Have a willingness to use tools.
25) Be curious and interested, in a professional sense.
26) Be creative.
27) Work without close supervision.
28) Work well under pressure.
29) Be loyal to the organization.
 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
 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 math 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
 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
 8. Planning & Organisation
 Collecting, analysing and organising information
 Managing time and priorities
 Being resourceful and making decisions
 Establishing clear project goals
 Participating in continuous improvements
 Predicting and weighing up risks
 Planning and organising tasks for self and others
 Have you completed your engineering (BE/B.Tech.) degree? Are you
worried about job placements? Do not worry if you do not get placed j
ust after passing your engineering. All of the students are not lucky eno
ugh to get placed in their first attempt. Apart from that, everyone is aw
are of the present Global Economic recession, due to which there is an
immense pressure on every graduate. Students prefer going for MBA o
r M.Tech. after engineering in order to get handsome package. Howev
er, doing a short term job oriented course can serve as a bridge betwee
n your knowledge and the skills that employers expect. A job oriented
diploma course can provide you practical knowledge in related field in
order to get you an extra edge over other students having just a B.Tech
. degree. Read on to learn more about job oriented courses after engine
ering.
Job Oriented Courses After Computer Science Engineering (CSE/
IT)
Following are some of the various certifications according to your interests
 Graphic Design & Web Design
 Red Hat Certified Engineer
 SAP Courses
 C, C++, Java, .NET, HTML, SQL & Other Languages
 Robotics
 Software Testing
 Software or Web Development
 Oracle, SQL & Database Administration
 Information Security & Ethical Hacking
 Animation & Multimedia
 Digital Marketing
 Networking Professional
Job Oriented Courses After Electronics & Tele Communication E
ngineering
there are various short term courses or diploma certifications for you r
elated to networking & electronics

 Embedded Systems

 Cisco Certifications like CCNA, CCNP etc.

 Nanotechnology

 VLSI

 PCB Designing

 CADD

 Communication

 Networking

 Microwave
Job Oriented Courses After Electrical Engineering (EEE)
There are a lot professional courses that can be done after engineering in e
lectrical & electronics which provide better job opportunities to the gradua
tes.

 Electrical Distribution System

 Circuit Analysis
 Power System Analysis
 Linear System Analysis
 Power Systems
 Advanced Training in System Engineering
 Aircraft Maintenance – Electrical System
 Switch Gear & Protection
 Control Systems
 PLC, SCADA and DCS
Job Oriented Courses After Mechanical Engineering (ME)
In mechanical engineering have a lot of professional courses to opt fro
m according to their interests. There are various branches like plannin
g, production, quality control, manufacturing, tooling etc.

 NDT Level 1, 2, 3

 SQC courses

 Six Sigma

 SPC Course

 ISO Lead Auditor Courses

 5S Certification

 Kanban Certification

 Primavera Training
Job Oriented Courses After Mechanical Engineering (ME)
In mechanical engineering have a lot of professional courses to opt fro
m according to their interests. There are various branches like plannin
g, production, quality control, manufacturing, tooling etc.

 NDT Level 1, 2, 3

 SQC courses

 Six Sigma

 SPC Course

 ISO Lead Auditor Courses

 5S Certification

 Kanban Certification

 Primavera Training
Job Oriented Courses After Civil Engineering

Civil engineering pass-outs can also go for short term certifications

or professional courses. Apart from doing masters in civil engineeri
ng or architecture, students can opt from various job oriented cours
es such as:

 Building Design Certification

 Construction Supervisor Certification

 Technical Drawing & Designing

 Interior Designing

 Various Architecture Courses

 There are a lot of other diploma courses after Engineering. Also, t
here are various other engineering programs like Aeronautical eng
ineering, Automobile engineering, Instrumentation engineering, C
hemical engineering, Biotechnology engineering etc for which var
ious job oriented courses are available. Furthermore, if you want t
o work simultaneously then you can try distance learning courses
after engineering. You can also opt for post graduate courses after
your engineering if you have enough time.
 Discussion
 How to find a company
 How to write a resume
 Write a cover letter
 Interview
 After the Interview
 Reference
 How to find a company
 Career Development Department on Campu
s
 Internet Job Fairs
 Help Wanted Ads
 “Read” Job Fair
 Networking
 How to write a resume
 Resume Requirement
 A self-assessment on paper
 Outline your skills and abilities as
well as your work experience
How to write a resume
 The Content of Your Resume
 Your personal information
 The objective
 Educational background
 Experience
 Technical skills
 Go for http://susanireland.com/resume/how-to-write/
http://www.careerride.com/freshers-resume-sample.aspx
Write a cover letter
 Your personal information
 The company’s information
 Personalize the greeting
 Where you heard about the position
 Your objective
 Basic introduction of you
 Encourage for a response
Interview
 How to get prepared
 How to dress
 What questions do the e
mployers ask?
 What questions do you a
sk?
How to get prepared
 Know yourself and your goals
 Know your resume
 Know the employer
 Know the job
 Ask questions
How to dress
 For Man
– Traditional business attire means a dark, co
nservative suit
– A white, long-sleeved, pressed dress shirt
– Tides should be silk and coordinate well wi
th the suit
– Avoid flashy patterns on tie. If you wear an
earring remove it
How to dress
 For Woman
– Traditional business attire is a conservati
ve suit or dress: those thigh-high skirt len
gths.
– Avoid wearing jewelry and makeup that
are showy or distracting
– Avoid long fingernails. If you wear nail p
olish, make sure it's a subtle color and ne
atly done
What questions do the employers ask

 Introduce yourself
 Why the company should hire you?
 How do you plan to achieve your career
goals?
 What do you know about the company?
 What do you know about the job?
What questions do you ask?
 What are the opportunities for personal
growth?
 What makes your firm different from its
competitors?
 What are the company’s expectations for
now employee?
 Why does the manager enjoy working for
the company?
After the Interview
 Review your interview
 Send a “Thank You” Letter
Send it within 24 hours
of the interview
A typed business letter o
r a handwritten social not
e?
Any Questions?
Thank You for Listening Patiently.