Gone are the days when only textbook knowledge was enough to get a good job in a company. In times when the world is evolving and the market is becoming more demanding than ever, companies across the globe are hiring individuals who are holistically developed and polished. Though bookish knowledge is required, it is not the only eligibility criteria anymore. This makes it necessary for those pursuing their education to not only focus on their academics but also on skill development. It is important to also master certain skills, professional as well as personal, that will help them get picked quicker by employers.
Here are some ways how you can get started with skill development:
Identify your goals
Identifying your goals is extremely essential. It provides you with a guideline to go about things. Once you know what you want to achieve, you will also understand what is required to achieve your goals. This will put you on the right track and help you develop the right skills.
Solicit feedback
Any activity you take up to hone your skills, make sure you ask for feedback from your peers who have a sound understanding of your area of interests. Feedbacks help in correcting the errors, shows you your level of progress and how far you yet need to go. Taking in feedbacks is essential as it helps in improving your skills and also makes you aware of the additional skills you might require to further better yourself.
Build a network with like minded people
Connecting with people who hold similar interests like you do and building your relationship with them will help you understand your field more accurately and what all it demands. Starting a dialogue and interacting with like minded people is thus crucial. When you see people engaging in activities of your interest, you too feel motivated to take up the same activities to build your skills.
Plan out your schedule
Make sure you divide your time equally for your academics and other developmental activities. Doing this will keep you abreast with both, since academics and development activities are equally important and must go hand in hand.
Participate in extracurricular activities
The more you participate in extracurricular activities, the more your interpersonal skills will get developed. Participating in interschool or intercollege competitions and festivals help in honing life skills like coordination, planning, cooperation, communication, decision making etc which will help you once you enter the job world.
Today, it is extremely important to be ready on your toes with a holistic development if you wish to sift ahead of the crowd and stand up. So make sure that you work on skill development while also pursuing your education.
