A recent article spoke about advising ‘Talent Managers’ to move beyond emphasising the candidates’ qualifications, hard skills, and technical expertise during their selection process. As a reader, anyone would find this strange. It is because, for years, we have trained to believe that we crack an interview based on our degrees and our educational qualification. Our mindsets are conditioned to think that we need to study hard to get admission into top universities and colleges, get the best jobs, and eventually change the world with our degrees. While in reality, this is not true.
Your degree is a testament to your knowledge about the educational curriculum and what you have studied. But what you learned as an 18-year-old in college may not be practically applicable ten years later in your career. The basics & fundamentals of technical knowledge won’t change, but its application and how to deal with a real-life situation and achieve success in a constantly evolving world will. Today’s market is characterised by – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA). And this is why instead of focusing on qualifications mentioned in the resume; recruiters have been advised to focus on learning abilities, passion, curiosity, drive, skills, and emotional intelligence.
Does this mean that the Degree is USELESS? No, not at all. However, it cannot keep it to use in isolation. Neither can a degree work like magic which is the perception that exists in most of us. The knowledge we gain through education is essential, but it should convert into wisdom and real-life practical skills.
Handling an unwell teammate, motivating a team to achieve an end goal or dealing with overnight changes due to the pandemic are a few examples of situations that arise in the real world which cannot be addressed by a sheer degree. Putting the knowledge to greater use and soft skills and personality development will come into play here.
Bilakhia Group‘s MAA foundation advocates that knowledge is power. Sure, a degree is vital in today’s day and age but to see a society prosper and help it grow, human being needs to put forward their humanity, creativity and imagination and not just a mere educational qualification. It is what this educational and philanthropic arm of Bilakhia Holdings strives to do – the focus of MAA foundation is not on handing out degrees but using overall development, creative projects and activity-based learnings to intensify the passion, curiosity and vision of their students while retaining their humaneness.
Taking a real-life scenario into play, you will never see anyone stressing the need for a degree to succeed. It is more about the person’s attitude, the change they are trying to bring about, their imagination and creativity, their drive and passion but not precisely a degree. A degree is not a growth guarantee; two individuals possess the same education degrees but have different career growth charts. Why does this happen? Because apart from the degree, you need to exhibit your skills as a human being – empathy, motivation, and passion for moving forward. Yet, another reason any arm of the Bilakhia family focuses on individuals’ overall and holistic development – both students and employees.
A degree can give you knowledge but not wisdom. Now, you will wonder what the difference between these two is? A wise man once said that knowing how to clean a windshield is knowledge, and cleaning a windshield is wisdom. So, putting your knowledge into action is wisdom.
How can you achieve this kind of wisdom in the workplace?
You need two crucial things for that:
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Passion
The Cambridge Dictionary defines “passion as an extreme interest in or wishes for doing something.” What you study is just a means to achieve your end goal, which you are passionate about. When you can put your degree and education to use for the greater good and achieve your dreams, you accomplish your passion. It is what creates excitement and keeps you motivated.
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Action
Action is an acronym that can break down into– Application, Comprehension and curiosity, Transferrable skills, integrity, observation and networking.
A – Application
It is crucial to apply the knowledge gained from the degree into practice. That is why volunteering, internships, practical work, and activity-based learning have so much importance in academic life. Through this valuable exposure, you will learn the application of theories and principles studied in academic life.
C – Comprehension
Role-playing helps one comprehend the subject. That is why Bilakhia Groups’ educational arm focuses on ‘experiential learning’ or activities to thoroughly understand the topic and situation.
T – Transferable skills
The world is changing, and so is the need for technical and complex skills. But soft skills like – teamwork, leadership, time management, problem-solving, creative thinking, analytical skills, interpersonal skills, communication and negotiation skills will never be obsolete. Through its programs, Lakshya, Unnati and Prabodhan, Maa Foundation does not end their job imparting education but conveys these employability and soft skills to help their students with their professional careers.
I – Integrity
Warren Buffet right said, “Most people have intelligence and energy, but only the ones with integrity will succeed.” One of the four pillars of MAA Foundation is Humanity, and only a person with high integrity, honesty and uncompromising principles can use their humanness to create a change in society.
O – Observation
Kids learn most things by observing. Observation is a great tool to learn and keep oneself updated. Keep following what is going around you – technological updates, social trends, political reforms and this will enable you to identify any opportunity or threat in advance.
N – Networking
Networking is a key skill to succeed in any business. Networking is the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. These contacts will help you in many personal and professional dealings. Having qualified and well-connected people can go a great way in contributing to one’s progress.
While education is vital, other aspects such as employability skills, integrity, curiosity, networking, empathy, passion, drive and more are critical for being an all-around achiever and bringing about a change.