Today’s competitive job market demands graduates to be industry ready. Employers expect graduates to keep up with industry trends in their respective domains before even attending the job interview. Along with academics, it is important for mentors to train graduates to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to become job ready.  

In that sense, learners pursuing online degrees through the Online Manipal platform are prepared to become industry ready before they appear for placement interviews or other job interviews. Learners attend a series of webinars, hosted by leading experts and industry leaders, who train them to become industry ready. Here is an overview of the various skills and areas learners are coached in.  

Corporate expectation- Grooming & etiquette 

Grooming and etiquette is a must have for every professional to survive in a global environment. Corporate grooming & etiquette consists of a combination of hard skills and soft skills. Graduates mostly already possess hard skills or technical skills which they acquire during the online degree program. However, soft skills are just as crucial. Communication skills are one of the greatest soft skills to possess and they create a first impression for the recruiter. Other key skills include flexibility, time management, teamwork, problem solving, leadership, collaboration and interpersonal skills.   

Business communication 

Business communication means exchanging information between employees and those outside the organization. Business communication is key to organizations as it allows equal share of voice among employees. It also helps boost morale of employees, build employee relationships, improve productivity and job satisfaction.  

Listening is also an important aspect of business communication. As clearly as you communicate, you must also listen to your co-workers’ opinions. Employees must practice empathetic listening, which means not interrupting someone and showing interest in their opinions. These key aspects of business communication will help you maintain healthy relationships in the workplace.  

The art of saying no 

While some people may find it hard to say no and find other alternatives like “maybe” or “I don’t think so,” it is important to learn how to say no. Saying no doesn’t always mean you are going to hurt your colleagues or manager. You can give a polite and brief explanation of why you are saying no. You must understand that by saying no, you are respecting yourself and know how to stand by yourself.  

Conflict management 

Conflict management refers to being able to handle conflicts smoothly, fairly and efficiently. It refers to the way you handle disagreements and disputes with your colleagues. If you manage conflicts well, you can build a trusted partnership for the long-term, come up with better ideas and collaborate and stimulate new possibilities and partnerships.  

Email etiquette 

As a professional, you are required to send emails on a regular basis. It is important to pay attention to how you draft your mail in order to convey your message clearly. The subject line, greeting, body of the message and closing must be clearly and politely drafted. Your tone, choice of words, punctuation and greetings matter while writing an email. 

Interpersonal skills and understanding cultural diversities 

Today, workplaces are diverse and consist of people of different gender, religion, race, sexual orientation and cultural ethnicity. It is important to maintain a high level of interpersonal skills when you are interacting with colleagues who come from varied cultural backgrounds. Intercultural competence, cultural literacy and cultural awareness and all parts of cultural intelligence. Professionals with high cultural intelligence can engage with people from diverse backgrounds  

Creating impactful presentations 

As a professional, you might have to make presentations on a regular basis. Delivering effective and insightful presentations is key to every professional. The presentation reflects your perspective towards your work, and it is important that the slides convey a clear message. You must include pictures, videos, infographics and other elements to make an impressive presentation.  

Delivering impactful presentations 

Delivering a presentation in an impactful manner is as important as the presentation itself. Your body language, the time you devote for each slide, clarity of words and thought matter the most. While presenting, you need to be able to connect with the audience to ensure they understand the message you are trying to convey. Most importantly, delivering your presentation within the given time and conveying the crux with clarity creates a positive impression. 

Time management 

In the workplace, planning your daily schedule to maximize productivity helps you in managing your time well. Grouping similar tasks together and prioritizing helps you manage time wisely. By managing time, you can meet your deadlines, deliver work better and improve productivity. Time management is all about working smarter rather than working harder.  

Working in teams 

A team can achieve far more than an individual can, Professionals work with multiple teams within an organization daily. Teamwork ensures a productive workforce, helping build everyone’s skills and ideas to achieve organizational goals. Working in a team also results in effective communication, helps solve problems, motivative unity in the workplace and promotes learning and development. 

Taking ownership and accountability 

In the workplace, it is important to take ownership and accountability of your job outcome, whether it is positive or negative. You must take ownership of the tasks assigned to you and ensure they are completed on time. In order to take ownership, you need to be proactive. Accountability comes with ownership, because you should be answerable if deadlines are not met.  

Group discussion 

Group discussion is an important part of the interview process. A group discussion is ideally conducted to test your communication skills, ability to work in a team, listening skills, ability to handle criticisms, knowledge of the subject and overall personality. Your clarity of thought, body language, tone and confidence decide your recruitment.  

Telephone and video conferencing etiquette 

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual video conferences and telephone conversations became the popular choice. In a video conference, it is important to look presentable, use appropriate face expressions. In a telephonic conversation, it becomes important to strike the right tone and speak with clarity. Communication skills play a key role here. 

Workplace ethics 

It is important for every professional to understand workplace ethics. Workplace ethics means the value system an organization believes in. It describes the ethical dimensions of an organization’s functioning. As an employee, you need to be aware of the company’s policies and help in upholding the company’s image. Work ethics must promote a free space to work, an unbiased environment and give priorities to employees’ rights. 

Mindfulness and resilience at work 

Stress and anxiety are common in the workplace. Being mindful means focusing and being aware of what is happening around you. Mindfulness improves your productivity and decreases your mistakes. This helps you develop a positive attitude in the workplace. Similarly, resilience means your ability to manage difficult situations. It helps you address challenges on the job and drives optimism.  

Emotional intelligence 

Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage your emotions effectively. It is directly linked to improved productivity and job satisfaction. It is important because it improves your interpersonal relationships, social skills and self-awareness. As an emotionally intelligent person, you will be able to achieve your professional goals with ease. 

Graduates appearing for placement interviews must ensure they possess these skills and work on aspects they lack in. These skills are essential to survive in today’s global workforce. At Online Manipal, industry experts conduct webinars that help learners build on these essential workforce skills. These aspects help them become job-ready.  

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