Hi Guys. I’m CA. Ajith Jacob.

In this blog, I will try to answer the question many young job seekers ask – HOW CAN I MAKE MYSELF MORE EMPLOYABLE TO EMPLOYERS?

India may be the fastest growing major economy in the world but that may mean little to the country’s 127 crore people, many of whom continue to struggle to find the right kind of jobs.

Many surveys in the Job market like the National Employability Report found that over 40% of Graduates remain almost invisible to prospective employers. In the case of engineering Graduates, just over 15% of the total engineering talent produced in India each year meets the skill requirements of the IT product industry.

Whereas the NASSCOM-McKinsey report “Perspective 2020: Transform Business, Transform India” (2009) said that only 26 percent of India’s engineering graduates were employable.

India’s unemployment rate stood at 5 percent in 2015-16 compared to 3.8 percent in 2012-13, according to the fifth annual survey of employment-unemployment published by ministry of labour and employment. At first glance, that seems like a reasonable unemployment rate for a country the size of India. However, a separate quarterly survey conducted by the government on jobs being created in key sectors tells a different story.

Why is that?  Well, there are a number of reasons ranging from:

• Lack of appropriate level of communication & interpersonal skills in English.
• Poor technical skills.
• Lack on creativity & Problem-Solving Skills.
• Lack of Appropriate Computer Skills.

Many of these reasons stand in the way of job seekers from attaining their ideal job.

So, many of you may ask “What can I do to become more Employable?”.

Let me help you out with 7 Steps that will add value to the brand called YOU.

• Invest In Yourself

Many people look forward to a Good education. But few actually try to gain technical skills and knowledge from sources easily available and accessible courses online like Udemy, Coursera, edx, etc. Taking self-paced courses online daily and updating your resume is sure to enhance your employability chances.

• Social Media Presence

Most employers will look you up online so it is important that you create a LinkedIn Profile detailing your past experiences and maintain a clean presence online and remove any information from any social media platforms you use that could put an employer off.

• Be Focused on Value Addition and Not Money Addition.

What do I mean by that? Do not make monetary incentive your primary focus. The moment you present and identify yourself as a person who wants to solve complex problems and suggest solutions your Value increases exponentially in the eyes of your peers and managers.

• Building Your Network

A common misconception is that building a network is a process that begins after graduating or completing a course. On the contrary, it is actually a process that begins from your school days and usually takes a lifetime to make meaningful connections that can help you professionally and sometimes personally.

• Get Some Hands-on Work Experience

Whether you are studying or not, the best way to make yourself more employable is to have hands-on work experience and deal with real life situations. Many young students and graduates have impractical pre-conceived notions on what happens in the workplace. Doing an internship or a part-time job while studying shows your future employers that you are eager to learn and gain practical experiences.

• Build Yourself a Solid CV

Building a CV isn’t a ONE TIME TASK. It grows as you grow and. Having a Quality CV will get you into the Interview Room.

• Take Membership In An Organisation or Join Any Volunteering Efforts That Can Enable You To Build Your Communication & Leadership Skills.

I hope this blog was helpful for you. I wish you the best for your future. Talk to you guys soon with a new topic.