WHY REAL TIME EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT

 

 

“The only source of knowledge is experience.” –Albert Einstein

 

Shifting from the comfortable environment of a classroom to a real world situation can seem like an extremely scary and difficult thing to imagine. Along with using the skills we’ve acquired from the books we have to pay attention to a lot of other things also. You cannot gain confidence or learn how to communicate with others by just reading books. Influencing and persuading skills and decision making skills cannot be acquired by flipping the pages of your favorite book. You need to skedaddle from the coziness of your comfort zone and face difficult and intimidating situations.

As a student gaining real time experience is invaluable, whether it’s through an internship, a placement or a part time job. Employers are looking for skills in you that distinguish you from the mob mentality and give you an advantage over all the other candidates that are applying. Often students who have perfect grades in their report cards lack real time experience. Getting real time experience makes their transition to real life experiences a little less scary. Gaining experience often prepares them for the real world and gives them an opportunity to try their skills in real life experiences.

So instead of spending countless hours on Netflix and chatting whole day with your friends, maybe consider applying for an internship or a placement. You might not understand the importance of this right now but, believe me it might turn out to be the best decision you make. Especially in these uncertain times of the pandemic when we are incarnated within the confines of our homes and bored out of out wits why now work on improving yourself?

 

SOME OF THE NECESSARY SKILLS EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR IN A PERSON:

1. Self reliance-

Self reliance means to have reliance on one’s own powers and resources rather than those of others.

To an extent universities and schools do teach students to become self reliant as you’re not spoon-fed and are expected to find your own path. But applying this skill in universities is very different as compared to applying it in workplace environment as you have a lot more at stake than just your grades.

Mastering this skill can help you analyze your own strengths and weaknesses.

 

2. Interpersonal skills-

Interpersonal skills are the personality traits that a person possesses in order to communicate effectively and efficiently with others.

In reality, interpersonal skills can only be developed in a workplace environment. People cannot just learn interpersonal skills by turning the pages of a book. They need to be in a proper workplace environment in order to acquire them. to be able to communicate with others in a manner that is both professional and doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings is a skill everyone should possess.

 

3. Decision making and problem solving skills-

Ask yourself this: why would an employer hire an employee who hits a dead end each time and is so indecisive that they cannot make a single decision. There’s a huge difference in being choosy and being over-fastidious and being indecisive. You should be able to make the right decision at the right time with portraying an equanimous exterior.

Imagine a doctor who panics while performing an operation, or a cop who freezes on duty. People cannot afford to be indecisive in their jobs.

 

 

 

4. Teamwork-

Being able to co-work with people in a team is one of the most important skills that every employer is looking for in an employee. If in an interview you’re asked to recall an incident of working in a team and the only instances you come up with are, sports or group assignments then you are at a disadvantage. Employers are looking for someone who has completed quantifiable, real-time projects in a workplace environment.

 

5. Self confidence and self esteem-

Working on an internship or a placement works wonders to boost your self esteem and confidence. While at high school or while pursuing your under grad some people prefer to be in their own shells. But, it can be an extremely unappealing quality while working in a workplace. People might misinterpret you as being too arrogant and reserved.

These are just a few of the necessary skills that every individual should possess. These skills can be acquired by other ways but gaining real time experience is the best and most efficient way to gain these skills.

I read an article on quora a while ago which made a huge impact on my life.

“This is a answer in of itself for life in its entire self is really nothing more than experiences. It is true that there are things that fall outside of this boundary. And at the same moment most of what one lives for is experiences. The more that one experiences in life the fuller there life is. Experience is what makes the foundation for the rest of life to follow upon. One does not realize this but; we all do it mostly throughout life. From the time you are born (your first experience) to the time you die (your last experience) one goes from one experience to that of the next. From birth come knowing of family to that of school and then work and your own family. After this there is a slowing down to retirement and finally that last experience spoken of here.
With ion these boundaries there are smaller and large experiences to make passage through. In these there is feelings and knowing that one will take in. You are living life to the fullest at this moment. Life is good at this point. Thus, life becomes mostly experience. Without these life would be not much of anything; boring. One becomes alive through experiences. This is good for one to have, always.
One needs experiences in life to know what life is really all about.”-James Pay.

In the contemporary era where degrees are continuously losing their importance, real time experience is taking the place of degrees. World class companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft are removing the mandatory clause of having a degree to get hired. Companies are now focusing on a person’s experience rather than just bookish knowledge and a degree.

Real time experience helps you become a better version of you. You will definitely have a neck over other people if you gain experience in the same field you want to pursue, but it doesn’t matter if you gain experience in some other field. Along with honing your skills you’re also working on embellishing your resume.

Overall in today’s world having a degree clubbed with real time experience can give you an edge over others and prepare you for the future.

“Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced.” –John Keats.

-Chhavi Sharma

Content writer

Nullclass