The Pledge

An undergraduate journey begins with high hopes, zest and commitment. Lectures and tutorials, labs and projects, make life hectic enough that some may have to sacrifice time for fun and excitement. This goes on for some good 10-12 weeks before the exams come around. The final exam is like an ultimatum - the final determinant to the undergraduate pursuit throughout the academic semester.

As if this is not enough torment, undergraduates - final year and foundation students alike, are confronted with a dilemma - that it may not be as easy to get a job when they finish their studies(unless the country's economy booms and foreign investment soars, etc..) Newspaper articles and research reports caution us about employability in every way. Universities conduct trace studies and produce statistics on graduate employability.

Let's admit that gone are the days when even the highest CGPA can guarantee a job almost immediately. Nevertheless, the academic scroll is still very important because it also means you will be shortlisted for rewarding scholarships, awards, as well as job interviews.

Please prepare for employability early, as soon as you hear about it:) Think about this - having spent almost 5-6 years in a good and competitive university, isn't it ironic that a great mind with excellent CGPA, a stunning personality, and a host of soft skills illustrating leadership, team work and communicative competence, can't bring you close to a decent job! Of course you WILL get d job!

On this note, cutting-edge graduates prepare for the final selection interview. This is the time for you to articulate your skills and abilities, demonstrate your cutting-edge qualities, and impress your panel of interviewers. As mentioned by Crosby (1999), "No matter how skilled students may be, those skills will not lead to a job if potential employers do not know applicants have them."

I remember a comment posted by "Zack" earlier with regard to this employability odyssey. She succeeded in her final selection interview not only because of her work experience, but also her active involvement in campus activities that have made her more matured, confident, and ready to undertake real-life challenge.

Well, life is really about experiencing a lot of the ups and downs, success and turbulence, etc. Make time for friendship, interpersonal skills and leadership. Join clubs and societies, competitions, and speak UP. Brilliant ideas are supposed to be shared with the rest. If you want to make a difference, in the near future or later, you should start now. The odyssey can be a winding, less travelled road, or a trodden path - but you have a share in paving for a more reassuring future. The onus is really on you.

ok.I may not be the best person to comment on this. Hence, I'd like to invite opinion and feedback from the blogging community who are indeed at the receiving end of this employability craze - readers and writers in this blogosphere who have been recruiting, employing, selecting candidates, and those graduates who have successfully passed the test of the final selection interview- please drop us a line or two in response to this issue.