Industry-academia interface, need
of the hour
It takes two to tango. Industry and academia are distinct and operate on different platforms. The Greek term ‘academia’ refers to the greater body of knowledge, consisting of students, mentors and scholars. Industry, is a workplace that produces goods and services contributing to economic growth of a nation.
Graduates look to the industry to start a career but the industry wants people who can take on the responsibilities from day one. In short, job readiness is the magic mantra and that is where the industry-academia interface becomes important.
Sound knowledge on the subject chosen, soft skills, affable personality and a thorough knowledge how the industry functions helps one to make a mark. All these can be nurtured and should be developed while in a college and university.
Understanding industry needs:
Teaching theoretical concepts alone will not help. Educational institutions need to focus on skills needed in the industry.
What are personal development skills?
Personal development skills are qualities and abilities that help you grow both personally and professionally. Understanding and improving these skills can help you maximize your potential. This process is also known as self-development or personal growth.
You can use personal development skills to:
- Reach goals
- Advance in your career
- Improve your strengths and talents
- Better yourself
- Find fulfillment
Examples of personal development skills
Personal development skills can be traits or qualities you already have or ones you can gain through education and training. People will value different personal development skills depending on their goals, but here are some examples of skills people commonly aim to develop:
- Communication
- Interpersonal
- Organization
- Problem-solving
- Self-confidence
- Adaptability
- Integrity
- Work ethic
- Leadership
How to improve your skills
You can enhance your personal development skills by taking classes, learning from the people around you, gaining new talents and improving upon existing ones. Follow these guidelines to develop yourself personally:
- Overcome fear.Fear can prevent you from growing and progressing. If you are afraid of public speaking, for instance, take a class or join a group that helps people become better public speakers.
- Learn something new. Learn a new skill or topic, whether you do it yourself or sign up for a class. You might, for instance, take courses to learn another language, a new software program or how to write creatively. Consider watching a webinar on professional development topics such as entrepreneurship or social media marketing.
- Ask for feedback.Approach a family member, friend, colleague or manager and ask them to give you feedback on a recent project or accomplishment.
- Observe others.Watch and learn from the people who inspire you. This could be someone you know, such as a supervisor, family member or public figure. Identify the qualities you admire in them, and try to replicate those in yourself.
- Network. By interacting with many types of people, you can learn new ideas and understand how to communicate and work with different personality types. You can also meet people and develop relationships that might help you in the future. Network through industry organizations and shared interest groups, or attend conferences and events on topics that interest you.
- Meditate. Many people meditate to gain clarity and awareness and to reduce stress and anxiety.
Personal development skills in the workplace
While personal development skills can benefit all parts of your life, these may be useful in the workplace and help you advance your career:
- Be an active listener.Part of being a good communicator is paying attention to what other people say. Concentrate on understanding what your coworkers and clients are saying so you can remember that information and respond well.
- Work well with others.Good people skills make you a valued team member. You should be able to collaborate with and motivate others. Have the social skills to build relationships with colleagues, clients, customers and acquaintances of all types and backgrounds.
- Organize your time, work and materials.Plan out tasks so you can complete them quickly and easily. Know what projects to prioritize if you are handling more than one. If you are well-organized, you may be better able to meet your deadlines.
- Work through challenging situations.When dealing with a problem, assess your options and determine the best solution. Know when to ask for advice or research different scenarios. People who can think critically and work through complex problems are more likely to make good decisions both in life and work.
- Believe in yourself.If you have confidence in your decisions, others may be more likely to believe in you as well. This positive energy can help motivate and instill confidence in those around you. You are better able to handle challenges and reach goals if you approach them with confidence rather than doubt.
- Adapt to change.Be flexible so you can deal with changes in work and life easily. Adaptable people can work well alone and on a team, manage multiple projects, work under a variety of conditions, accept new ideas and more. Being able to respond well to change can also make these situations less stressful for everyone involved.
- Be truthful.Honesty is the foundation of a positive relationship with colleagues and supervisors. Practice good ethics and stand by your values. Integrity can bring you respect, satisfaction and a good reputation at work.
- Be committed to and passionate about your job.People with good work ethic tend to be productive, reliable and determined to do quality work. This dedication can help you complete tasks on time and motivate your peers.
- Guide those around you.Being a good leader requires confidence, vision and communication. People with these natural leadership skills can help their team progress and be productive without being controlling.
Motivating Students
Every individual is unique and have a different set of skills which make them stand out of crowd. But the skills fade-away in the world of pressure exerted by the society when it comes to choosing a field of education. They may not be good at inculcating the skills desired for their field of education but can do wonders in other. We should expose student learners to different industries/job options and give them the feel of what others jobs look like will help a lot in figuring out their interests.
Emphasis on Multi-disciplinary environment and Skill-based Education
Besides the domain skill, the industry also looks at soft skills, team building, values and attitude of an individual at the time of hiring. This can be developed by collaboration of joint degrees in academic institutes which results in almost job ready graduates. They should be encouraged to opt for various technical courses based on practical exposure available at a reasonable price, which can do fruitful. Exposing student learners to different industries/job options and giving them the feel of what others jobs look like help a lot in figuring out their passion/interests and future job.
