High scores are not everything

If you are considering yourself out of the race for bright careers just because of your lesser marks, then just wake up as there are options galore.Special : Campus Calling

It is okay to be disappointed over low scores in the Boards. After all, you must have worked hard for better results. But if you sulk indefinitely and consider yourself out of the race for bright careers just because your marks are not in the 80s and 90s, you need to wake up to the reality.

Marks, especially in conventional exams like Class X and XII, are no longer the deciding factors in career building. With the advent of various talent-oriented career options in the ever expanding “sunrise sectors”, employers now have more modern and objective parameters for weighing human resource than mere academic scores, say experts who recruit people for dream jobs.

“Academic success measures only one kind of intelligence and need not be an indicator of success in life and workplace,” says Ashok Reddy, MD, Teamlease Services, a leading Human Resource (HR) agency. Educationists agree that pinning all hopes on marks is an old-fashioned, conventional phenomenon many have failed to grow out of. “Earlier options used to be limited hence a lot depended on academics,” says Ameeta Wattal, principal, Springdales, Pusa Road.

“Nowadays, most students concentrate more on competitive exams post Class-XII,” she says. Agrees Naresh Malhan, MD, Manpower India, one of the biggest HR agencies in the country, “In the long run, it does not matter how a person fared in school. Of course, high scorers are still appreciated, but that does not mean doors are closed on those who did not get good marks. These days, the deciding factor is aptitude.”

That is why top companies favour employees who have the right aptitude and temperament, besides the skills for the job, he says. “Today, Corporate India is under immense pressure to identify the right talent with aptitude. So scholastic achievement is of less significance. It is more important for people to have the aptitude and teamwork capability,” Reddy says. So get over your bad marks and buck up for the future. The real test is yet to come.

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Success stories

Rahul Dua
Senior PromoProducer,
UTV Movies
He scored a measly 65 per cent in the Boards. But he took life head on and achieved his dreams. “I knew success in life did not depend on my marks in school, so I wanted to be an all-rounder. I was into dramatics, sports and extra curricular activates. In the end, my 65 per cent did not bother me,” says 26-year-old Rahul Dua, now a successful Senior Promo Producer with UTV Movies. “Life is not about marks. It is about honing whatever skills you have for your dream career.”

Isha Singh Sawhney
Features Editor, lifestyle magazine Andpersand
She was known in school as a good writer and knew this was her calling. That’s why when Sardal Patel Vidyalay student Isha Singh Sawhney (25) got 69 per cent in the Boards she was not heartbroken. “My marks were enough to get me an English-Honours seat at Miranda House. And now I am into a profession where I can make full use of my talent,” says this Features Editor with lifestyle magazine Andpersand. “Since I had decided on what I wanted to do with my life, the low score in the Boards did not bother me.”