Noida: Develop soft skills for better prospects, say firms at AKTU job fair

Company representatives spoke at a press conference held at the completion of the two-day job fair

As thousands of students battled it out at the Noida campus over the last two days to land jobs, the visiting company representatives said for them, an ideal candidate is one who has good soft skills.

Kuldeep Singh Rawat of HCL (left) and Dr Rakesh Verma, registrar, AKTU, in Noida on Saturday. (Virendra Singh Gosain/ HT Photo)

“For HCL, verbal communication was the priority while shortlisting candidates. Almost all candidates have similar academic qualifications, so what sets them apart from one another? We are looking for quality soft skills as that is what is needed to represent global companies such as HCL,” said Kuldeep Singh Rawat, human resource, HCL.

Rawat was speaking to the press after the completion of the two-day job fair organised by Dr Abdul Kalam Technical University at its Noida campus.

More than 9,000 applicants had appeared for tests and interviews held by 59 companies.

HCL has shortlisted 80 applicants for its IT infrastructure division. The company representatives revealed that in the age of IT education boom, focus on practical knowledge and verbal communication skills are equally important.

“We can provide industry training to freshers in three months at our plants and offices, but we want them to have a good command over the language so that they can deal with our diverse clients. By strong communication skills, I don’t mean a fancy accent, but confidence in appearance and speech. We are in the era of globalisation and applicants must adapt to the trend,” Rawat said.

Other companies such as HDFC Sales and Maharani Paints also stressed on the need for polished skills.

“We have come to the fair looking for members to add to our sales team. In an ideal candidate, gait, verbal communication and attitude are equally important. Candidates must possess skills, which can impress clients,” said Ritu Chaudhary, human resource, HDFC Sales.

Dr Rakesh Verma, registrar of AKTU, said students mustn’t lose heart even if they did not land a job at the two-day mega job fair.

“Students must take this fair as a learning experience. It is not a hidden fact that there are limited job opportunities and only a few will be successful in getting one. But that doesn’t mean they should lose heart and confidence. Company representatives have given invaluable tips to the students regarding the need to develop soft skills and they must learn from it,” Verma said.