4 Key Skills That Will Get You Hired

IT and ITeS companies are no longer mass hirers of technical talent but refined recruiters who are looking for a combination of skills. Thus the best jobs will go to freshers who understand what the industry wants and work on getting there. So how do you stand out against the few lakhs who are vying for the same job? TimesJobs.com spoke to some key influencers who device hiring strategies. A few excerpts: • “Hiring will be focused on getting a ‘productive workforce’ and in the case of freshers it will depend on the degree of hunger he or she has to learn cross-domain skills,’’ says Abdul G Sait, CEO, Basket Option, a venture catalyst company. “So when hiring freshers, it is not as much the technical background that is the differentiator, but this inherent aspiration that makes the difference between hiring that individual or not." • Understanding and being able to articulate the short and long term goals of the organisation. A network of professional relationships and company pages on social media can be the key differentiator when it comes to hires. “It is essential a fresher understands the ecosystem of the company,’’ says Anjana Vivek, founder director VentureBean Consulting Private Limited, a consultancy focused on improving the capability index of management teams, systems and processes across the business sectors of the future. “A candidate who is able to communicate about the organisation’s culture and about the prominent people in the organisation is viewed more positively than someone who has just a broad knowledge of the company." • Parallel skilling over and above the course-ware is an added advantage. "An electronics engineer who has undertaken even capsule courses, like specialisation in mobile apps or emerging skills sets  that include Web 2.0, Ruby On Rails, XML or EAI stands a better chance as he has shown an interest and has some basic knowledge of where the industry is headed,’’ says Sait. • Recruitment teams are hard pressed for time, it is thus essential that the candidate build and present his brand value. "Organisations like to hire freshers who are curious, fast learners who can do so on the job, and show signs of being lifelong learners,’’ says Vivek. “It is expected that they will not have in-depth real world knowledge. The differentiating factor is thus, their response to interview questions." Tech Gig