Industry Expectations

Industry Expectations from an Engineer Featured Article: “Industry Expectations from an Engineer”
	Rajagopalan P is Principal at E&R, Infosys at Mysore. He has 18 years of experience in the industry. He joined Infosys in 2004. He is currently the Foundations Program Operations Manager. He also leads the Java track in the Foundation Program. He can be reached at Rajagopalan_P@infosys.com

The “industry-academia gap” is a widely discussed topic. This gap can be minimized by understanding what the industry expects from a fresh engineer. This article is an attempt to list out the top 8 expectations industries have from an engineer.

1. Learnability: The fluid industry trends in today’s world force engineers to be life-long learners! Learnability is the ability to generalize a specific knowledge and apply in various contexts. Industries expect engineers to have the zest and zeal along with the ability to learn new tools and techniques.
2. Ability to work in teams: Individualism is out and collaboration is in. Considering the options we have in today’s global village, it is impossible for one to master all the skills that are needed for an industry. One should have the ability to identify one’s core skills, team up with members with complementary skills, collaborate and contribute.
3. Communication Skills: An organization expects all the employees to communicate effectively. Engineers should have good verbal and written communication skills. This is a skill that is absolutely necessary when working in teams where inappropriate communication could be disastrous. Most of the industries in India have adopted English as the language of communication considering the diverse nature of their clients and workforce.
4. Positive Attitude: The importance of positive attitude for a successful career cannot be overemphasized. When something goes wrong, one can either blame one’s circumstances or look at ways of making the situation better. Industry wants the latter category who considers such a situation as an opportunity to learn.
5. Flexibility: Many organizations, especially those in the software industry, give a lot of flexibility to the employees. At the same time those industries expect the employees also to be flexible in terms of working location, nature of projects or in some cases, working hours.
6. Adaptability: An engineer should have the ability to adapt to any situation. 100% of the tasks assigned to an engineer may not be in alignment with his or her interest. If 70% of the tasks are interesting, an engineer should be able to adapt to the rest 30%. If one could not find interest even in 70% of the tasks allocated, chances are that one has chosen a wrong career!
7. Self-Motivation: Even though a fresh engineer is at the beginning of the career, the industry expects the engineer to be clear about his or her short-term and long-term career plans. One can make a remarkable difference by chalking out one’s career plans. Having a clear idea of what one wants keeps one motivated.
8. Ownership: An engineer should own a task that is assigned to him or her. An engineer should leave his or her mark in every product delivered by him or her. The sense of ownership results in completion of tasks with maximum quality.

Frequently asked HR questions

Sample HR Questions (and how to answer them)

Here are some extra questions that you need to be ready to answer if you want to ace your interview.

1. Why do you want to work in this company?
   
   Your Answer Should: Involve your experience with the company, if any. It should be honest and also make the interviewer know that you have done your research on the company.
2. What are your hobbies? (Also be prepared for - why you like a particular hobby?)
   
   Your Answer Should: Be true. It should reflect you as a person with interests. Hobbies tell a lot about a person. So think carefully while answering this one.
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
   
   Your Answer Should: Tell the truth yet not sound either boastful (while mentioning strengths) or self critical (while mentioning weakness). Try not to mention more than one weakness. If you go on and on about your many flaws, the interviewer may think that you lack self esteem and are under confident.
4. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
   
   Your Answer Should: Not be boastful and full of fluff. Do not use terms like”  I see myself as CEO of a prestigious company, etc.” It is safer to stick to a practical answer. Something like “I see myself working in the same area of expertise but at a more responsible position”,  etc. will reflect honesty and loyalty to a field of experience.
5. Tell us / me something that your résumé does not cover about you?
   
   Your Answer Should: Emphasize on your extra curricular activities where you have shown leadership abilities, team spirit and individual responsibility. It should cover arenas that you have not mentioned in your résumé It could be a personal interest that you pursue like a passion for photography, etc. or it could be a foreign language that you are currently learning. Along with that you should make it a point to talk about why you were part of that activity.

How to excel in GD - part 2

Tips to make effective small talk

Small Talk

So much of what we do in our professional life happens in what we would term a 'casual' context.

Although contracts and deals are signed officially in the boardroom, the deal is made over lunch or coffee. The "small talk" we make during these casual meetings becomes a very important precursor to the "big talk" that occurs in the board room later.

"Small talk" is the basis for others to make their character assessment of us and thus might determine the success or failure of our ventures.

Being good at making small talk means effectively engaging others in leisurely banter on non work-related subjects yet it is not easy to find a good conversationalist.

Here are some tips to cultivate your ability to engage in small talk:

1. Stay connected: Watch the news, read the papers and news websites, even subscribe to news-related Facebook pages. A keen knowledge of current affairs makes for a relevant and interesting conversationalist. Of course, it's also about how you relate personally to all that information and shaping your own opinions and ideas about them.

2. Avoid extremism: When engaged in small talk with somebody you are unfamiliar with, do avoid making statements that may seem sweeping or one-sided to those who do not know you well. Such statements can run a gamut of topics -- politics, religion and even sports! For example, no Manchester United fan would appreciate hearing about how intensely you dislike their team.

3. Listen: The two-way flow of a conversation means that you really need to actively listen and respond genuinely to what the other person has to say even if it's small talk. Otherwise, they might think you enjoy the sound of your own voice a little too much.

Always consider your responses to what the other party is saying and try not to 'switch off' no matter how boring it might seem. Putting these into practice might create many opportunities to have rich conversations with others and who knows what that might lead to!

How to excel in GD - A guidance video - Part 1

Phonetic chart- The symbols for english phonemes.

GRE word list

1500 GRE words

An Introduction to Group Discussion - Video

Topics of Importance frequently discussed in Group Discussion

•Is India Shining

•Mobile phones / Internet – a boon or nuisance

•Students focusing on software industry-good or bad

•Child marriage

•India 2020

•Daughters are more caring than sons

•Influence of western culture in Indian Universities

•Influence of computers in medical sciences

Group Discussion

                                                               GROUP DISCUSSION

              Group Discussion is a modern method of assessing students personality.It is both a technique and an art and a comprehensive tool to judge the worthiness of the student and his  appropriateness for the job.

Group Discussion

•   The term suggests  a discussion among  a group of persons.

•The group will have 8 & 12  members who will express their  views freely, frankly in a friendly manner, on a topic of current issue.

• Within a time limit  of 20 to 30 minutes,the abilities of the members of the group is measured.

•Prerequisites of a Group Discussion

•Topics given by panelists

•Planning and preparation

•Knowledge with self-confidence

•Communication skills/ power of speech

•Presentation

•Body Language and personal appearance

•Being calm and cool 

 Prerequisites of a Group Discussion

•Extensive knowledge base related to state, country    and globe.

•Areas are  politics, sports, science & trade commerce, Industry and Technology, MNC, ect.

•Analyze the social, economical issues logistically .

•Listening skills

•Co-operation.

Benefits in Group discussion

•Stimulation of thinking in a new way.

•Expansion of knowledge

•Understanding  of  your strength and weakness.

•Your true personality is revealed and qualities of leadership crystallize

•provides  chance to Expose

•Language skills

•Academic knowledge

•Leadership skills

•people handling skills

•Team work

•General knowledge.

•Salient features of G.D

•Topic may be given to judge your public speaking talent.

•Discussion revolves around a specific subject.

•The examiner does not interfere once he announced the topic.

•Maintain cordiality and  free expression of thought and opinion.

Do`s in group discussion

• Appropriate to the issue .

• Make original points & support  them by substantial reasoning .

•Listen to the other participants actively &carefully.

•Whatever you say must be with a logical flow,&validate it with an example as far as possible.

•Make only accurate  statements

•Modulate the volume, pitch and tone.

•Be considerate to the feelings of the others.

•Try to get your turn.

•Be an active and dynamic participant by listening.

•Talk with confidence and self-assurance.

•Don’ts during group discussion

•Being shy /nervous / keeping isolated from G.D

•Interrupting another  participant before his arguments are over

•Speak in favour ; example:Establish your position and stand by it stubbornly

•Changed  opinions

•Don’t make fun of any participant even if his arguments are funny.

    Don`ts  during group discussion

• Don’t engage yourself in  sub-group conversation.

•Don’t repeat and use  irrelevant materials.

•Addressing yourself to the examiner.

•Worrying about making some grammatical mistakes,for your interest  the matter you put across are important.

Important points in group discussion

•Be assertive: An assertive person is direct , honest careful about not hurting others ‘self-respect’.

•A patient listener: listening to another person is one way of showing appreciation.

•Right language : Words can make friends & right words at the right time make  the best results.

•Be analytical and fact-oriented : It is necessary to make relevant points which can be supported with facts and analyzed logically.

Accept criticism

•If any member of the group criticizes or disapproves  a point,  it is unwise to get upset or react sharply.

•In case the criticism is flimsy,the same can be pointed out politely.

•Maximize participation ; one must try to contribute fully, vigorously & steadily throughout the discussion.

•Show leadership ability: A group discussion also evaluates your leadership qualities.

• Accept someone's  point of view

•Praise the argument

 Example: Remedial English  communication is necessary for  college students because they fail in communication skill test.

 Status of literacy  of women , is increased from 30% to 70% when compared to past years, in employment sectors organized ,in the IT & ITES field

Accept the contradicts view

•Express your argument  with few facts, cases, %,

Newspapers  publications etc.

•Express without hurting others feelings.

Suggestions

•Never try to bluff.

•Practice group discussion with friends on different subjects.

•Remember !speech is a powerful weapon.