The Indian education system is built in such a manner that puts unjustifiable importance on obtaining good marks. Without an impressive mark sheet, getting into a good college is considered impossible, which means the student loses his or her chance to be offered a good job that will then lead to a successful career. So, the base of a successful career, according to many, is scoring high marks.

However, taking into consideration that there is no interdependence between a students’ academic achievement and their success in life, it seems this model is terminally flawed. A student may cram and score in their exams, but when it comes to the real world, employers will always look at a candidate’s abilities rather than their marks. The basic idea that a candidate’s marks reflect in the current times is nothing more than the student’s ability to learn large amounts of text. They portray subjective knowledge but tell us nothing about the aptitude for the subject. For instance, students learning about automobiles can explain how to change a tyre in fifteen steps on paper but when it comes to practical knowledge they are clueless.

This is precisely why recruiters have adopted aptitude-based entrances, scrapping the practice of relying on marks as a sole indicator of a candidate’s potential. They take aptitude, general awareness, and soft skills like communication skills and team coordination into account to gain a holistic picture of the candidate’s capabilities.

What do the recruiters look out for? 

• Skill Set- The most essential thing to succeed in any career is a person’s skill set. This can be developed through theoretical knowledge and practical training acquired by internships or on-the-job experience.
• Learning Capacity- The 21st century is for hustlers, and the eagerness to continuously learn is a crucial ability that will help a candidate stand out from the crowd.
• Communication Skills- Whether it is to talk to customers, clients, heads of the company, or even one’s own teammates, communication skills are incredibly essential for anyone looking to have a successful career.
• Ownership- Being able to work well and have the skill set required will prove to be helpful but to succeed in one’s career, it’s vital to be able to take ownership and responsibility.

Unfortunately, these skills are not covered in our conventional education system despite the demand for them in the job market. Employers want candidates who are skilled at the work they do and possess the soft-skills to match it. Even the person with the best mark sheet is not guaranteed a job if they don’t possess these qualities, no matter how excellent their academic record may be.

“The world economy no longer pays you for what you know; Google knows everything. The world economy pays you for what you can do with what you know.” – Andrea Schleicher (Director for Education and Skills for the OECD)

It’s important to understand that marks are not the only prerequisite to walk on the road to success. The 21st century doesn’t require the conventional norms of education. Instead, it requires the holistic development of students so that they can become skilled professionals, irrespective of their fields.