Academic Session: – 2024-2025
Date: Thursday, 1st May, 2025; 11:00am – 1:00pm
Mode of Activity: Offline
Target Group: Under Graduate Students
Faculty Coordinator: Dr. Sudesh Sangwan and Dr. Poonam Kumari, Assistant Professors, School of Liberal Arts
Organized by: School of Liberal Arts (SLA)
Venue: Seminar Hall, Administrative Block, Noida International University
Number of Participants: 100
Introduction:
The seminar on “FutureProof: Skills You Need Before Day 1 of your First Job” brought together industry expert and academics to prepare students for the rapidly evolving job market. The session was designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical workplace requirements, focusing on essential skills that employers seek in fresh graduates. The speaker for the session was Harsh Vardhan, industry leader and career development specialist who provided insights into current industry expectations and future workplace trends.
Objectives: To enable the students to:
- Understand the core competencies demanded by today’s employers
- Develop practical strategies for professional skill development
- Learn effective communication and networking techniques
- Gain insights into workplace etiquette and professional conduct
- Acquire digital literacy and technological adaptability skills
- Understand the importance of emotional intelligence in professional settings
Program Schedule
The Program commenced at 11:00 AM with a welcome note and formal introduction of the guest speaker. He delivered a presentation on specific workplace skills critical for new graduates. The proceedings were as follows: Professional Communication, Digital Literacy and Tech Adaptability in the Modern Workplace, Emotional Intelligence and Navigating Workplace Dynamics: Etiquette, Networking and Collaboration. Towards the end of the session a question answer round followed with a vote of thanks and presenting memento to the guest by honourable Dean of School of Liberal Arts, Prof. Dr. Aparna Sharma.
Content:
The speaker emphasized the critical importance of effective communication skills in professional settings, highlighting about Written Communication, Verbal Communication, Presentation Skills and Cross-cultural Communication. The speaker highlighted that nearly 60% of hiring managers cite communication skills as the primary deficit in recent graduates, emphasizing the need to practice these skills before entering the workforce. The second issue was focused on the technological competencies expected of today’s graduates like Basic Technical Proficiencies, Digital Problem-Solving, Digital Ethics and Security. The speaker emphasized that technological adaptability rather than proficiency in specific tools is what employers value most, as workplace technologies change approximately every 18 months. He also addressed the increasingly important role of emotional intelligence in professional success and shared research indicating that emotional intelligence accounts for 58% of success in all job types and is the strongest predictor of performance in leadership positions. The final topic covered the often unwritten rules of workplace interaction like Professional Etiquette, Networking Skills, Teamwork and Collaboration and ethical navigation of organizational dynamics and relationship-building with supervisors, peers, and subordinates. He emphasized that approximately 70% of professional opportunities come through network connections rather than formal applications, highlighting the critical importance of relationship-building skills.
Conclusion:
The seminar concluded that success in today’s dynamic workplace requires a blend of technical know-how, soft skills, and adaptability. The speaker unanimously emphasized that while academic knowledge forms a foundation, workplace success depends heavily on communication abilities, emotional intelligence, technological adaptability, and relationship-building skills. The interactive Q&A session that followed allowed students to address specific concerns related to their disciplines and career aspirations. Students were encouraged to start developing these essential skills during their academic years through internships, volunteer work, and campus activities. In this way the “FutureProof” session provided students with practical strategies to develop these enduring competencies before their first day on the job.
