The youth of today are presented with a really heightened competition for entry level employment. India is on its way to add 80 million new job-seekers by 2025, most of them unskilled. Yet the country has to offer only 30 million new jobs projected at current rates. The scenario is abysmal when you factor in the aspect of education being a social vulnerability. Don’t get me wrong, its vulnerability is attributed to choices, poverty and social inequity. Yet there are some elemental things that differentiate a talented candidate from the herd. And it’s not skills or degrees that make you stand out.
I have been on both sides of the coin. I have been a job seeker and now am a job creator. The journey has been a long one and most definitely a rewarding one with all its ups and downs. A bootstrapped startup such as GoodWorkLabs is bound to achieve success only because of the team it surrounds itself with who are unique in their abilities and unified in their passion. Keeping the current tech industry in mind our advice for the vibrant and passionate youth is this:
what do TECH STARTUPs want from the youthInnovators: The industry is constantly looking for bright minds, innovators and awesome programmers to join. A group of talented innovators has many compelling differentiators. Ideally they have strong connections and compatibility with young entrepreneurs which is what drives growth, both internal and external to the company.
Problem solvers: Take inspiration from Mark Whatney in ‘The Martian.’ When things go south, either you can accept that or you can get to work. Positions in tech startups need excellent problem solving skills and in-depth knowledge of data structures and computer programming concepts. You might not have the latter, but you definitely need the mind-set and the fervor instilled in you. Never give up. We like that, trust me.
Passion: Passion drives us. Candidates who want to make a mark in the industry can only survive in the long run. There is no alternative to the fact that your individuality is what makes you special, yet if you do not know how to connect yourself to the larger picture, what’s the point?
Measure, maneuver and find Ideas: This is the age of technology where art meets science. Creativity and coming up with awesome ideas are the rave but if you are not able to manipulate it in a productive way, identify pain points, solve them, it wouldn’t matter. So just remember the long game. Do you want to take a dip in the river, or do you want to take a dive?
Age, experience, Degree or college doesn’t matter. Let your code and algorithms do the talking. Period. Experience levels are just an indication to how much you know. What matters is the quality of your experience and not the dog years you have put in. What matters is your grey cells and not your grey hair.
Study the market: It’s a Developers market. iOS and Android developers are attracting attention from app-based products and services. That being said, until and unless you have a clear understanding of what is the demand in the industry, what is trending amongst users and which idea will be an equivalent of a curve ball, it will be difficult to find a niche for yourself.
YOUTH is crucial to changeIt is undeniable that the youth in the technology scene have transfigured the world. The Zuckerbergs, Jobs and Gates of the world are a beacon of change who were out to fashion the world in their own little ways, which is why they are revered and admired. The facts are humbling and intimidating. Ideas and creativity are all the rage right now, yet businesses are tumbling for the lack of one single thing, trying something new.
The industry practically needs people who don’t have the blinders of past experience and are willing to try something new that experienced or ‘seasoned’ executives haven’t even considered. The young and the restless are quick to adapt and mold new technologies that might just turn the game around and leap way ahead of the curve, and achieve the much elusive yet miraculous ‘moonshot.’ The youth is the competitive weapon of the century because their open mindedness far outweighs the experienced.
Guest Author
Vishwas Mudagal is the CEO & Co-founder of GoodWorklabs.
