Experience a boon in job hunting

Experience counts more than education in finding a job

New Delhi, July 29: More than nine in 10 people in India believe experience is more helpful than education in securing a suitable job, says a report by staffing and HR services firm Randstad.

According to Randstad Workmonitor Survey Q2 2013, education alone may not be enough for people who are on a lookout for a suitable job and this is true for both young as well as matured workers. In India, 91 per cent of the respondents feel that experience counts more than education in finding a suitable job, which higher in comparison to the world average of 81 per cent.

In case of younger people, 82 per cent of the respondents said experience weighs harder than education as compared to the rest of the world’s 69 per cent. “Organisations and job seekers are keen to find a right mix between experience, edu- cation and job match,” Randstad India CEO Moorthy Uppaluri said.

Mr Uppaluri further said that “though current recruitment practices are increasingly aligned towards relevant experience, as India moves up the value chain, there will be quite a few roles requiring specific skills backed by relevant education and training.” The survey further said that Indians struggle to find the suitable job with 66 per cent respondents saying its hard for younger workers to find a suitable job. In case of older workers, this figure stands at 79 per cent.

“It is an interesting dilemma where companies are unable to find the right talent and candidates are unable to find a suitable job,” Mr Uppaluri said. He added, “India Inc should invest in ensuring there is a right job — candidate fit and have robust training programmes. Such measures will help companies remain attractive for the workforce in the long term.” Meanwhile, about 72 per cent of the women respondents said it is a little difficult for young individuals to find a suitable job.