To the rather pompous Mr. Chandra:
1. Forum / Audience - For someone giving advice on communication to India's graduating class, it is surprising you chose the NY times as your forum Vs any of the national dailies in India.
2. The "message" - is a broad (and inaccurate) generalization on the calibre, skills and work ethic of a rather large and diverse population. tch tch.
3. As the "Employer" and the "giver of the paycheck" - Are you suggesting that the most recent batch of graduates/post graduates at KPMG: cant speak English fluently, are poor problem solvers, have a poor work ethic, are unprofessional / unethical; and are at KPMG only because they could not find a better deal anywhere else?
Think about that for a moment - and then decide for yourself whose failure that is? The graduates/post graduates OR the "Employer"
What is the "Employer" in India Inc. doing today to build and develop these attributes in their workforce; OR attract the talent they want to their organizations.
4. Language skills - you seem to have overlooked comprehension and only focused on written and verbal skills. I have come across many many people that were gifted problem solvers, technical geniuses but struggled with written and verbal communication. Most of these people were still quite successful because of their innate skill; or strong communication skills in their native language. In total numbers I am willing to bet that India still produces a very large number of graduates/post graduates that are fluent in English (written, verbal, and comprehension) that the global economy as a whole can and is benefiting from.
5. "Graduates / Post-Graduates are spoilt" !!!???? - You will benefit immensely if you had a conversation with anyone that is competing in today's educational environment in India. The challenges / circumstances faced by today's generation of graduates / postgraduates are very different from what you faced.
If you try to look through the recesses of your memory, I am sure you will recall a very similar assessment of your generation not so long ago. You are just replicating that same scenario.
Another thing to remember is that we all want to better our lives and the lives of our children. And in that continuous cycle - future generations will have more and better opportunities which they will possibly take for granted. But does that necessarily make them spoilt?
6. The only statement that I felt was accurate in your article was: "Our role, as your employer, is to ensure you have the tools, resources and opportunities you need to be successful. The rest is up to you." I could not agree more - each of us is responsible for how we build / develop our careers.
The following link is an illuminating presentation on India's innovation: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/nirmalya_kumar_india_s_invisible_entrepreneurs.html
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About Me
- RMS
- The quintessential bengali. Generally round :) , happy go lucky attitude. Can read and write, and occassionally sing!! Love to play the Tabla. A passion for good music and fine dining.