For a Job, Critical Thinking and Reflection Are Just as Essential as Communication

N. Raghuraman Management Guru

There were 22 people in front of me and I was standing alone. Two minutes ago, the professor-in-charge had finished his speech, in which he said, ‘This is your last chance. If you want to get a job, you will have to learn some skills in the next seven days. Pointing towards me he said, ‘We have called the best person for communication skills and critical thinking.

These are the two reasons why you did not get the job of your choice. After listening to him, I remembered an English word – ‘triteness’. That is, such ideas, phrases or topics which have lost their impact and freshness due to repeated repetition. I could read their faces, which were saying a lot in my ears even while remaining silent.

I pointed to two students and said, ‘Are you both thinking how boring and artificial this is?’ Both of them smiled shyly and nodded. I asked, ‘How do you think I knew the same words that were running through your mind?’ I asked, ‘Tell me quickly, what words came to your mind?’ ‘I don’t know’ or ‘How do we know?’

Incidentally, both of you thought of the latter. He smiled again and I also laughed out loud. My ability to make fun of myself in his words put him at ease. My confidence increased and I said, ‘If you are wondering again how I came to know, then my answer is that I pay more attention to your energy, emotions, hesitation, silence and body behavior.

There are many people like you in this world, who carry more within themselves than they show outside. Pointing to the other boy I said, ‘The person who is laughing may be the most stressed.’

Then, showing the person sitting farthest away, he said, ‘A calm person can be in deep thought.’ When you work with people more, you realize that communication rarely has anything to do with words.

Experts say that if you really want to learn communication and critical thinking, then practicing thinking is the best way. Now even the interview patterns are changing. Recruiters are beginning to ask, ‘What did you learn at university or in your previous job that will make you successful in the newly created position at our company?’

Students applying for their first job or those looking to change jobs are expected to give thoughtful answers. And the quality that is necessary to give such intelligent answers is ‘thinking’. Most centers of development teach a limited number of skills for specific occupations, so that people can get their first job after finishing university. But when they develop the ability to reflect on their every experience, they suddenly start appearing mature.

LinkedIn estimates that people entering the workforce today will have twice the number of jobs in their careers than those who started 15 years ago. In part, this is because young graduates are developing transferable skills to get ahead in the working world. They will also contribute to the people around to remain sharper at their workplace. And ‘thinking’ becomes the biggest medium to transfer this skill.

The bottom line is that When students have opportunities to put their learning into practice, they leave school, college, and internships better prepared, no matter which path they choose. Because, by thinking, those essential skills become included in their DNA.

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