Students are taught how to score marks, complete assignments, and build resumes, but are we really taught how to handle rejection, pressure, self-doubt, and interview anxiety?
Many students enter professional life feeling mentally overwhelmed despite being academically qualified. Confidence, emotional resilience, and communication are just as important as grades, yet these conversations are often overlooked.
Sometimes, even social media creates a breeding ground for self-doubt and unnecessary comparisons. As students, we are often overwhelmed by the stress of balancing academics while preparing ourselves for professional life.
It doesn’t help that many people around us have suggestions and tips to give, but it only overwhelms us more, thinking that we don’t have any idea about our future.
The future may feel frightening and unpredictable, but moving forward with self-confidence, adaptability, and patience can help us grow through these experiences instead of fearing them. We should learn not only how to succeed professionally, but also how to handle setbacks emotionally.
A question to reflect on:
Are institutions preparing students only academically, or emotionally as well for professional life?
I failed terribly at my first interview even though i knew every answer to the question. I feel the lack of preparedness to enter in such pressured environment ruined it for me. I think a mock interview practice at our professional colleges might have helped us. Because no matter how much ready theoretically we are, the Novelty Anxiety ruins the experience.
No. They are primarily concerned about fulfillment of the academic criteria. The practicality of how we apply our knowledge in the real world is not taught to students.
There are certain institutes that have a special course as part of curriculum even though not graded.These courses are designed to train students not just for mock interviews but also how to progress emotionally through these stages. Professional setbacks are a part of life and how to deal with them is taught in few institutes I personally know.Although there needs to be integration of such aspects on a large scale.
Many students and individuals lack emotional intelligence, parents, teachers and society should train individuals to stay resilient at times of setbacks
Almost all of us go well prepared to interviews; it’s just the pressure and anxiety of getting out of your comfort zone, interacting with new people and doing something different that makes us nervous and scared, and if we are taught from the beginning that we already know what to do for job interviews. Our mind’s first instinct will be reassurance and not doubt and anxiety