Jay Rathod is the Founder of Goal2Learn Institute, an agency styled institute where students are given optimal level of training to match up to the fast-paced agency life set up with practical live projects, industry experts and faculties with industry experience. Jay is a digital marketeer with a decade long experience in corporate business management and entrepreneurship. An engineer by education turned marketing entrepreneur with his digital agency Koffeetech communication turned marketing expert, Jay understood the void in the learning process with practical knowledge of this budding industry of Digital marketing which has now benefitted 1000+ students with its programs. In a conversation with Higher Education Digest, Jay talks about the employability status of young Indian students, job opportunities available in Digital Marketing, impact of upskilling and much more.
Despite being a developing nation with many young talents, do we have appropriate skilling infrastructure in our country? Also, please elaborate on the employability status of young Indian students.
A growing economy like India has a demand for a large pool of skilled professionals. The working force in our country is projected to grow more than 20% annually. The existing skilling infrastructure is still not up to the mark which is clearly visible in our system. Recruiters while hiring fresh talents look for high-skilled individuals who are ready to take a deep-dive into the industry. Majority of our workforce is semi-skilled as our education system falls short of elevating the industry-preparedness and employability.
In today’s developing world, it is imperative for the companies to invest a huge deal in training to imbibe relevant skills within the workforce. The employment status of Indian students has a large scope of improvement which is a testament to our education system; The theory knowledge imparted to them above practical knowledge over actual skills that are mandatory to sustain in this highly competitive market.
As the country progresses into knowledge and digital economy, what are the significant challenges for India’s traditional institutions?
The new normal has been a challenge for teachers who had to shift their approach overnight from in person teaching to virtual teaching having to adapt to the complex digital world and imbibing the technical expertise. Technological prowess is still a challenge that can be solved but, in my opinion, the biggest barrier that e-learning faces in India, is the access to e-learning.
Without a uniform digital infrastructure, both students and teachers have faced unprecedented challenges. With 65% of our country’s population residing in rural areas, limited or absent access to the internet and power supply plays a major concern for remote learning. This is the challenge that the ed-tech sector in collaboration with service providers should address in order to reach the length and breadth of the country.
What are the opportunities Goal 2 Learn see in the Indian education market? Also, what are the challenges for you to become a significant player here?
The COVID19 nationwide lockdown posed as an emergency for all the schools, colleges, universities and coaching institutes to switch to E-learning to ensure the completion of the academic year offering EdTech companies an opportunity to achieve their long-term business goals within six months.
Industry and institutional collaborations for accreditations and certifications has been an opportunity for Goal 2 Learn in building confidence and moving forward. Lack of technological infrastructure in the remote areas of our country is the main challenge restricting us to gain wider reach.
Why should someone pursue a Digital Marketing course now? What are the job opportunities available in this sector?
The digital marketing industry has swiftly grown from being a supplementary marketing tool to a primary tool in no time. Over the last decade, marketing has evolved at a high-speed right from print to digital medium. With the growing market demand, the need for skilled marketers is also skyscraping.
The growth prospects in this industry may vary from company to company depending on the experience you carry. As a fresher, you can join the industry as a Digital Marketing Executive or a SEO Executive, SMM Executive, SEM Executive and so on. You might do tasks that involve analyzing, testing and researching at entry level, creating a strong base for any additional and more complex roles. Assisting the strategy team for a digital campaign, planning and monitoring the ongoing business campaigns on social media, giving out creative ideas for content marketing, working with the design team to improve user experience are few of the base level responsibilities in the field of digital marketing.
What are the critical skills that today’s Digital Marketing recruiters consider when hiring fresh graduates?
Up-to-date tech knowledge, market research, content writing, networking building, SEO skills, data analysis, social media skills are some of the factors that a recruiter will look for while hiring graduates to the company. These skills can be acquired through internship experiences or opting for online certified courses giving a one-step ahead in the competition.
What impact will upskilling create on graduates and working professionals, especially those looking for a better Digital Marketing role?
The world is changing at a rapid pace regardless of technology or societal shifts. Learning to adapt to these changes is mandatory to stay competitive in the job market. When an individual upskills himself, he not only upgrades but levels up his skills and potential capabilities by undergoing specific training and development programs.
In a dynamic field like digital marketing, acquiring new skills and improving the existing ones guarantees one to keep going with the shift in the patterns the industry is experiencing. Just like professionals, graduates need to understand the importance of developing skill sets to match up with the momentum which will define their career trajectory.
Experts in the education and industry say that many present jobs and skill sets will soon become redundant. What are the major changes that we can expect in future employment?
The future of the working sector will be less about college degrees but will be more and more about the skills. Practical and skill-based knowledge takes everything a step ahead. It is the hands-on learning experience that actually makes one do things as opposed to knowing how to do it on paper. Getting the students trained completely with practical aspects and making them industry ready is exactly what colleges/ institutions should be working towards in order to churn out able and skilled resources.
What is your advice to the students?
My advice to the students would be to keep themselves updated with the latest trends of the industry, willingness to learn to understand the ever-changing dynamics of the marketplace. Right technical knowledge combined with soft skills and a good understanding of the business domain will shape as a successful professional. If you are planning to gain industry experience while studying, then opting for an internship will be an ideal opportunity to get job ready.