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Employability Skills of 2025 – talk by Mr. Srinath Sethuraman to the second-year MBA students at SMVITM

On March 29, 2025, Mr. Srinath Sethuraman delivered an engaging talk on “Employability Skills of 2025” to the second-year MBA students at SMVITM, MBA Block. The session began with an interactive activity where Mr. Sethuraman presented various pictures, encouraging students to articulate their choices and the qualities they associated with those images. This set the stage for discussing personal communication, emphasizing the importance of effectively introducing oneself, particularly in professional settings. Mr. Sethuraman highlighted techniques for enhancing one’s self-introduction, such as using vocal emphasis on one’s name—raising the pitch and elongating the pronunciation to leave a lasting impression. He outlined the 4 P’s of preparing for HR interviews: Planning, Preparing, Practicing, and Presenting, which are crucial for making a positive impression on potential employers. He elaborated on the significance of communication in shaping organizational culture, stressing how behavior and interactions in the workplace are fundamentally rooted in communication skills. Mr. Sethuraman identified prevalent challenges, noting that the greatest issue in communication is the false assumption that it has occurred, which can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication. Through various examples, he illustrated the difference between effective and ineffective communication, delving into concepts such as vague versus specific language, the importance of ownership in communication (e.g., “You and I” statements), and the distinctions between inferential and descriptive statements. He also discussed the importance of taking responsibility in conversations instead of blaming others.
Finally, Mr. Sethuraman outlined key communication goals: to change behavior, prompt action, ensure understanding, persuade, and exchange information accurately.