Good marks equal to good career: Is the formula working?

In the Indian society, children are brought up with the mind-set that they must score high marks in school and college exams to succeed in life. Parents believe this is a fail-proof formula, especially when it comes to board exams and competitive exams. Students who choose to take up a subject from the STEM or Commerce groups for higher studies end up believing in the high marks = more pay formula themselves.  

But is it working? If so, why do we have so many sad exceptions all around us? India does not lack in unemployed or under-employed good students, nor do we lack examples of kids who did not score so high but have successful, and satisfying, careers. What’s happening?  

Why are high scores no more a step to sure success?  
Top reasons why the marks / success formula is not working are:  

• Population: There are too many students with marks above 90% or even above 95% in all exams. The number of colleges or the number of jobs has not increased in proportion to population. This simple Math needs to be kept in mind  
• Marks are not the best way to judge ability: Jobs require a platter of skills that may or may not be represented by marks  
• Marks have little to do with soft skills: A student with a great report card may be uninspired, lazy or even confused. There’s little chance of career success in the world today for those with only hard skills and low soft skills  

Students, parents and teachers often lose sight of these factors while chasing marks.  

What is needed for career success apart from high test scores?  
And here comes some of the factors millennial employers are looking for:  

• Real skills: Theoretical learning is pointless without the related hard and soft skills. No job is an exception to this rule. Hands-on training and soft skills are as important as marks, perhaps more 
• Growth mentality: Unlike the world of 1970’s or 80’s, there is no job that can thrive on static knowledge. In a technologically advanced, fast moving world, all employees must have a thirst for knowledge and affinity towards growth  
• Entrepreneurship skills: Not every student will start a business. But entrepreneurship attitude is about taking responsibilities, teamwork and flexibility, attributes that are required even in office jobs now  

Parents need to embrace change. Dropping the marks = success formula is part of that.