As the placement season begins, I can sense the tension in the air of our college. And I’m pretty sure it’s more or less the same in every engineering institute. Amidst all this, my friend was so excited when she saw the mail in her inbox with the subject line "Congratulations!"—words she had longed to read. But as she clicked open the email, what should’ve been an opportunity turned into a hard lesson. Despite excelling academically, she was turned down due to a lack of experience.

It became clear that in today’s fast-paced world, industries and hiring managers seek people who can jump straight into work.

For entry-level jobs, it's estimated that 61% ask for at least three years of prior experience. This growing trend shows that employers are seeking candidates with some experience, even for traditionally considered entry-level jobs.

The truth is that companies often consider entry-level hires without experience a liability. They’d rather spend extra time, resources, and money to find an experienced candidate than use company resources, management, and employee time to train an inexperienced one. Companies simply don't want to invest in the unlearning and relearning process of hiring fresh graduates, no matter how intelligent they may be.

Now it’s evident that everyone wants experience. One cannot learn a concept or skill without it. But here, the question arises:

What comes under experience for college students? And how are fresh graduates dealing with this problem today?

Graduates now know that their college grades are not enough, so they tend to go for alternative courses and credentials. However, online courses are growing in popularity, it can't take the place of real-world experience because we know that online courses are feasible and provide a good knowledge base to students, but they still lack real-world challenges. Many soft skills like teamwork, communication skills, and collaborative skills aren't built through any theoretical courses as they require a professional environment. A student who has worked under a professor or with a group for some real-world projects is more likely to have these crucial skills, which can never be learned in online spaces. Industry-based knowledge can solely be achieved through practical experiences as it's a skill that takes practice to master. Online courses may impart fundamental principles, but they may not address the specific industry nuances that are often essential to a job.

While online courses may provide educational benefits, they fall short when it comes to providing practical experience—something that hiring managers value the most. The only credential that truly matters is experience. There’s a reason the majority of resumes and LinkedIn profiles are dedicated to it.

So how do college students obtain experience today?
When companies say they want experience, most of us wonder how we are supposed to get experience without a job, and a job without experience. But do you know what exactly they mean when they say they want experience?

Well, experience is not just about traditional pre-employment jobs. it's about the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.

Identifying your niche, doing courses according to your interests, engaging in various projects that solve real-life problems, or working under a professor for research purposes—all of these not only help in upgrading your skills but also show that you can take an idea, design it, and implement it in the right way to solve a problem. That’s real-world engineering.

But if we know, that these types of projects need to be done to get real experience then what is stopping the students from doing so? what are the barriers that prevent students from acquiring this experience?

1. Lack of Industry Exposure:

Many academic curriculums are too theoretical, leaving students with limited exposure to industry practices. Without internships, practical projects, or collaborations with industry experts, students are often unable to apply what they learn in class to real-world scenarios. This disconnect prevents them from gaining hands-on experience that employers value.

2. Limited Access to Resources and Mentorship:

Students lack access to industry-standard tools, software, and mentorship from professionals who could guide them in solving real-life problems. Without these resources, they miss out on the opportunity to work on projects that mirror real-world challenges.

3. Focus on Grades Over Practical Skills:

The pressure to perform academically often overshadows the importance of developing practical skills. Many students focus on exams and grades rather than hands-on projects or internships, which leads to a gap in their ability to demonstrate how they can apply their knowledge in a professional setting.

4. Unstructured Learning Paths:

Students often don’t know how to build a structured path from their academic learning to real-world applications. Without a clear guide on how to identify their niche, participate in meaningful projects, or seek mentorship, they miss opportunities to gain valuable experience.

This gap between knowledge-based learning and real-world application is so significant that now people tend to unsee it, instead, it’s getting bigger and bigger.

What’s being done about it? Nothing.

That’s why we, a group of undergrads who experienced this gap firsthand, decided to address it in the best way possible. And that’s how Vidhira by Daira came to life.

We envisage tackling these shortfalls through the following measures:

1. Industry-Integrated Curriculum:

Vidhira integrates academic learning with industry-based projects. By partnering with industry professionals and companies, students will gain real exposure to the challenges and practices within their chosen fields, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings.

2. Project-Based Learning:

Vidhira will emphasize working on real-world projects from day one. These projects will be designed to solve actual problems, giving students hands-on experience in problem-solving, innovation, and critical thinking—skills that employers are actively seeking.

3. Mentorship and Resources:

Vidhira will connect students with mentors from various industries to guide them through their learning and projects. It will also provide access to industry-standard tools and software, helping students to familiarize themselves with the resources they’ll need in professional environments.

4. Personalized Learning Path:

The program will help students identify their niche by providing personalized guidance on courses, projects, and internships that align with their interests and career goals. This structured learning path ensures that students can progress from gaining theoretical knowledge to applying it effectively in the real world.

With Vidhira by Daira, we aim to bridge this gap by offering students structured, hands-on experiences from day one, empowering them to not only meet industry demands but exceed them. It's time to stop seeing experience as a barrier and start treating it as an opportunity to demonstrate real-world problem-solving, creativity, and initiative. The future isn't just about learning—it's about applying what you've learned to create a real impact. And with the right guidance, every student has the potential to turn knowledge into experience.