SKILLS OVER SCORES

FOR decades, academic scores have served as the most visible signal of merit.

- 

Report cards decide who gets shortlisted, who is praised at home, and who feels confident walking into a placement hall. Employers continue to look at scores while screening large applicant pools, and do respect academic efforts. What has changed, however, is what those marks can realistically tell them.

"Marks still carry weight as a basic screening tool," says Dr Brillian S K, Chief People Officer at TimesPro, a workforce skilling and employability platform that works closely on early-career talent development. High scores signal discipline, consistency, and the ability to work through a syllabus. Once basic criteria are checked, however, the evaluation becomes more applied. "After the first round, we look for proof of readiness: how well they can think, communicate, and learn without needing too much guidance," he explains.

This shift has been driven by the way entrylevel roles themselves have changed. Abhishek Arora, CEO of TimesPro, points out that teams are leaner and young hires are closer to outcomes than they used to be. "Entry-level talent is expected to contribute to measurable outcomes, not just 'support' work," he says. Routine tasks are increasingly compressed by tools, pushing the human value towards judgement, problem framing, and execution quality.