– Dr. Anand Wadadekar is the Pune-based founder of National Forum for Learning, Innovation and Growth

A few days ago, while watching a documentary Made in India: A Titan Story (Amazon Prime), one phrase prompted me to pen this advisory for EducationWorld readers. The phrase was “Discussion nahi, demonstration,” articulated by the late Xerxes Desai (1937-2016), the legendary Founding-Director and CEO of this blue-chip company that dominates the watches and fashion jewellery manufacturing industries.

Just three words. But I believe they capture one of the most important lessons for every student preparing to enter the corporate world.

For years, students were taught to discuss what they know but today, employers are asking job seekers to ‘demonstrate what they can do’. That is the biggest shift taking place in the world of career planning and employment.

For millennials, the success formula was study sincerely — score good marks, earn a degree, prepare a résumé, attend interviews and land a job. Today a degree still matters, a résumé still matters, academic performance still matters, but they are the starting point of satisfactory employment.

When you sit across job interviewers, your résumé introduces you, but your portfolio convinces them. Your resume starts the conversation, but your portfolio instils confidence; your resume tells, but your portfolio shows. That’s the difference between discussion and demonstration.

Imagine I am interviewing two BA/BBA/MBA students. The first student says, “Sir, I know digital marketing.” The second student says, “Sir, during my internship, I managed an Instagram campaign. Here are the creatives I designed, the analytics dashboard, the engagement report, and the lessons I learnt from the campaign.”

Which student will impress me more? The answer is obvious. Not because the second student was more articulate. But because she demonstrated capability. That is what employers have increasingly started valuing.

Building a portfolio. A résumé is a summary, a portfolio is evidence. A résumé says “I have analytical skills”, a portfolio shows perhaps a market research report, a Power BI dashboard/a financial model, a business strategy presentation or a data-driven recommendation. A resume says “I possess leadership qualities”, a portfolio should include the college event you organised, photographs, appreciation letters, testimonials, measurable outcomes. A résumé says “I have communication skills”, a portfolio shows videos of your presentations, workshops you conducted, articles you published, debates in which you participated. In sum, a résumé contains words, a portfolio provides proof. The former is discussion, the latter is demonstration.

The corporate world is already moving in this direction. If you aspire to become a software professional, recruiters are likely to ask for your GitHub profile. They don’t just want to know that you can code, they want to see the applications you have built, your open-source contributions, and quality of your work.

Likewise, if you wish to become a designer, employers will ask to see your portfolio. They want proof of your creativity, your design thinking, and problems you have solved. The words ‘Creative Designer’ on your resume are unlikely to impress them.

Increasingly marketing professionals are expected to showcase campaigns they have executed and content creators asked to present articles, videos, and engagement metrics, and data analysts are expected to share dashboards and business insights, researchers their published work. Architects have to present designs, photographers photographs, filmmakers films, musicians present audio clips.

Every assignment is valuable. A common mistake of students is that they complete an assignment, submit it, receive marks, forget it. Big error.

Every assignment is an opportunity to build your portfolio; every case study is proof of analytical thinking; every presentation demonstrates your communication skills; every internship demonstrates professional maturity; every research project demonstrates curiosity and every business plan demonstrates entrepreneurial mindset.

Therefore, nothing should be wasted. Your college years are not merely about collecting grades, they provide opportunities for demonstrating your potential.

Start building your Career Portfolio. Before you graduate, it’s important to build a Career Portfolio. It should include your best academic projects, internship work, business plans, case study analyses, research papers, Power BI or tableau dashboards, AI-assisted projects, essays, blogs, presentation videos, leadership activities, volunteering initiatives, competition awards, faculty recommendations, industry mentor testimonials, LinkedIn profile, resume.

And every time you prepare for an interview, remember those strategic words of Xerxes Desai “Discussion nahi, demonstration.” Let that become your career progression strategy. To sum up, after graduation, your degree will open the door. Your résumé may get you an interview. But your portfolio — evidence of learning, effort, and impact — will help you earn employers’ trust.

And in the contemporary world, trust is the foundation of employability.