I have conducted soft skills training at Dibrugarh University, Assam Engineering College, and several other institutions across the state. And every single time, the same thing happens: students arrive thinking this is going to be boring, and by the end, they do not want to leave.
The problem I see every year
Every year, thousands of students graduate from universities in Assam with solid academic knowledge. They know their subjects. They have passed their exams. And then they sit in job interviews and freeze. They cannot articulate their thoughts. They fidget. They give one-word answers to open-ended questions.
This is not their fault. Our education system focuses almost entirely on content and barely at all on how to express that content. I had a student from Jorhat who scored brilliantly in his engineering exams but could not introduce himself to a panel without his voice shaking. We worked on it for three sessions, and he landed a job at a multinational company.
What I teach in university workshops
My soft skills workshops are not lectures. I do not stand at the front and talk at students for two hours. We do exercises:
- Impromptu speaking — you get a random topic and 60 seconds. No preparation. You learn to think on your feet.
- Active listening drills — paired exercises where one person speaks and the other must summarise what they heard. Most people realise they are terrible listeners.
- Body language awareness — how you stand, where you look, what your hands are doing. These things speak louder than words.
- Conflict resolution scenarios — role-playing difficult conversations. Students learn that disagreement does not require aggression.
I also incorporate NLP techniques to help students manage exam anxiety and interview nerves. My posts on NLP confidence techniques and building confidence cover some of what we practise in these sessions.
Why this matters for Assam
Northeast India has incredible talent. Our students are as intelligent and capable as anyone in the country. But we often lack the platforms and training opportunities that students in metros take for granted. Soft skills training bridges that gap.
When a student from Dibrugarh or Tezpur or Silchar can walk into an interview in Bangalore or Delhi and communicate with confidence, that is not just personal success — it is representation for our entire region.
Getting started
If you are a student reading this, start with my public speaking confidence post. Practice speaking in front of a mirror for two minutes every day on any topic. Record yourself on your phone and watch it back. These small habits build the foundation.
For universities interested in hosting workshops, contact Hem’s Academy. We tailor our sessions to the specific needs of each institution.
