Hyderabad: A degree, an internship, a handful of certifications, aptitude training and perhaps coaching for a competitive exam — what was once considered an added advantage is fast becoming the norm for students.As educational and career pathways multiply, many youngsters find themselves caught in a relentless race to collect credentials, unsure of which ones employers actually value but unwilling to risk being left behind.Need to stand outThe pressure to build a competitive profile begins well before graduation. From school students taking up extracurricular activities and specialised courses to strengthen college applications to undergraduates juggling internships, certifications and skill-development programmes alongside academics, many feel that classroom learning alone is no longer enough.“What used to help our seniors stand out has now become a bare minimum expectation. Unless we have completed internships and certification courses, companies are not even willing to look at our resumes. In the AI era, employers want proof of practical skills and the ability to adapt and learn continuously,” said Vatsan Sri Rangarajan, a final-year computer science engineering student at a private university in Hyderabad.He said that he had completed as many as 15 certificate courses, including those offered by IBM and Infosys, completed two internships and participated in several hackathons to improve his employability prospects.‘Revisit curriculum, expectations’The trend is not confined to professional courses. Students pursuing programmes such as political science, journalism and mass communication, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and law, among others, are increasingly expected to supplement their degrees with internships, projects and industry exposure, reflecting a wider shift towards employability-focused education.“All we are told is the more internships we do, the better it is. I just entered the third year of my five-year degree and have already completed four internships. The problem is it feels like a race. Some of my classmates have completed eight internships already. More than quality, it’s about numbers. Further, we are unable to concentrate on academics because of this pressure to do internships. In some cases, they are not even of good quality as they assign us random work,” said Sushyam Vighnesh Pydi, a third-year BBA LLB student.He said there is a need to revisit curriculum requirements and expectations to ensure students do not end up prioritising quantity over meaningful learning experiences.The pressure to build credentials is no longer limited to undergraduate studies. For many students and parents, it begins as early as intermediate, when academic courses themselves are increasingly bundled with competitive exam coaching.Across Telangana, many junior colleges have moved towards integrated programmes that combine intermediate education with coaching for entrance examinations such as JEE, NEET, EAPCET, CLAT, IPMAT and CUET. For many students, enrolling in a regular intermediate course is no longer the default option, with institutions charging lakhs of rupees for these bundled programmes.“I thought only MPC and BiPC came along with coaching for engineering and medical entrance exams. But even MEC, CEC and HEC are now being sold as packages that prepare students for multiple entrance tests simultaneously. In the end, it feels like everything has become profile-building,” said Raghu Reddy M, whose daughter is studying in intermediate first year.The burnout factorExperts and career counsellors say the pressure to build an all-round profile is increasingly taking a toll on students, many of whom are trying to balance academics, extracurricular activities, internships, competitions and entrance exam preparation simultaneously.“Students today are expected to get exceptional grades, excel in extracurricular and community activities, perform well in Olympiads and competitions, and secure top scores in examinations such as the SAT or JEE. Yet admission rates at top institutions remain extremely low. This pressure to achieve on multiple fronts is contributing to social and intellectual burnout among Gen Z students. What they need is not more activities, but better guidance, early planning and opportunities to explore multiple career pathways meaningfully,” said Suhaas Chandra, a career counsellor.
