When was the last time you found yourself enrolled in a course? Or nervously sweating through an exam? If you are like many of us navigating the corporate jungle, you would probably say it was back in your school or college days.

But then, an interesting question arises: How do you gauge your talent level? How do you stack up against your peers? Which areas should you focus on to build your skills?

Relax, you are not alone. Employers are also scratching their head over the same. If you are struggling to figure out your own skill level, how on earth are employers supposed to do it?

College degrees have long been seen as the gold standard for talent evaluation. They serve a purpose, no doubt, but they do not paint the complete picture.

Professional certifications and online courses can also provide valuable insights into an individual’s skill level and determination. However, they come with their own set of limitations. Firstly, they demand extra effort from candidates, which not everyone can afford. Secondly, there is often a financial cost involved. Thirdly, they tend to be quite generic and lack specificity. Fourthly, the content can become outdated quickly. And finally, nobody wants to spend their entire life chasing certifications.

In the realm of engineering and tech, the focus on degrees and certifications is gradually fading. Employers are realizing that an individual’s ability to write clean code and solve problems speaks volumes about their capabilities, far more than their alma mater or the certifications they hold.

But amidst all these assessment methods, one crucial aspect often gets overlooked: our daily habit of reading and engaging with content. In today’s information age, we spend a significant amount of time consuming content online—be it articles, videos, news, or texts. And a portion of this content consumption happens within our professional domains, shaping our knowledge and skill levels.

You see, one can try to game the system with assessments and exams, but time? Time is a different story. If someone consistently invests time in reading about certain topics, it is a pretty safe bet they have a decent grasp of the latest trends and a genuine interest in those subjects.

Take coding, for instance. The number of lines of code an engineer or student has written speaks volumes about their skill and dedication to mastering a programming language. Similarly, in non-technical fields, consistent reading or watching videos on a topic becomes a critical parameter. After all, in these areas, most individuals are content consumers rather than content creators.

Think about it: exams can be crammed for, pulled off in a sleepless night, or even manipulated through cheating tactics. But reading? Reading is a whole other ball game. It is a commitment, a quest for knowledge, and a reflection of genuine curiosity. What someone chooses to read—and how they engage with it—reveals volumes about their intellectual depth, curiosity, and areas of expertise. Obviously, this is only true if the individual is actually engaging with the content.

Now, let us shift the lens away from recruitment for a moment. When was the last time you updated your skills on your LinkedIn profile? How do you expect anyone to validate those skills if you haven not sat through an exam?

I believe capturing reading habits(or other forms of content consumption) is a fascinating concept that opens up a whole new world of skill assessment and showcase. It is time we pay attention to what really matters in talent evaluation—the passion for continuous learning and the thirst for knowledge.

Disclaimer: https://vinaysachdeva.com/disclaimer/. The opinions expressed in the blog post are my own and do not reflect the view(s) of my employer.