Today’s competitive world places a lot of emphasis on academics. While intellectual skills are important, one should also place importance on a practical ability like teamwork, fixing and repairing things around the house. Practical ability can thus be described as essential life skills needed to survive in the world. It can be said that in today’s world practical ability is as important as intellectual skills.
Supporters of intellectual abilities state that good grades in school open doors to reputed universities. Getting good grades in these highly reputed universities boosts the resume of individuals and leads them to get jobs in good companies. For example, many parents emphasize that their children attend top universities like Oxford and Cambridge so that it raises their social status. It is also seen that many companies prefer hiring people who have studied at a reputed college rather than a local college. The preference for intellectual abilities is also seen in the job description of these companies where candidates from top-tier schools and universities are preferred. Scholarships around the world are granted to people who score good marks in their academics which furthers backs their claim that intellectual abilities are more important than any other thing. Thus, it can be said that bright job opportunities and improvement in one’s social status lead people to place more emphasis on intellectual skills rather than practical skills.
However, not all people who have sterling intellectual abilities good at performing jobs that require practical skills. In fact, more and more jobs today require the candidate to have practical skills rather than formal college degree or diploma. Notable examples of this include companies like Apple, IBM and Google who offer freshers jobs based on skills rather than academic credentials. Service-based industries like Starbucks and Amazon also do not place an emphasis on a college degree as practical skills are more important in these jobs. If an individual has the practical ability, they can even outshine people who just have intellectual abilities. A notable example of this can be the work of Doctor Hamilton Naki, a self-taught surgeon who made numerous contributions to the science of transplantation and also got a chance to assist Christiaan Barnard in a successful heart transplant surgery. This shows that practical skills are an important factor in success rather than just intellectual abilities. Therefore, practical competence is as important as intellectual skills.
With changing times people are placing importance on practical abilities as well. This is evident from the fact that people today celebrate people with practical skills as much as they celebrate people with intellectual skills. For example, there are many self-taught chefs that have received accolades worldwide without any proven intellectual abilities or prestigious academic records. In Singapore, this is evident through the success of chef Chan Hon Meng and chef Lee Meng Li who have gained Michelin stars for their dishes based on their culinary skills. Similarly, sportsperson like swimmers, cricketers and footballers do not need academic skills but practical skills and techniques of the sport they play. It can be said that these people receive more appreciation than people with intellectual skills and no practical skills. Therefore, it can be said that practical skills are more important than intellectual skills.
The importance of practical skills can be seen in modern society. Even though people are today securing degrees and formal education they do lack employable skills. Even though people are graduates and even post-graduates they have failed to acquire jobs. This is evident from the high unemployment rates of graduates and even post-graduates. In today’s world if people have to succeed then they need to be more or equally good at practical skills. Thus, it is important that one must possess the aptitude to navigate an increasingly complex globalised world.
In conclusion, it can be said that practical skills are as important as intellectual and academic achievements. Though intellectual abilities may be required in some jobs, most jobs require people to have practical skills rather than theoretical knowledge.