By Bhaskar Pai Tonse Foreword by Dr. P. Dayananda Pai, Pro-Chancellor, BMS University
01 / CONFIDENCE
Show up with presence.
Introduce yourself naturally. Speak when nervous. Handle the answer you don’t know.
02 / COMMUNICATION
Make your point clearly.
Ask better questions. Listen with care. Write and present with clarity.
03 / COLLABORATION
Become someone people trust.
Disagree respectfully. Give and receive feedback. Take ownership and follow through.
FROM THE FOREWORD
“There is nothing soft about them. They are essential life and workplace skills.”
Dr. P. Dayananda Pai · Pro-Chancellor, BMS University Founder – Century Real Estate Holdings Pvt. Ltd.
INSIDE THE MANUAL
Less highlighting. More trying it out.
Real situations, useful scripts and small actions you can practise. The book helps you prepare for the moments when someone needs to see the person behind your knowledge.
27practical chapters
20roleplay cards
30days of guided practice
10team project simulations
BEFORE THE OPPORTUNITY
Interviews, group discussions and internships
Prepare structured answers, contribute to discussions and approach internships professionally.
WHEN THE WORK BEGINS
Managers, teammates and everyday decisions
Clarify instructions, share useful updates, recover from mistakes and handle difficult conversations.
IN AN AI-ENABLED WORLD
Use the tool. Keep your judgement.
Use AI to support your thinking, check what it produces and preserve your own voice and responsibility.
TOOLS TO RETURN TO
Scripts, checklists and self-assessments
Practise with email templates, interview structures, reflection prompts and an AI-use checklist.
HOW TO USE THE BOOK
One chapter. One behaviour. One better day.
01
Choose a real moment.
Start with an interview, presentation, team challenge or workplace conversation you need to handle.
02
Try the tool in your own words.
Rewrite a script. Practise aloud. Roleplay with a friend. Make the language sound like you.
03
Use it, reflect and repeat.
Apply the behaviour, notice what changed and choose one small improvement for next time.
ONE SHARED FOUNDATION. TWO DIFFERENT CONTEXTS.
From campus to career. From new hire to trusted colleague.
FOR COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Help students show what they are capable of.
For placement teams, faculty mentors and institutional leaders preparing students for internships, interviews and professional life.
Confidence and clear self-introduction
Structured interview and group discussion practice
Teamwork, professional communication and judgement
Responsible AI use and internship readiness
Recommended route: An interactive talk to build interest, followed by a one- or two-day workshop for focused practice. The book supports continued independent practice.
For HR and learning teams supporting interns, graduate hires and early-career employees as they adapt to workplace expectations.
Clear updates, questions and professional messages
Ownership, dependability and follow-through
Feedback, respectful disagreement and collaboration
AI-assisted work with human accountability
Recommended route: A practical workshop using situations relevant to your cohort, supported by the book as a desk-side reference. A talk can introduce the shared expectations.
Choose the level of practice your audience needs. Sessions draw on the book’s situations, tools and activities, adapted to the college or workplace context.
01
INTERACTIVE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT
A conversation that gets people thinking.
Polls, relatable stories, scenario challenges and short practice moments connect human skills to the audience’s next step.
A focused introduction · Duration agreed to suit the event
Workshop priorities, cohort size, delivery arrangements and commercial terms are agreed after a discussion. A baseline assessment can help identify practice needs.
THE AUTHOR & FACILITATOR
Bhaskar Pai Tonse.
Bhaskar Pai Tonse is a former Fortune-100 business leader, entrepreneur, educator and employability trainer.
As a GE CXO, he drove year-on-year growth in revenues and profitability.
Having lived and worked internationally, Bhaskar brings a global perspective shaped by his corporate experience to his teaching and training.
Bhaskar co-founded Gidi Mobile Inc., Africa’s first mobile personal advancement platform connecting Nigerian youth to opportunity. The company was part of Google Launchpad Accelerator in San Francisco and received a US$1 million grant from Google.org.
Drawing on boardroom experience, research-informed teaching methods tested on 250+ VTU affiliated colleges, 100,000+ students and classroom work with more than 10,000 students, he helps young people build confidence, communication skills and workplace readiness for the AI age.
His work bridges the gap between what students learn in college and what the workplace expects. He has served as curriculum designer and main contributor to VTU’s first-year B.E. Soft Skills curriculum.
Bhaskar holds an MBA from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai. He is also a BELBIN Team Roles Certified Trainer and a Certified AI Generalist.
Bhaskar lives in Bangalore with his wife, Laxmi, an entrepreneur. Their daughter, Ananya, holds a B.Tech in Biotechnology from VIT, Vellore, and is pursuing a master’s degree in Infection Biology at Uppsala University in Sweden.
RIGHTS & LICENSING
Bhaskar Pai Knowledge Ventures (OPC) Pvt. Ltd.
Bhaskar Pai Knowledge Ventures (OPC) Pvt. Ltd. owns the copyright in The First Job Skills Manual.
The company grants publishing licences to publishers and licences to use courseware and training materials to institutions, training providers and other organisations.
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A FEW USEFUL ANSWERS
Before you begin.
Is the book only for college students?
Students preparing for internships, placements and first jobs are the primary audience. Its tools also support interns and early-career employees navigating professional communication, teamwork and workplace expectations.
How do the book and workshops work together?
The book provides situations, scripts, practice activities and reflection tools. Workshops create guided practice and feedback using these foundations, adapted to the participants’ context. The book remains a reference afterwards.
Will sessions be tailored to our institution or company?
Yes. Enquire with your audience, priorities, approximate cohort size and preferred dates. The conversation will establish the right format and practice emphasis.
Do participants need to be confident speakers already?
No. The book starts with common difficulties, including nervousness, rambling and uncertainty about what to say. Practice helps participants develop more useful, natural responses.
Is this an AI tools course?
The focus is human skills in the AI age: judgement, communication, collaboration, ownership and responsible use of AI. The book helps readers use AI without losing understanding or their own voice.
START A CONVERSATION
Tell us what you have in mind.
Planning a programme, ordering books for your cohort or exploring a licence? Share a few details and Bhaskar can respond to your enquiry.
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LET’S PLAN THE RIGHT NEXT STEP
For your campus. For your cohort. For the work ahead.
Tell Bhaskar who the session is for, what they need to practise, your approximate group size and preferred dates.
A practical student playbook for the AI age.
