From Campus to Corporate: Specialized Skills Session Strengthens Preparedness for ITUM Career Fair 2025

As part of its ongoing professional development initiatives leading up to the ITUM Career Fair 2025, the Institute of Technology, University of Moratuwa (ITUM) conducted its second major preparatory event “Campus to Corporate: Specialized Career Guidance Session” on August 30th, 2025.

Held at the TAG Gunasekara Multifunctional Hall from 9:15 AM to 12:00 PM, the program featured Mr. Dian Baduge, an accomplished corporate trainer and leadership coach, whose dynamic delivery and hands-on approach provided students with essential skills for navigating the transition from academic life to industry.

Corporate Mindset and Professional Expectations

The session opened with an in-depth exploration of the corporate mindset an essential shift for students preparing to enter the workforce. Mr. Baduge outlined what modern organizations expect from young professionals, highlighting qualities such as accountability, initiative, and effective problem-solving. Students were guided on how to adapt their thinking, embrace responsibility, and internalize the behavioral expectations of today’s corporate environments.

Professional Grooming and Personal Branding

A major component of the training centred on professional grooming and personal branding, emphasizing the importance of first impressions and consistent professional conduct. Through interactive demonstrations, students learned:

  • How to present themselves confidently to recruiters
  • The essentials of attire, etiquette, and non-verbal communication
  • Strategies for building a strong and authentic personal brand that extends beyond interviews

This segment provided students with practical, immediately applicable tools to project professionalism in all career-related interactions.

Negotiation Essentials for Young Professionals

The final segment covered foundational negotiation skills, an area often overlooked by early career entrants. The session emphasized negotiation not only in salary discussions but as an ongoing workplace skill. Students received actionable advice on structuring negotiation conversations, understanding their value, and communicating assertively while maintaining professionalism.

Early-career negotiation tips such as preparing multiple options, assessing one’s strengths, and framing requests effectively were shared to help students enter the workforce with confidence.

Interactive, Practical, and Highly Relevant

The session was intentionally designed to be highly interactive, ensuring that students actively practiced and internalized the skills being taught. The strong engagement level reflected the relevance of the topics and the effectiveness of the delivery.

This impactful training was organized by the Industrial Training, Career Guidance, and Post Diploma Education Centre, reflecting the Centre’s strong ability to deliver consecutive, high-value career readiness programs. The session was initiated and coordinated under the strategic leadership of Dr. Ruchira Wijesena, Head of the Centre. and  Eng. Kamalnath Jinadasa, Training Engineer, and the dedicated involvement of the Divisional Training Coordinators.