CAMPUS CAMPANILE By Steve Odhiambo Obuogo THE CLASS OF 2014…. (It’s rather long today but kindly find time and read it to the end) Class of 2014, we’re heading out into the world, and as with any new journey, it can be scary. I know some of us are worried about graduating into a tough economy. Some of us are concerned about finding a job. And some of us are working hard to convince themselves that moving back in with Mom and Dad is almost as good as having your own apartment. I know it is hard out there, but I have high hopes for every one of you – every single one of you. I have high hopes because even at this time of transition and in this hard economy we’ve already done something really tough: we’ve stuck it out, we’ve pushed ourselves, and we’re done with our four years of study in the University. Hurrah! So, whatever comes your way, you’ve got the right start. And you got that right start by planning carefully and working hard towards a specific goal. In fact, you got here today by following the advice of about a zillion teachers, aunts and uncles, cab drivers and bartenders, and everyone else who gave you the advice to set a goal and stick with it. But before we turn you loose into the world, I want to make a pitch for something else. Among all the goal setting and perseverance, I want to talk with you about something different. I want to talk with you about being open to the unexpected, about making room for the improbable and unlikely and about what successful graduates usually do. My fellow classmates, all the planning and preparation in the world can’t prepare you for the many twists that are coming your way. Just as we leave school, some of us may meet the guy/lady they will marry – or the guy/lady you will divorce. You can’t predict it all. People will tell you to plan things out as best you can. They will tell you to focus. They will tell you to follow your dreams. They will all be right. But they will also be a little bit wrong. Never be so faithful to your plan that you are unwilling to consider the unexpected or to entertain the improbable opportunity that comes looking for you. And never be so faithful to your plan that when you hit a bump in the road – or when the bumps hit you – you don’t have the fortitude, grace, and resiliency to rethink and regroup. So to all of you who have always known what you wanted to be when you grow up, go get them. But for everyone, plans or no plans, keep a little space in your heart for the improbable. You won’t regret it. Class of 2014, for our generation, I know that it feels like we head into a very uncertain world. But the world has always been uncertain. By getting an excellent education, you have built a strong and resilient foundation. And if we work hard, persevere, and leave ourselves open to the occasional unexpected opportunity, we’ll do great I’ve heard the career concerns of students around the Africa and anywhere else, from the millions of students on LinkedIn to the ones who graduated last year, they all have a Common career concern, They don’t feel ready. College is supposed to prepare you for surviving and thriving in the world of work. But the world of work has changed. Stable career paths are disappearing and competition can come from anywhere. And the world continues to change at a relentless pace. If you are graduating, you may feel anxious. I want you to know that is okay That uncertainty you feel right now about your future—it won’t ever go away. In an ever-changing world, managing your career is a lifelong process. Very many successful people at one point thought they knew what they wanted to do. They could not have predicted their career paths. For some like Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, it took him 15 years to realize that he was doing had a name...entrepreneurship. Along the way, as I have analyzed successful career stories have developed an eye for the patterns of success and failure And there are at least three things that successful professionals eventually figure out about their careers. You will not find them in any of our textbooks. They are never taught in class.... I want to share them with you today. These are what makes some graduates successful or fail; it is how they treat the three that makes the difference. The three are, COMPETITION, NETWORKS AND RISKS. COMPETITION How do I bring my different interests together into a career?, What should I do if I don’t know what I like? and How do I choose between so many different passions? All of these are variations of the classic career question. What should I do with my life? but these are the wrong questions to ask. Among other things, these questions focus the attention on is “YOU” instead of the most important factor. Just remember that every other graduate want that dream job, that for anything desirable, there is competition. To beat the competition, you need to develop a competitive advantage. Competitive advantage consists of assets, aspirations, and market realities. Your ASSETS are what you have going for you now, your ASPIRATIONS are where you might like to go in the future and the MARKET REALITIES are what people will actually pay you for. The best career has you pursuing worthy aspirations, using your assets, while navigating the market realities. Another classic question you may struggle with; how do I make a positive difference in the world? You may think that you, as a recent graduate with limited work experience, do not have much to offer. In fact, your existing assets have value, too. You will be surprised how valuable your existing skills and connections are to those who do not have them. Just ask others: “how can I help?”.You will learn to understand what other people’s needs are. Go out there, fulfill needs, Solve problems and you will change indeed change the world. NETWORKS In college, we had Hostels , student organizations and probably very crowded classes. Building relationships was easy. But in the real world, you have to learn to proactively build your network. Relationships matter because every job boils down to interacting with people. People control resources, opportunities, and information. Opportunities do not float like clouds in the sky. Theyre attached to people, if youre looking for an opportunity, youre really looking for a person. The people you spend time with shape who you are and who you become. The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be and the best way to meet new people is via the people you already know. You may not think you know the right people. Your existing network is bigger than you think. If you’re connected to a couple hundred people on LinkedIn for example, you’re actually at the center of a network more than 2 million people strong. Now think of your other connections, both offline and online. How many of them do you have on FaceBook for example? In other words, it’s likely that someone you already know knows someone who could help you. This is the power of the extended network. RISKS Our education system penalizes students for making mistakes. In school, we learn that mistakes are bad, and we are punished for making them. Yet, if you look at the way humans are designed to learn, we learn by making mistakes. We learn to walk by falling down. If we never fell down, we would never walk. In the real world, you dont know what the best plan is until you try, and making mistakes is part of that learning process. Whatever the situation, actions, NOT plans, generate useful lessons. Actions help you discover where you want to go and how to get there. In college, the most successful students make the fewest mistakes. But the most successful professionals learn to take intelligent risks. You may assume that you get career stability by minimizing risk. Ironically, in this changing world, playing it safe is one of the riskiest things you can do. Rather than avoid risk, Take intelligent risks. It will give you a competitive edge. For example, do not dismiss jobs that pay less in cash but offer tremendous learning. Prioritize plans that offer the best chance at learning about yourself and the world. Do not dismiss a career path just because you keep hearing how risky it is. It probably isn’t as risky as most believe, which means there’s less competition for landing the opportunity. In these opportunities, the worst-case scenario tends to be survivable. When the worst case means getting fired, losing a little bit of time or money, or experiencing some discomfort, it is a risk you should be willing to take. If the worst-case scenario is the serious tarnishing of your reputation, loss of all your economic assets, or something otherwise career ending, don’t accept that risk. There will always be uncertainty about career opportunities and risks. The best opportunities are frequently the ones with the most question marks. When it’s not clear how something will play out, many people avoid it altogether. Take intelligent risks and you will find the opportunities that others miss. Therefore, congratulations on the hard work you’ve put into your education thus far, but your learning has just begun. Graduation or finishing you fourth year of study is not the end of learning. We are all works-in-progress. Each day presents an opportunity to learn more, do more, be more in our lives and careers. In the world of work, every day is exam day. If you’re not growing, you’re contracting. If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. Develop your competitive advantage, build your network and take intelligent risks. If not now, when? All the best as you go out of school my classmates. By Steve Odhiambo Obuogo
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 06:18:43 +0000
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