What Tools Do Today’s Graduates Need To Succeed?

Last week Wednesday 20 June 2018, I was invited by Chi Duru to speak at a Dialogue with the Nigerian Graduate hosted by her organization, Iconic Nigeria. The focus of my conversation was What tools do today’s graduates need to succeed? I have come across endless debates on whether the average Nigerian graduate is employable. There is no doubt that the poor state of the Nigerian educational system in terms of physical infrastructure, relevance of curriculum and quality of teaching faculty affects the quality of the graduates produced by the universities.  Employers end up spending more on recruitment activities to find the needle in the haystack. The same Nigerian graduate excel when they are exposed to new environments.  

Has government failed in its primary task of creating a conducive learning environment in our institutions of learning at all levels? Yes! A leading policy commentator, Lolu Akinwunmi recently shared some great ideas for overhauling the Nigerian educational system. They include:

a)     Overhaul our national education syllabus from primary to University. Beyond the primary science and arts subjects, he advocated fo more focus on woodwork, auto mechanics, metal work, technical drawing, electronics, agriculture etc.

b)    Reduce the number of schools offering liberal arts like languages etc. He wants us to follow the Indian example and prepare our graduates towards the competitive future.

c)     Deliberate investment in vocational education. He proposed that Nollywood film leaders and other professionals should serve as visiting teachers and impart practical knowledge that combines with theory.

d)    Let all schools make entrepreneurship a MUST. Government and the private sector must fund it as part of a reviewable 5 or 10 year cycle of programme.

e)     Let our Universities have a working relationship with many industries such that the graduates are inspired.             I endorse his recommendations.

Back to you the graduate. Irrespective of what the Nigerian education system has done or not done for you or to you, let us focus on problem solving.  What mindset and character-building traits should you employ to achieve success?  Do you have well-developed employability skills? Employability Skills are those basic skills necessary for getting, keeping, and doing well on a job. These are the skills, attitudes and actions that enable you to get along with your fellow workers and to make sound, critical decisions. Unlike occupational or technical skills, employability skills are generic in nature rather than job-specific and cut across all industry types, business sizes, and job levels from the entry-level worker to the senior-most position. They can be categorized into three skill sets: (a) Basic Academic skills which include reading, writing, science, mathematics, oral communication and listening skills. (b) Higher-order thinking skills which includes learning, reasoning, creativity, decision making and problem solving, and (c) Personal qualities which includes honesty, integrity, team spirit, adaptability &flexibility, good work attitude, social skills, cooperative, self motivation, self confidence and self control. 

For those of you seeking paid employment, let me share some ideas with you. I have conducted over five thousand face-to-face interviews in my career to date.  I have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly. Can your current Curriculum Vitae (CV) get you hired?  Is it a good marketing document for your career just as a brochure is a marketing document for a product or service? Your CV stand in your place with the employer and needs to showcase you in a powerful way. In the reality of job search today, that matters a great deal. 

What skills and experience do you have that will meet the needs of employers? Are you aware that employers receive thousands of applications for each vacancy? What will make your application stand out? Is it strong enough to get you shortlisted? Do you know what prospective employers are looking for? Do you have it?  You stand a better chance of you are a business-minded, high potential individual with commercial, entrepreneurial and customer-centric qualities. Can you make money for your employer?  Can you help them save money? Do you possess excellent business writing skills and effective use of English?  Some people still approach me on LinkedIn typing as if they are sending an abbreviated text message!  Do you possess strong ethical values and integrity? Are you inquisitive? Do you have an analytical mind? Do you have project management skills and practical implementation stories to share? Are you good at solving problems? Can you bring innovation and a fresh perspective to their business? Do you have an appreciation and tolerance of Diversity? This applies to gender, colour, cultures, nationalities and orientation.

What could be holding you back? For some of you, your (lack of) awareness of global political/socio-economic issues and how they affect you and your prospective employer is an issue. Can your theoretical knowledge be easily transferred into the workplace? How can you bridge this knowledge gap? Have you been exposed to real life business issues?  Have you explored the option of seeking workplace-based mentors? Do you have one? Have you sought opportunities for personal and career counselling? Do you know which profession you have a natural  pre-disposition for?

Never stop learning because mediocrity is the best life for those who stop learning. Reinvent yourself with MooCs.  I have picked up new knowledge from studying Practical Ethics at Princeton University, Developing Innovative ideas for New Companies at University of Maryland, Globalisation of Business Enterprise at IESE Barcelona and Grow to Greatness at University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. All was done from the comfort of my home.

Start working on professional certification early. Be active in the professional associations you belong to. Your university education is a foundational toolkit.  It does not give answers but it prepares you for the journey. Prepare yourself for jobs that don’t exist today! Build and invest in a value-adding active professional network. Acquire Confidence and Credibility and demonstrate the real value that you can add. Speak the language of business by developing strong financial acumen. Develop a deep spiritual anchor because: when things go horribly wrong, FAITH, HOPE and PASSION (love for what you do) are the only virtues that will sustain and see you through. Practice competence-backed self belief powered by FAITH.

It will serve you well to remember that relationships are the catalyst for YOUR success. People do business with those they like and trust. Serve as a resource and start by helping others succeed. Develop and sustain multiple networking platforms.  Project a professional image on Social Media. My LinkedIn page is configured to ensure that hidden opportunities find me. It spreads ‘my ideas’ a lot further and faster than business cards. What do you project about yourself? Is there anything worth reading on your Linkedin page?  If you make sense on LinkedIn, opportunities will find you.

My advice to you is that you should build your career through consistent focus and effort. Develop a spirit of endurance. Your race through life is a marathon not a sprint. You cannot win if you pull out. The greatest Spanish violinist of the nineteenth century (Sarasate) was once called a genius by a famous critic. In reply to this, Sarasate declared, “Genius! For thirty-seven years I have practised fourteen hours a day, and now they call me a genius.” Success does not come overnight. Passion-driven practice and persistent focus is still the best route to building a sustainable career.