Theme: Career Responsibility

9. Develop a healthy risk attitude.  Following on from the above – a healthy risk attitude takes you out of your comfort zone and provides the momentum to move forward. We’re talking measured risk here – taking a chance based on an informed decision and living with the consequences. 

10. Embrace the whole ethos of personal responsibility and the freedom it brings.  ‘Responsibility is not a burden. It’s a blessing’ - Chuck Gallozzi.

No More Excuses

Times are tough, this we cannot deny.  But history, science and the arts show us, time and time again, that we will always have choices. Survivors and thrivers are those who recognise this and are prepared to fully embrace and enjoy their personal responsibility. 

In Your Career, Your Responsibility, Uche shares unconventional knowledge of why academic excellence although important is only a small part of the journey to real career success. This book shares inspirational stories of determined students who got their dream jobs and enjoyed career success against the odds. As you read you will learn: How to prepare winning applications, succeed at interviews and network effectively. The key attributes of success that will help you succeed in an internship and when you start your career. Why the mindset of many students hinders their aspirations. How to stay motivated until you achieve your career goals. Get ready to be inspired to succeed.

Employability” is the new buzz-phrase of the education industry.

Over the past few months I have been running workshops with universities, governments and colleges across Australia, helping them with their strategic planning for the academic year ahead. In the midst of their marketing mix is the usual jumble of academic ranking, affordability, subject offering and prerequisite requirements. It surprises me that the concept of graduate career responsibility has not been high on the radar in recent years. When pitching to a student, wouldn’t an institution automatically focus its marketing attention upon offering a graduate his/her main return on investment: the ability to land a job?

I think the answer to this question for the majority is yes: but perhaps graduate career responsibility has been assumed to be the student’s problem, or taken for granted. As the global education sector becomes ever more competitive, education facilities are upping the ante on each other in this space. Some colleges are guaranteeing professional work placements combined with academic pursuits, others offer exclusive graduate fast-track programs with employers, and others still are partnering with government agencies to offer limited numbers of internship placements to their highest performing student

This is all great and I understand the need for institutions to remain competitive. It is a good thing that more institutions are offering students career preparation support. I also feel very strongly that students should have an expectation that their further education beyond school will set them on a path to a solid career. But I worry about the students who are going to get the wrong message here. Let’s be clear, it is not the education institution’s responsibility to get you a job. It is your responsibility. It is not the education institution’s role in life to market your skills to employers. Graduate career responsibility lies with you.

If you want to succeed, you have to make it easy for yourself