Making Learning FUN

TwitterFacebookGoogleLinkedInYouTube

Tag Archives: Commercial Skills

My Life in New Delhi

Posted on by Posted in Featured, India, Inspiration, Student Perspective Leave a comment

Romain Bouaita

You can’t compare India with any another country because every country is unique. A fine balance of beauty and inconveniences; it is an unforgettable experience. When you leave this country, you change a little of what you are inside. I arrived one month ago in New Delhi after completing an International Business Management course in Paris, from INSEEC business school, very well-known in France. I was excited to discover a new country, a new culture and a new style of life.Having already spent a year in Tunisia, I was familiar with poverty in the under developed world; I was not shocked to see dilapidating, damaged houses and poor people in the streets. But Connaught Place, the location where I live, is a paradox. Old world charm juxtaposes brazenly with Eastern luxury; a Rolex store seems out of place when you see poor begging outside the store’s cool confines. We can imagine that there are two countries in Delhi when we see these differences.

The district where I work is not a touristy location as I haven’t seen any foreigners visiting this part of New Delhi. It is probably because of this that locals look at me like I am an extra-terrestrial being. Initially it was embarrassing – people gawking at me – now I shrug off their attentions.

Working at Yellow Sequoia has been really interesting for me. Contrary to France where interns are not considered as useful and assigned with boring repetitive tasks, I have been introduced to a promotive environment. The work is varied, I learn a lot of things, and I have the opportunity to weigh in my opinion.

In Delhi, I learn new things everyday, in relation with my studies, and with what I want to do later. I can use the skills that I learned at school, and the independence in my work helps me to be more creative and more engaged in my daily tasks. I feel cheerful going to the office every morning; unlike some previous internships, it is not an unpleasant test.

The work is very varied, and I have the opportunity to weigh in. As a business development assistant, I create seminars on simulations and invite teachers, students and companies to learn how this immersive learning environment can teach practical skills for decision making.

I have created some flourishing relationships with directors and teachers at business schools in India and proposed them to use our simulations as an effective means for teaching or demonstrating concepts. I am also using social media tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blog posts to promote our brand and products in the Indian business education circles.

I have the motivation to be involved in the development of this company because I feel like right at home.

Should Schools Teach Basic Entrepreneurship Skills?

Posted on by Posted in Education, Entrepreneurship Education, Student Perspective

Entrepreneurship and the Green Economy

America remains a beacon of entrepreneurship. Founded and then settled by innovators and risk-takers who were willing to sacrifice old certainties for new opportunities, America’s infatuation with entrepreneurship has deepened in the recent economic crisis. The number of entrepreneurs is growing with an average of 550,000 businesses created every month.

While our children are raised on stories about inventors such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison, a poll by Gallup-HOPE illustrates that high school students may be getting a slow start. Many students in the U.S. have entrepreneurial aspirations and energy that could help drive future job creation in the country. But just half of students say that their school offers entrepreneurial classes; far fewer report getting the type of practical knowledge and experiences that will be useful once they are in the workforce.

Although students may possess good ideas about the future, focused efforts to transform these aspirations into reality are not as strong as they could be. Developing entrepreneurial attitude and experience of young people is critical to help them grow up to be productive workers who ultimately help to create jobs.

Majority of students demonstrate persistence and are willing to assume risk – both of which are typical attributes of entrepreneurs. Despite their energy and ambitions, they are not getting the education and work experience they need to help achieve their goals. Affiliation of economic development resources to entrepreneurship-education can help these young people pursue their dreams and, in turn, revitalize, grow and diversify their local economies.

Entrepreneurial traits

Teaching kids the basics of business and discussing the opportunity on how to make money gets them engaged. Using highly experiential and game-based approach can make the business curriculum more engaging academically. The students can develop a business plan; thus they start to see the opportunities of entrepreneurship.

According to an article in Business Week ‘Cultivating Entrepreneurs During High School’, students who complete an entrepreneurship course in high school, maintain businesses at substantially higher rates than their peers and have a greater interest in attending college. In America—a country that was founded on the backs of small businessmen—there’s an acceptance of the importance of this curriculum, but it’s never been systematically integrated into our schools.

Some key elements in developing and nurturing young entrepreneurs:

Interactive Entrepreneurship Education

Successful young entrepreneurship programs are built on a foundation of quality curriculum taught by teachers who engage students in the discovery and development of their entrepreneurial talents. Interactive curriculum and engaging teachers who make the material come to life are key ingredients in successful entrepreneurship programs. Incorporating entrepreneurship into an existing class such as Accounting, Industrial Arts or Consumer Science using game-based simulation is a solution to this constraint.

Supportive Community Environment

Many entrepreneurial youth express frustration that focus is only on exceptional students and star athletes. The community working in tandem with the schools can transform the town into a “learning laboratory” where students can practice the knowledge they are gaining in the classroom. Students can work in apprenticeships, selling products at school events or farmers markets, interviewing local entrepreneurs or carry out an entrepreneurial community project.

Peer Networking

Creating a place for young entrepreneurs to gather and interact, they can feed off each other’s energy and create even better ideas and inventions. This space may be a garage, workroom or basement. Just provide the space, welcome young people, let them innovate and have fun.

Pathways from Education to Opportunity

There needs to be deliberate effort to help young people clarify their business interests, to direct them to opportunities that fit their passions and abilities, and to stay with them as their enterprises develop. Youth entrepreneurship requires a sustained effort, especially in this challenging economic climate where much of the attention is focused on immediate job creation.

While a great idea or product can propel entrepreneurship, it is a well-known fact that ninety-five per cent of businesses fail with the first five years of inception. If you catch a failure early, it’s much less likely to cause detrimental and irreversible damage Most businesses fail due to their having been founded by inexperienced overly-enthused entrepreneurs. Teaching basic entrepreneurial skills at the school can build a pipeline of business builders who will help their local communities thrive into the future.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Getting a Job after College

Posted on by Posted in Education, Student Perspective Leave a comment
MIAMI, FL - NOVEMBER 15: Job seekers line up ...

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Getting a job in a recession is tough; trying to find a job without suitable commercial skills is even tougher.

For every university student, it is important to have a core set of skills before entering the work force.  In this blog, I will share my hits and misses with you as a recent graduate trying to find employment.

To successfully land a Job you must have an Awareness of Self
When you go into an interview you must know who you are!  Be able to back up the information you have listed on your resume and cover letter. Sometimes people exaggerate their qualifications/core competencies; be sure to avoid this mistake. Employers will ask you questions about your qualifications, so be prepared to answer thoroughly.  Be ready to give three to five minute responses for each question related to your qualifications.

To be aware of yourself, be sure to evaluate your accomplishments and experiences. In evaluating yourself, you will discover your core competencies. My list of competencies was as follows: Marketing Campaign Design, Market & Consumer Research, Advertising & Promotions, Social Media Marketing, and Media Press Kits.

Avoid my Mistake
In one of my interviews, I was asked about these core competencies, which I listed on my resume.  I was competent in six out of the seven competencies . Including social media marketing was a bit of a stretch, as I’ve only used social media for personal reasons.  To my misfortune, the interviewers decided to ask me some questions relating to various social media and its applied functionality in business marketing. It became apparent to the interviewers that I exaggerated my expertise in Social Media Marketing. By the way, I didn’t get the job!

My Experience and Take on Commercial Skills
I recently graduated from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) with a B.A. in Communication/Public Relations.  I received a solid background in Public Relations, but my PR courses there was little emphasis on Social Media  Marketing. Social Media is an integral part of the Public Relation industry now!

And so, I prepared myself for the job market by studying subjects I felt were not adequately covered in my courses. I read a book on Social Media PR and its key topics such as Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Marketing.  If asked again about social media strategies for business I would be prepared.

You must be proactive!!! Beware, your classes will not teach you everything you need to know.  Take some time to learn about the industry or field you would like to enter and research the companies you would like to work for.

Workforce Preparedness
While courses will not teach you everything, you can gain valuable experience with extracurricular activities.I was a part of the student government and I co-founded a student radio station at CSULA.  Through my participation in these organizations, I gained a lot of experience in which I was able to relate back to the PR career field.  I got hands on experience with preparing budgets, writing grants, coordinating events, and advertising to name a few.

My experiences in college have come in handy. In the past two weeks I’ve received five emails from various companies calling for interviews.

Nonetheless, while you’re in college, make sure to gain as much experience in your career field as possible. In a recent conversation with one of my colleagues, she said she had to go out and search for opportunities to develop her commercial skills.

“…I had to go out and do my own work, like help my Aunt who’s an opera singer with her music videos and help my Dad’s foundation to film a documentary” said Leila Weefur an aspiring Director.

And that’s a wrap
Take all of the experiences listed above in consideration. Do not rely on your education to solely help you find a job after college.  Be proactive, learn outside of the classroom! Volunteer, intern, or join a social organization; all of these things will help you get on the right path to start your career.

ERROR: 8 - CURL error: Couldn't resolve host 'nilofar.infusionsoft.com'