The Evolution of Your Professional Pathway

The evolution of your professional pathway can be summarised in seven points:

1. To shine as a principal player in a corporation (CEO or Vice President), you need gleaming academic records. Preferably, get a bachelor’s and master’s qualification notched on your belt, or even a vocational certificate, if possible. Make sure your academics are centred around a theme that connects to your career ambition but allows yourself legroom to explore a bit to diversify your portfolio.
2. Learn Finance. Nothing helps to make wise decisions for the company quite like a strong base of financial knowledge. Find a way to study and learn about finance and economics at any stage of your life including accounting, capital markets and corporate finance. Perhaps read the business section of the paper daily or subscribe to a fiscally oriented publication.
3. Network as soon as your higher education career commences, via enterprise workshops, panels and affairs as much as possible. Moreover, spend your energies in social work to connect to business honchos in the industry. Social Enterprise is trending amongst Millenials, all seeking to facilitate profitable global change.
4. Shoot for the stars. Corporations recognise aspirants who are both enthusiastic and energetic about their careers. As a team player and passionate member of the enterprise’s community, the executives will notice you. Put in the additional effort, taking on more responsibilities of your accord to prove that you’re completely focused on your future career path.
5. Adaptability is a must. Passion is admirable, but this enthusiasm should be coupled with the flexibility to prosper. If you’re ambitious but cannot handle criticism or unexpected challenges, your business will never flourish. Keep an open mind while you journey through your field, encouraging yourself to sometimes take risks and explore the road less taken.
6. Be prepared for sharp turns or hairpin bends, such as outsourcing of your job to a branch in a different country, downsizing of firms, additional responsibilities saying you receive a promotion. Willingness to shift to a new office in a divergent country shows a lot about your character: it says that you are hardy enough for the challenge and are deserving of a promotion versus those less sure of their capabilities.
7. Develop empathy and emotional perception. Without people skills, you will not be able to reach the summit of your career. Connecting to others helps to build your success with others vetting your capabilities and prowess. It is also rewarding to help those in need, and this often results in reciprocity later down the road.

July 12th, 2017