It is truly encouraging to see so many graduates embarking on different journeys in life; journeys that mark new beginnings in their careers; journeys that should be considered crucial foundations in their development as leaders. Despite the economic crisis that affects many countries – there is still a growing need to employ graduates.
While many of us are overwhelmed by the opportunity awarded to us- an opportunity to be a part of the workforce, it is equally important to realize our responsibilities and expectations many of our employers have.
The hunger of being a corporate citizen began long before my tertiary days. I fell in love with the idea of dressing up in formal attire; attending strategic meetings; conference calls, many trainings and business trips around the country. I also admired the title that followed at the end of different correspondences “CEO, CFO, COO, CII on e-mails, business cards etc. What I soon realized is that for this hunger to materialize, a lot of work was required.
The reality of being an employee of a big organization is that you are accountable for your own development. The success of your career lies with you. The first step starts when you decide to get out of bed in the morning and the attitude you adopt at that point.
You have a choice to make- whether you love what you do or whether you hate it. And if you hate it- what action are you going to take to change it.
It is becoming evident that many graduates had expectations of what the corporate sector was about. And to our surprise, there are many discrepancies between what we expected and the reality of it. Some of us expected immediate promotions because we had qualifications. Others expected different Salary Grades and some simply expected a smooth ride. Some of us expected intimidating colleagues or managers; while others are enjoying great working environments.
Be it as it may, we still have a choice to make. Are you going to let that salary grade affect your career? Are you going to let the bitter colleague affect your learning? Are you going to let your qualification shadow your learning and development? Are you going to let your pride hinder your progress? How are you going to deal with the discrepancy? How are you going to overcome this setback? How do you position yourself to make the most of the situation?
What I’ve come to learn is that life is not a bed of roses. It is a journey that constantly requires a lot tough choices. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book, Outliers, that there are three things your job must provide;
1. Autonomy (independence)to make decisions
2. Complexity(challenge) to engage your mind
3. Connection between effort and reward
He explains that when these things are in place- then your job will be meaningful. It is at this point that you will love what you do- where your colleagues’ bitterness will be irrelevant. It is through these three pillars that your journey will be meaningful and the title you’ve dreamed about will begin to materialize.
To my graduate friends, we have the qualifications, but without experience the qualifications are incomplete. Let us swallow our pride and learn. Let us leave our egos at home and humble ourselves. The more we learn, the better equipped we will be to lead our organizations to new levels. Malcolm Gladwell further wrote in his book, Outliers, “hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning.” So find the meaning in the work you do and free yourself from the prison you are in. The choice to succeed lies with you… what are you going to do?