It was my honor and pleasure to participate this morning in the third Kickstarter Program hosted by Clemson University. Here are my thoughts for the recent graduates and others participating in today's virtual event.
First, Congratulations! You have demonstrated tremendous drive and persistence to succeed that will carry you far…. whatever your area of expertise or industry.
You enter the industry and the workforce in unprecedented times and will need the drive and persistence that brought you to this point. You are hopefully facing many options and perhaps wondering how to navigate the decisions in front of you.
My advice to you is to FIRST take an inventory of who you are, who you want to work with, and what kind of company or opportunity is the right match for your passion and ideals. Consider these before focusing on your specific technical skills and don’t compromise.
You asked for some golden nuggets so here are my thoughts to consider in your new endeavors:
Collaboration – Innovation – Sustainability - Continuous Learning
- Collaborate – GLOBALLY
- There is no <name the country> first without first considering the Earth and its millions of habitants – we need each other, and we need to work together
- Listen to the contribution of each member of the teams you work with – both within your organization and the others you work with
- Be different – INNOVATE
- Recognize what you’ve learned is already outdated …AND
- Equally important the technologies and methods being used by much of industry today are at least 20-years out of date
- Think SUSTAINABLY – The world is changing
- Recognize the enormous power of the oceans and climate
- More power is coming from renewables than coal in several countries
- Ask how your potential employer incorporates the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- CONTINUE TO LEARN – The tools you will use in 5, 10, and 15 years from now have not been invented yet. Work to understand…
- Artificial intelligence and the use of data science
- The impact of climate change
- And if not immediately apparent from the pandemic - Biology and Microbiology
- REGISTER TO VOTE … AND EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE
Finally, do what you enjoy and have fun!
Best of luck,
John
CALL +1-888-344-2704 or
email: info@columbiatechnologies.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/columbia-technologies
