5 SKILLS EVERY YOUNG GRADUATE MUST HAVE

So you are fresh out of University and you are looking to land that dream job or you are about starting a business.

We all know that there are a lot of young people out there who need jobs, i.e. the job market is saturated and so just in case you land that dream job of yours, you need to keep it and when you start your business, you need it to boom.

So what are the skills you should not leave the university without as a graduate.

Communication skills

You need to be able to communicate and relate well with others in your organization. In as much as you do not want to be seen as a rude and unrelatable in the organization, you also want to be assertive so that you can stand your ground when need be.

Also, if you are starting your business, you want to be able to communicate well with your clients as that would ensure that they come back.

A good appraisal of the legal system

This is very important, especially in Nigeria where we live. We have seen situations where the government just comes and closes down business spaces or worse-off demolishes them.

A great example is 52 Rumens Road, Ikoyi. You don’t have to be a law expert, but just enough to understand the government of your day.

IT Knowledge

IT knowledge is very important now as most jobs require basic computer skills and even then, basic is slowly getting “old”. Nowadays, you have to be well equipped in this area, as every day, new innovations keep popping up.

Technology is constantly on the move so you need to improve your IT skills daily!

Industry Knowledge

You should know the nitty-gritty of the industry of the company in which you work, even at your business, you should have enough knowledge to avoid surprises.

The more you know about the company you work in, the more you will be able to excel at your job.

Project Management

As a young graduate, you are expected to have participated in capacities in which you managed different projects while you were in school.

Therefore, you should be able to effectively manage projects and/or problems that may arise in the course of your job.

You should be able to think outside the box, set goals, and work with team members on different project.

This article was written by Blessing Iyamadiken

16 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MIKE ZUCKERBERG

Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most recognizable CEOs in the world, and what he has achieved at 32 years old is pretty staggering.

Even though more than a billion users flock to Facebook every month and he has donated billions of dollars to medical research through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, it’s important to remember that he’s still a human being with weird quirks, just like everyone else. Read on for some unexpected facts about the Facebook founder.

1. He nearly worked for Microsoft

When he was a senior in high school he co-created an app called Synapse Media Player, an MP3 player that kept track of the user’s favorite songs and made playlists based on their choices, essentially an early Spotify or Pandora.

Microsoft sought to acquire the company and its founders, but instead of working for the Seattle tech giant, Zuckerberg and co-creator Adam D’Angelo  — who went on to found Quora — got a patent for the tech and went to college instead.

2. He was inventing in middle school

When Zuckerberg was 12, he created an instant messaging program that he called ZuckNet so his dentist father could know when patients arrived.

3. He has unexpected pop culture tastes

One of his favorite books is The Aeneid, and one of his favorite TV shows is The West Wing, which was created by Aaron Sorkin, the man who also wrote the movie based on the creation of Facebook, The Social Network.

4. He’s known for being frugal

Even though today he has a beautifully appointed home that is powered by an AI butler with Morgan Freeman’s voice, in an interview with The New Yorker in 2010, he said that he found all of his apartments on Craigslist.

5. His eyesight is the reason behind Facebook’s color scheme

Facebook’s logo is blue because Zuckerberg has red-green color blindness.

6. He wasn’t always a high-level coder

He first learned to code from a C++ for Dummies book.

7. He’s multilingual

He’s always been interested in ancient languages such as Latin, and he can speak Mandarin.

8. He turned down many offers to sell Facebook

Many big name companies wanted to see if he wanted to sell — NewsCorp, MySpace, Viacom, Yahoo, NBC, Microsoft (again) and Google all put their hats in the ring — but Zuckerberg held firm.

9. He and his wife’s first meeting was a little inauspicious

While Zuckerberg and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan are now parents and major philanthropists, they met for the first time in line for the bathroom at a fraternity party at Harvard.

10. He’s an admirer of Steve Jobs

The late Apple founder’s bold leadership style apparently inspired the message he put on his first business cards: “I’m CEO, bitch.”

11. He’s on Twitter

But he’s unsurprisingly not very active on it. He’s tweeted 19 times since 2009.

12. He can laugh at himself

Zuckerberg is known for being somewhat awkward, but he wrote an appreciative post about Andy Samberg’s impersonation of him on Saturday Night Live.

13. He’s a fitness buff

For 2016, Zuckerberg set a goal to run 365 miles during the course of the year. He met his goal midway through the summer.

14. He looks up to Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso

He has Einstein’s quote, “Make things as simple as possible but no simpler,” and Picasso’s insight that, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up,” as his favorites on Facebook.

15. His dog is a celebrity too

Beast, Zuckerberg’s Hungarian sheepdog, has his own Facebook fan page that has more than 2 million likes. His daughter’s a fan too — he posted that Max’s first word was dog.

16. A dozen people help him manage his Facebook page

Zuckerberg reportedly has a team of 12 people that tend to his Facebook account to monitor the comments, write his posts and take the photographs that end up on his page.

Culled from Entrepreneur

5 SURE WAYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS TO REALITY

Many of us have awesome and novel business ideas that never see the light of day. The truth is anyone can come up with an idea for a business, but it takes a lot of work to implement a plan of action. So, if you have an idea that you want to put into action in the near future, below are tips to ensure that it becomes reality.

Research the market

You don’t want to dive into any market until you have a clear idea of the competition, where you fit in, and the steps you will have to take to become a major player. Hence, you need not ignore market research.

Be patient

As excited as you may be about taking your business from idea to action, you need to exercise some patience during the process. There will be times when you need to take a step back for one reason or another. There will be times when you need to adjust your approach to ensure that you are on the right track.

Create a business plan

Regardless of your idea, timeline, or how much money you plan on spending, it’s imperative to create a business plan that can provide a guide now and in the future. It can take some time to create a business plan. But in the long run, it has its advantages.

Set a budget

Once you have a budget in mind, you will find it easier to make the right financial decisions as you take your business from idea to the real thing.

Set a start date

Without a start date, you may find yourself facing one unnecessary delay after the next. If you truly want to reach the next level, you need to set a start date and then do whatever it takes to reach this goal.

Get a mentor

Some people have the perception that they do not need help in starting off. This is not true. It is essential to find a mentor who can show you the way and can put you on the right track to success