Career Readiness Skills

2017: No revenue, no social presence. 2024: $440k+ in revenue, 875K+ social media followers. 💸 How did I achieve this transformation? 🤔 It wasn’t just about random sleepless nights and hard work. Here are the key strategies that made a difference: 1. Expanding My Skill Set 💻 What I Did: → Started as a content writer and then transitioned into marketing and copywriting. Why It Worked: → Diversifying my skills opened up new opportunities and helped me stand out in a competitive market. Tip: Continuously develop new skills and find the ones that align with your goals. 2. Building a Strong Social Presence 📸 What I Did: → Created a personal brand, studied social media algorithms, produced valuable content, and leveraged trends. Why It Worked: → A strong social presence attracted more followers and clients, ensuring steady business growth. Advice: Focus on growing one platform at a time. 3. Creating Value-Added Content What I Did: → Focused on producing content that provides real value to my audience, such as how-tos, tips, and insights relevant to their interests. Why It Worked: → Value-added content builds trust and positions you as an authority in your field. Strategy: Always aim to solve problems or provide insights that your audience can benefit from. 4. Effective Networking 👏🏼 What I Did: → Connected with like-minded professionals, attended industry events, and engaged in meaningful conversations. Why It Worked: → Networking opened doors to unexpected opportunities and provided valuable referrals. Pro Tip: Share book snippets or insightful articles to start meaningful conversations and build strong connections. 5. Mastering Sales 🛒 What I Did: → Improved my sales skills, including pitching, negotiation, and closing deals. Why It Worked: → Good sales skills are essential for converting prospects into clients, and helping people naturally leads to sales. Hope this helps 😁 Question - What are the top 3 skills you think one must have to grow their business?

I like how the City University of New York-College of Staten Island is working to integrate academic and career advising with a degree map like the one below. "The goal was simple: remove guesswork and ensure every student leaves not just with a degree, but with tangible career readiness,” Kristi Brescia said. Many career services offices have their own student journey maps, but often they focus more on career exploration or strengths assessments. The career-infused map is a department-specific resource that identifies how one major can lead to a variety of careers, Brescia explained. To identify relevant and appropriate career steps, Brescia met with industry partners, faculty members, career advisers, students and recent graduates of the computer science program to solicit ideas and determine which steps best matched with a student’s academic journey. The impact: Now, a variety of campus partners engage with and share information from the map, creating a common language and a range of touch points for students to receive encouragement. Staff and faculty advisers use the resource during advising appointments, and some professors integrate elements from the map into their course requirements. Students also run with it, taking the initiative to complete as many of the listed tasks as possible to set themselves up for success, Brescia said. In addition to breaking departmental silos, the map helps level the playing field. Some student populations, such as first-generation learners, have found it particularly beneficial because it clarifies some elements of the hidden curriculum and creates transparent expectations for career preparation throughout their academic journeys, Brescia said. Between 2021 and 2024, career outcomes flourished, with 43 percent more computer science students participating in internships and a 144 percent increase in the number of students landing a full-time job upon graduation, according to college data. Students’ starting salaries also increased 34 percent, compared to previous baselines. Scaling up: The initiative caught the eye of system leaders, and in 2024, The City University of New York received a $700,000 grant to implement career-infused degree maps across all CUNY campuses. Brescia has worked as an advising consultant with the system office, assisting with development of a guidebook and offering best practices in creating the map. To date, 50 academic departments across 17 campuses have made the shift, impacting 25,000 students enrolled in those programs. The impact is clear, and making the change requires only time and collaboration. “I did it at my kitchen table,” Brescia said. “It was myself, faculty, students and alumni, just working together. And now CUNY has taken that to another level … It’s incredibly rewarding to know that we did it in my little office here at the College of Staten Island, and that [the system] sees the benefit of it and they see the results.”

Agricultural Degrees Without Business Skills Is a Fast Track to Unemployment (Part 2) Let’s continue from where we stopped… The university gave you theories, not strategies. They taught you how to grow crops and raise animals but not how to turn that knowledge into money. That’s why many agriculture graduates remain stuck. Because the world doesn’t reward effort; it rewards impact. And in agribusiness, impact means solving real problems profitably. If you truly want to earn from agriculture, here’s how to bridge the gap between “I studied agriculture” and “I earn from agriculture”: 1. Choose Your Sector Early. Agriculture is too broad for you to be everywhere. Pick a niche: crops, livestock, feed, processing, export, agtech, or marketing. Clarity creates focus. Focus creates mastery. And mastery is what people pay for. 2. Learn How to Identify Opportunities Around You. Every community has a problem: post-harvest loss, poor packaging, low market access, bad feed. Ask: “What can I solve here?” Businesses start from curiosity, not capital. 3. Volunteer or Intern with Intention. Don’t just be a farmhand. Observe the business side. Ask about pricing, records, customers, and marketing. Those lessons are worth more than your allowance. 4. Build a Personal Brand Online. Document your learning journey. Share insights, farm visits, and research. Opportunities find visible people. 5. Learn Sales and Marketing; It’s Non-Negotiable. Even the best produce can’t sell itself. Take free courses, learn copywriting, and master positioning. Because Visibility is the new currency. 6. Study the Market, Not Just the Soil. Who buys? When do they buy? Why do they buy? How can you reach them faster and cheaper? Money doesn’t hide in the farm, it hides in the flow of goods and people. 7. Start Small, Think Big. Don’t wait for millions. Grow something. Package something. Sell something. Experience will teach you more than fear ever will. 8. Learn the Language of Business. Know terms like profit margin, market positioning, cost control, and distribution. These are not just MBA terms, they are survival tools for every agripreneur. 9. Find Mentorship and Community. Stop walking alone. Learn from people already earning from agriculture. You’ll grow faster and make fewer mistakes. So if you’re reading this as a student or beginner in agriculture; Don’t wait to graduate before becoming relevant. Start now. Learn aggressively. Build intentionally. Because the truth is… #Agriculture feeds the world. #Agribusiness feeds the #farmer.

🔸Some newly minted law graduates darkened my door, seeking advice on how to approach the legal job market. Here are a few pointers that I shared: 1. Avoid the internship trap. Once you qualify to be registered as a legal practitioner, you must be able to make a case for a proper employment contract. Intern when you are a student. Once you graduate, close the deal. Yes, the market is brutal but that means you must exploit any opportunity you get to shine. Stand out. 2. Make sure you are a good fit. Conduct detailed research on the firms you apply to for employment. Understand their focus. Know the partners. Look up what cases the firm has taken on. Gather intelligence on what they do not like. Have a strong sense of their portfolio, values and philosophy. This will help you articulate why they must hire you. 3. You will be judged by your application letter. Address it to the senior or managing partner. Adopt a professional tone. Be concise. Format it properly. Include a line personal to that firm that summarizes your motivation for applying. Never send a blanket, impersonal email to all law firms. It will be ignored. 4. If possible, deliver your letter by hand in a white envelope. Type the addressee’s name onto the envelope. Ask the receptionist if you can make a 5-minute courtesy call to the managing partner to hand him or her the letter directly. Wear your best black suit and a crisp white shirt. 5. Prepare a one-page CV. Highlight skills relevant to the practice of law. Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. 6. Be ready to demonstrate a strong grasp of the law, procedure and the mechanics of legal practice. You must show you are willing to learn but equally demonstrate that you have a steady foundation that they can build on. 7. Network as you search but don’t be annoying. Go to places where you are likely to meet potential employers like Rotary, Law Society gatherings, society clubs, the gym and church. In these settings, keep a constant eye out for opportunities to make a good professional impression. People tend to hire people they like. All the best!✨

“Sales is not relevant to me, I am in [Function other than sales].” Raise your hand if you've ever thought this way. I would be the first one to raise my hand - dismissing sales as irrelevant to my role in tech. Early in my career, the very word 'sales' conjured images of a sleazy car salesman trying to sell me unnecessary options for my new vehicle. As my career progressed, however, my perspective started to shift. I realized that sales is far more than just transactions and numbers. It's about building relationships, understanding deep-seated needs, adding value and offering meaningful solutions. Sales acumen, I discovered, is like financial literacy – a universal, indispensable skill that transcends job titles, experience levels and functions. To demystify sales and showcase its broad relevance, I reached out to my friend Aaron Norris, a former Principal Account Exec at Amazon Web Services. He is now dedicated to advancing the careers of Account Execs, focusing on long-term happiness, health, and wealth. Here are 5 invaluable tips he shared with me on how sales skills can benefit any role: 1. Discovery: Identifying and understanding your customer's top priority challenges and designing unique value-adding solutions is critical in sales. This is not a one-time effort rather an ongoing process of research, obtaining insights, collaborating and establishing feedback loops to deliver the right solutions and delight customers. 2. Stakeholder Engagement: Adapting the narrative, style, channel and frequency of messaging enables sellers to effectively engage with and obtain buy-in from internal and external executives, technical, and business stakeholders at various levels. 3. Influence: Effective influence in sales hinges on clear, honest communication and a deep understanding of customer needs and team dynamics. It's about building trust by consistently delivering on promises and showing commitment to customers’ and colleagues' success. This approach not only drives decision-making but also strengthens team collaboration, accounting for their unique skills, needs and interests. 4. Resilience: Navigating a high-pressure and target-driven environment, sales professionals often face rejection and must rebound after losses. To remain composed and resilient during challenging times, they prioritize customer focus, engage the executive team early, and make decisions with a long-term perspective. 5. Relationship Building: Building authentic relationships in sales requires prioritizing your customers' success over closing a deal. It involves becoming their most trusted advisor by investing time in building the partnership, understanding their goals and strategy, providing value at every opportunity, and celebrating their wins. Looking for additional insights on the topic? Follow Aaron. He posts daily on the topics of enterprise sales, personal development and leadership. PS: Just for a bit of fun, share a ‘sales horror story’ below!

The World Economic Forum’s #FutureofJobsReport 2025 has just been published, on January 9th, and as always, it offers fascinating insights into the shifting dynamics of the global job market. It is a long report, with lots of valuable data. From my perspective, this chart may be the most interesting view included in it. A goldmine for reflection and strategy. The #fastest_growing_roles are - almost all of them - dominated by #AI: Data Specialists, Machine Learning Experts, FinTech Engineers, etc. Notably, green tech (e.g., Renewable Energy Engineers, Environmental Engineers) is also surging. This underscores how deeply intertwined AI and sustainability have become in shaping our economies. Organizations investing in these areas are not just future-proofing their business—they’re building the future. On the other end, #declining_roles reflect a shift toward #automation. Jobs like Bank Tellers, Cashiers, and Data Entry Clerks are rapidly shrinking, displaced by technology that offers efficiency and cost savings. While this presents significant challenges for those in these professions, it also highlights the urgent need for upskilling and reskilling. Some Implications for Leaders: 1. Talent Strategy Must Evolve: Leaders need to focus on cultivating talent pipelines for roles that didn’t exist a decade ago. From DevOps Engineers to UI/UX Designers, the demand for skills at the intersection of technology and creativity is exploding. 2. Reskilling is Non-Negotiable: Companies must view reskilling as an investment rather than a cost. Employees in declining roles need pathways into emerging professions—this is as much about social responsibility as it is about long-term competitiveness. 3. AI Adoption is Key—but Ethical AI Even More So: The integration of AI isn’t just a trend—it’s a foundational shift. But as we adopt AI in business processes, ensuring ethical and inclusive implementation will differentiate the winners from the rest. In addition, this chart doesn’t just speak to business; it speaks to the broader socio-economic fabric. The gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” in terms of skills is growing. If we fail to address this through public and private partnerships, we risk creating a polarized workforce—one half thriving in high-growth industries and the other struggling in declining sectors. For me, the biggest takeaway is that growth and decline are two sides of the same coin. Where some see loss, others see opportunity. The challenge is ensuring we don’t leave anyone behind in this transition. I really hope that our government leaders, educators, institutional representatives, top managers, and as many people as possible will see, understand, and act based on this data...

The curriculum design of core engineering disciplines such as Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, and Chemical Engineering should strategically integrate emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Electric Vehicles (EVs), and Autonomous Vehicles as practical applications. This integration will not only enhance students' technical skill sets but also align their education with industry demands, thereby improving their employability. By embedding these technologies as interdisciplinary modules or hands-on projects, students will gain a deeper understanding of how modern innovations apply to traditional engineering fields, preparing them for the evolving job market and fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability. Additionally, these courses can be structured as major or minor degree options, allowing students to specialize in these areas while completing their core engineering studies, thereby broadening their expertise and increasing their professional competitiveness.

Last month, I was mentoring a final-year engineering student who said: “Didi, mera resume toh blank hai, internships nahi mili, aur placements mein toh sirf CGPA dekhte hain na?” I asked him to show me what he had done. He hesitated and said, “Kuch YouTube tutorials se chhoti moti cheezein banayi thi…” But when I dug deeper, I found gold. ✅ He built a weather app using APIs. ✅ Tried making a budget tracker for his family. ✅ Attempted an ML model for crop prediction. All self-initiated. No certificates. No internships. I told him: “You must add these projects in your blank resume. Aur agar sahi tarike se dikhaye jaaye, toh yeh hi tumhara biggest strength ban sakta hai.” We added those to his resume, wrote crisp one-liners: 📌 Built a weather forecast web app using OpenWeather API – used by 50+ users weekly 📌 Created a budget management tool for household tracking – reduced manual expense logging by 80% Guess what? He cracked a remote internship in USA based finance startup in just 3 weeks. And recently, he messaged me — “Didi, finally placement bhi ho gaya!” Projects that got me into my Dream Product Based Company : https://lnkd.in/gTSvg2mi Set reminder - https://lnkd.in/gqhmkfFb Your resume doesn’t need big brands, it needs real work. Projects show your ability to apply knowledge. They speak louder than college grades. They are proof that you can build, solve and think. 👉 If you’re stuck without experience, create your own. It counts. #project #career #resume #selflearning #guidance #interviewtips #jobs #engineeringstudent #careerchange

How to turn your seemingly disconnected experiences into your biggest career asset: 🍿 So, at one point, I was voted as one of the top 10 tour guides in the world by TourRadar😅 I spent 6+ years guiding groups of 20+ folks across Croatia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Wild, right? It feels like a past life. And some might say totally irrelevant to being a founder. I disagree. 💡Being a tour guide in taught me how to: • build relationships quickly • lead confidently • negotiate • deal with crisis (trust me, I have some STORIES! 😅) • tell great stories • think on my feet • understand diverse cultural norms • fit in wherever I went • engineer amazing experiences • create content • build teams • be savvy with money Quite literally, the exact skills that I use today as a founder. Here’s how to leverage this 👇 Instead of saying: “I was a tour guide, and then I was a ___, and then I was a _____” You can say “being a ____ (role) was my _____ (key skillset you learned) and it led me to ______ (transformation of where you ended up) I can say “being a tour guide was my crash course in community building, and it lead me building Generalist World”. You don’t need to share your exact linear path with a hiring manager. Pick & choose the most interesting, relevant bits, and demonstrate how those bits help you, and most importantly, can help THEM, today. You own your story. Use it wisely.

Here’s the one mindset shift that changed my life most. For the last 12 years, I’ve woken up every day with the thought that this would be the day I get laid off. It might sound harsh, but it’s the healthiest and most prepared approach I’ve ever adopted. This is particularly true in today’s world of staggering competition and overwhelming applicant numbers, especially in the most sought-after industries. Twelve years ago, I was laid off while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I spent nearly half a year unemployed, around the holidays no less, with only my partner's $20,000 graduate stipend in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I felt like I had failed and spent a lot of time wondering what I had done wrong and what my career would look like moving forward. Then, I made a decision: from that day forward, I would expect to lose my job at any moment. Not out of anxiety or fear, but as a form of preparation and realism. Companies can change for a variety of reasons - leadership shifts, mergers, market shifts - and expecting these changes has made me feel much more calm, not less. Adopting this mindset has several benefits: - Preparedness: If you assume that today might be your last at any company, your materials (CV, LinkedIn) stay updated, your networking never stops, and you’re always thinking about the next opportunity. - Financial Preparedness: Along with your professional preparedness, always ensure your finances are in order. Have savings, know what you’d do for healthcare, and plan for any gaps. This mindset isn't just about your career - it’s about your entire livelihood. - No Surprises: When you’re prepared for anything, you’re never blindsided by layoffs or changes in company direction. - No Attachment: I appreciate my jobs, but I don’t attach my identity to them. The only things I’m wedded to are my family, my friends, and my values. Companies can and do change - this mindset keeps me grounded. - Personal Brand Development: Always be developing your personal brand. Your identity should stand completely unattached from the company you work for. Build something that is entirely yours, because when that company changes or you move on, your brand stays with you. *** When people think of your name outside your company does a clear, positive picture come to mind for most of them? If not, it's time to work on this *** Consider this mindset. While it doesn't eliminate all risks, it puts you in a much stronger position to pivot when things change. Your career, personal brand, and financial future will benefit, and you’ll feel happier and calmer as a result. This approach is also grounded in reality. As we’ve seen over the last three years, layoffs can happen at any moment, often with little more than a form email, and most people at the company won’t care the day after. You’re the one who needs to be ready to respond at a moment’s notice, because nobody else will.