By NADIA AHMED ABDALLA
A survey by the website "Graduates Opportunities" gathered feedback from employers on the true essential qualities that graduates should have in order for them to survive and excel in their particular industry of choice. The first quality is 'cultural alignment and values', which scored a 6 out of 10 in their survey. This is about looking at one's personality and determining how well would it align with the company’s culture and environment. |
Next is the quality 'emotional intelligence', which scored a 7 out of 10 in their survey. This is about analysing how aware a graduate is of their own emotions, strengths and weaknesses.
There is also the quality 'team work skills', which scored an 8 out of 10, whereby employers are eager to know how well an individual works with other people out of their comfort zone.
Lastly, the quality 'leadership skills', which scored a hefty 10 out of 10. Apparently employers are interested to find out how well the individual can take charge in the organization, and point each person from the team in the right direction, in order to achieve the ultimate goals.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Staff Welfare and Managing Administrator Halima Juma Mwalimu said, "Firms do consider the professionalism of graduates, but they look deeper into the way they carry themselves, how hungry they are for more experience and how open they are to criticism.”
A personal example of the professionalism mentality as a failed elevation strategy was during my internship duration. My personal belief was that if I stuck to being extremely professional, all would fall through smoothly when I entered the working world.
However, whatever that resulted after told me I was completely blind-sided. Although I was credited for my professionalism from time to time, I was constantly reminded to be meticulous in my work and how I had to step it up in order to move onto other challenges.
SDV Transami Sudan Country Manager, Abdulhakim Mbarak Omar said, “A lot of graduates lack the ability to understand the span of control in the firm, fail to understand the teamwork concept and tend to segregate in their designated departments, forgetting that we all belong to one owner.”
Many graduates fail to realise that there is more than just professionalism as the one and only way to elevate in a particular field. Hence they end up in consistent complaints of how they hate their job, all the while refusing to change their perception.
To conclude, I feel that it all sums down to one's change in perception, as well as the openness to learning and understanding that makes a graduate excel in their field of choice.
There is also the quality 'team work skills', which scored an 8 out of 10, whereby employers are eager to know how well an individual works with other people out of their comfort zone.
Lastly, the quality 'leadership skills', which scored a hefty 10 out of 10. Apparently employers are interested to find out how well the individual can take charge in the organization, and point each person from the team in the right direction, in order to achieve the ultimate goals.
Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Staff Welfare and Managing Administrator Halima Juma Mwalimu said, "Firms do consider the professionalism of graduates, but they look deeper into the way they carry themselves, how hungry they are for more experience and how open they are to criticism.”
A personal example of the professionalism mentality as a failed elevation strategy was during my internship duration. My personal belief was that if I stuck to being extremely professional, all would fall through smoothly when I entered the working world.
However, whatever that resulted after told me I was completely blind-sided. Although I was credited for my professionalism from time to time, I was constantly reminded to be meticulous in my work and how I had to step it up in order to move onto other challenges.
SDV Transami Sudan Country Manager, Abdulhakim Mbarak Omar said, “A lot of graduates lack the ability to understand the span of control in the firm, fail to understand the teamwork concept and tend to segregate in their designated departments, forgetting that we all belong to one owner.”
Many graduates fail to realise that there is more than just professionalism as the one and only way to elevate in a particular field. Hence they end up in consistent complaints of how they hate their job, all the while refusing to change their perception.
To conclude, I feel that it all sums down to one's change in perception, as well as the openness to learning and understanding that makes a graduate excel in their field of choice.
The perception of professionalism as the key aspect for graduates to elevate and be successful in their field of work is rather indefinite.
What does the term ‘professionalism’ mean? Professionalism is the skill of having good judgement and polite behaviour that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.
While skill is one of the things that graduates need to have knowledge about as soon as they start working in a particular field, prioritizing it is not what helps a graduate grow in that particular field.
Graduates tend to enter the working world with the perception of professionalism as the flag barrier of success; as a result, they fail to maintain their positions. This is possibly because most graduates are too blinded by the concept of professionalism that they forget to take time to learn and understand how things run and operate around them.
What does the term ‘professionalism’ mean? Professionalism is the skill of having good judgement and polite behaviour that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.
While skill is one of the things that graduates need to have knowledge about as soon as they start working in a particular field, prioritizing it is not what helps a graduate grow in that particular field.
Graduates tend to enter the working world with the perception of professionalism as the flag barrier of success; as a result, they fail to maintain their positions. This is possibly because most graduates are too blinded by the concept of professionalism that they forget to take time to learn and understand how things run and operate around them.