SURVIVAL PACKAGE 2: BE SMART ALL-ROUND

Be school smart, office smart and street smart

 

If you need to survive in the money industry, you have to be smart. No one needs to tell you how important it is to be smart. It makes more sense when you're school smart, office smart and street smart at the same time.

 

School Smart

This explains how smart you can/should be in an academic setting or environment. It answers questions like, "How do you read/study? How well do you plan your time? How do you answer test and exam questions? How do you cope with extra-curricular activities?" and the likes.

 

It is not just about reading, reading, reading, or books, books, books. Of course, reading and books pay a lot, except if you're smart about it. It is not how much you read, but how smart you read. I am a student, and I believe a good number of my readers are students.

 

Being school smart is beyond the books, classes and academic related activities. The school environment has opportunities for exploration. For example, networking and the extra-curricular activities that may boost your curriculum Vitae and experiences. It looks at exploiting the many opportunities available in the school setting.

 

Many people come out of school as brilliant students, but not smart students, because they really haven't learnt anything aside what exists in their books. They are unable to convert their knowledge to anything meaningful, simply because they were not school smart.

 

To be school smart, you need to understand your environment; know the activities that take place and how to make the best from it. Maximize the opportunities, minimize the distractions as there may be. Opportunities may include scholarships, professional examinations, internships, leadership roles, volunteering services, essay competitions, and many more. Deal with them, don't let opportunities slide.

 

To be school smart, your bucket list should include:

  • Find and secure opportunities
  • Build your personal brand
  • Improve your reading habit
  • Build your LinkedIn Profile
  • Network
  • Save and Invest
  • Acquire new skills
  • Volunteer
  • Aim for great grades
  • Lead a team
  • Be commercially aware
  • Take courses
  • Stop procrastinating
  • Be teachable
  • Prioritise your health
  • Find a mentor                                                 

(Source: Legal pages)

 

As for the need to take courses, there are a number of them. Including, Coursera, EdX, Khan Academy, Udemy, Code academy, Open culture online courses, Ted-Ed, Google education, Microsoft education, and many more. They cut across many disciplines. So, you can put them to good use.

 

 

Office Smart

This is how well you relate to the office environment, or your work place, or a corporate setting. It answers questions like, "How well can you cope?", "How well do you relate to people?", "How do you explore opportunities to ease your climb on the ladder of career?", and so on.

 

It includes getting job opportunities, thriving in work places, proficiency in communication, relationship as a client, or as a customer. It is in fact, blending well and standing out in the office environment.

 

Here, depending on your country, official languages differ. Like in my country, the official language in many organizations is English. It is the medium of communication as a client or customer. You may need to learn the official languages of the countries you wish to work. It is very essential, for convenience and for easier communication.

 

Be smart at work, be smart in the office. It takes more than these to be office smart. You don't need to be an employer, employee or a career person to be office smart. Provided you have a stake in the money industry.

 

Building your relevance in the industry and your career is very important. There are some platforms that help with this:

  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed
  • Careerealism
  • Job-hunt
  • Job bait
  • Careercloud
  • GM4JH
  • Personalbrandingblog
  • Jibberjobber
  • Neighbours-helping-neighbours

 

Of course, there are many more. Keep being relevant, update your CV, take on activities that build your skill in the office environment.

 

 

Street Smart

This is a part where many fall short. They possess the school and office smartness, but not on the street.

 

Unlike the school and office setting, language here is dynamic. Schools could have rules pertaining to languages. Offices or companies could have rules pertaining to languages, but not the street.

My guy, forget that English that you're always speaking. When you're on the street, anything happens, almost unpredictably. For instance, Lagos, Nigeria, you should be able to communicate fluently in Yoruba or pidgin, that way, you stand on the right path.

 

Well, it takes more than language and communication. How well can you utilise opportunities on the street? Your attitude on the street also matters. Your language is one path, but not all of it. Your attitude forms another part. For instance, if you are to take a public transport, do you allow the driver dictate any price, then you just hop in? Or at the market place, do you allow the vendor pick the worst of items and you accept?

 

Surprisingly, many people who are not so cool headed in the work place, causing havoc and so on, tend to be cool and naïve when it comes to the street.

 

You may be thinking that, "I will not be poor, there is no need for negotiation or dragging prices with people I buy items from."  I am not saying you will be poor or anything. All I am saying is that being street smart has a lot of impact on your way of life. It could be unconscious, but there are positive effects.

 

Being street smart improves your negotiation skill. It improves your analytical skills. If you are street smart, you will be able to cope better than one who is not in the face of adversity. It has a lot of benefits unseen by the eyes. Be street smart!

 

 

Now, tell me, one who is school smart, office smart and street smart, will he not thrive wherever he finds himself? He remains relevant in the labour market, to his career, and most importantly, to himself.

 

Having the skills sharpens you up and makes available a Plan B if things go wrong. Your knowledge from school gives you more opportunity and choices to pick from. Your office skills keeps you experienced. Your street sense keeps you calculative and sharp. You are better off having all, than 'not all'. Acquire all!

 

 

Please note: I am not urging you to rush into anything. I am just opening your eyes to opportunities. Take your time and build yourself. Of course, be smart about it. It takes time to build skills. Make use of this, without pressuring yourself. These skills are more than as explained. However, the values of these skills remain relevant.

 

This is the second in the series, and I am sure this was an eye-opening session. Ensure you follow the series here on ‘The money corner’ www.mformoneyschool.blogspot.com. You can also read my article on ‘Becoming relevant in the years to come’. It is an oversight.

#Moneyindustry #Survivalpackage #Iamemployable #Themoneycorner #Labourmarket #Enterprise #Accounting #Business #Finance #Digital #Future #Skills #Besmart #Schoolsmart #Officesmart #Streetsmart

© THE MONEY CORNER 2020

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