Entering the world of work from postgraduate studies
The rise of hybrid work is causing employers and human resources managers, especially those in charge of selection processes, to reconsider (as well as reevaluate) how the training and training of personnel who join new functions should be , both in terms of the combination of hours in the office and online (only work) with the other hours of training (in the office and also online).
Leaving education and joining the world of work is like a show jumping race, some more difficult than others. But without a doubt, there are some postgraduate students who will have certain advantages over other university graduates who have not yet started their quaternary studies. MBA students make a positive difference, and a growing number of people with business degrees are becoming forces for social change. Employers are the first to look for highly educated people.
Experience is important, but an MBA postgraduate has a very important advantage over someone who has experience in the position, but has no training. Moreover, there are many companies that need to replace middle managers who precisely have proven experience, although not enough preparation to rise to leadership positions. Here, the advantage of an MBA postgraduate is undoubted. In addition, the employer and those responsible for human resources know that in a very short period of time, said professional will be in conditions of operational profitability.
Good income and good ends
Making money and making a difference are often seen as diametrically opposed goals. But that doesn’t have to be the case. According to experts, an increasing number of people are seeking to change the world through business. While this business-focused approach to social change is relatively new, it holds considerable promise. Indeed, many models of social change now include business-related aspects designed to improve living standards and access to resources. And many of the best contemporary examples of social change programs were developed in part by people with business degrees, particularly those with MBAs.
How MBA students make a positive difference
If you’re thinking about getting an MBA degree, here are a few ways you can use your degree to create social change, along with a job, income, stability, and future.
Work for a socially conscious company
It is no longer a novelty, because today it is recognized that for-profit companies that are committed to adopting environmental sustainability and/or social change, thereby benefiting their communities, are the future of what the jobs of tomorrow will be like same.
We have a triple effect: postgraduate students with greater social awareness, employers who already know that it is the only way to remain competitive, and of course, business schools that have been introducing this knowledge for years in both MBAs and other postgraduate programs, such as some ad-hoc programs on sustainability management.
In other words, if we have businesses in the current scenario that are truly beneficial and provide profit reports to shareholders, as well as to society with respect to their corporate social responsibility, sustainability, carbon footprint, etc., unlike the traditional companies, all stakeholders (shareholders, third parties, investors, etc.) and other interest groups, will not only be watching over the benefits and their maintenance over time, but very especially over the contribution to the common good.
Finding a mission-focused start-up
If you want to commit to improving the world, why not start a company focused on solving a social problem? From the food supply to energy, education and housing, there are many areas that need innovation. Through mission-focused startup, you can create a product or service designed to improve access to needed resources or alleviate common problems. And thanks to modern technology, there are more profitable ways than ever to create products and deliver services. The important thing is that you can do it as a solo entrepreneur, providing services or as part of a business project in which you would have this social and operational responsibility, and especially making it profitable.
Get into Sustainable Finance or Impact Investing
Without a doubt, you can work in an Ibex 35 company or in Brussels, as well as on Wall Street. But, you can still make a positive difference, as long as you focus your career on sustainable finance and/or impact investing. Sustainable Finance offers financial services to sectors focused on sustainable development. The objective is to integrate environmental, social and governance objectives with financial ones, so that both the client and society benefit.
In impact investing, investors invest money in companies and funds that seek to generate a beneficial social and/or environmental impact along with a financial return. Some of the largest financial institutions in the world have divisions focused on sustainable finance and/or impact investing, which opens up the possibilities for you to work in a traditional company that has already been sensitized by the new sustainable and socially conscious economy, or directly being part of a start-up that provides services of this type to companies that are still in the process of transformation, both in their digital and sustainability skills.
Many of the best MBA programs include social change in their educational mission, where a mission of social change underpins everything it does and especially what a current and modern organization must do in terms of the necessary adaptation to this new model of consciousness. Social.
With MBA studies or with specific studies on the subject of sustainability, the postgraduate student will obtain the knowledge and skills that she needs to be successful at the business management level. In addition, with the advantage that you currently have of doing an online learning that allows you to learn from home using a flexible online platform designed for working professionals, which facilitates your employability.
This gives you more freedom to control when and where you attend classes, an advantage that can help you earn your MBA while continuing to work or pursue new opportunities.
Ways to improve the employability of graduates
While work experience is important, it’s not the only way you can improve your employability. There are a variety of activities that can make you stand out to employers – all you need is a little initiative.
While nothing replaces real work experience, work experience and internships aren’t always easy to find. If you’re having difficulty securing a placement, don’t panic: there are still a number of things you can do to increase your chances of employment.
For example, have you considered virtual work experience schemes? An increasing number of employers now have virtual programs that allow students and graduates to gain essential experience from home.
To be as prepared as possible for the world of work, do some research on the industry and the sector you want to join, paying special attention to the companies of your interest. To find out what certain roles consist of, check out the job profiles.
Follow preferred employers on social media to stay up to date with the latest company developments and learn about job openings.
It’s also a good idea to prepare for the interview, this includes phone and video interviews; make sure you know what to expect.
Improve your online presence
Take a look at your social channels and ask yourself if they are employer friendly. Employers look at candidates’ social media channels to assess whether they would be a good fit for the job or company.
To sort your social channels
Adjust your privacy settings. If you don’t want recruiters to be able to see your profiles, make sure they are set to private.
If profiles are public, remove any posts that could harm your chances of success, for example wild vacation pictures or posts containing controversial comments or foul language.
Consider if your profile ID looks/sounds professional. If not, change it.
To enhance your presence
Follow organizations and professional bodies of interest to stay up to date with the latest news and developments.
You have to make it clear that you enjoy making comments and interacting with both employers and colleagues.
When posting, include relevant hashtags to make sure the right people see your posts.
Consider setting up separate work accounts. Also, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be. Join and start building your profile right now.
You should learn more about social media and job hunting.
It wouldn’t hurt to sign up as a volunteer, as volunteering looks great on a CV and will give you great examples to use during job interviews. The activities do not have to be related to your career, you will be surprised at the amount of transferable skills that are acquired and that, of course, you can use in your work, and this is known by recruiters.
Having a second (or third) language under your belt can help you stand out in a competitive job market. Business in all its forms is becoming more international, so mastering a well-used language such as Portuguese, Spanish, French or German will often give you an advantage.
The hard work and dedication that goes into learning a new language is sure to impress employers.
There are many listening and online resources available to help you become bilingual, as well as a number of apps.
Create the perfect CV
Do not neglect your CV. When it comes time to apply for jobs, you’ll wish you’d kept it up to date. If yours could use a bit of topicality, now is the time to do it. Which means taking a critical look at your CV, asking yourself if it contains unnecessary or inaccurate information. If it really contains all your skills and experiences acquired to date, of course, the different degrees of studies carried out.
It is not superfluous to write a personal statement for your CV, so that those responsible for selection or human resources, as well as middle managers who could be your new direct bosses in the event of a promotion, are clear about your motivation, ambitions, goals that have you noticed, team spirit that clearly arises from, for example, certain sports and/or social activities, in which you selflessly contribute/collaborate.
Skills and training needed to compete in today’s economy
It is quite frequent that from OUR EDITORIAL STAFF we resort to investigations and/or surveys that are carried out in the United States, because without a doubt, it is the country with the largest amount of statistical data in any field. We find something interesting that we comment on below about the training and updating of American professionals.
First, there is a widespread feeling among adults in this country that the workplace is evolving and they will need to continually update their skills and training to be successful in a career. This in turn generates different positions on the extent to which they believe affects them:
– A narrow majority (54%) of adults currently in the workforce say it will be essential for them to receive training and develop new skills throughout their working lives to keep up with changes in the workplace .
– An additional 33% say this will be important, but not essential.
– Only 12% of workers say that continuous training will not be important to them.
– Even among employed adults who say they have the skills and education they need to get ahead in their jobs, about half (47%) say they will need ongoing training throughout their career.
Receive further education and training to build a career with the company
35% of working adults say they need more education and training now to get ahead in their job or career. A plurality of those who say they need more training say that the best way to get that training would be through additional higher education. This is true at all levels of educational attainment: a plurality of four-year college graduates say they would pursue a graduate degree, two-year college graduates say they would pursue a four-year degree.
Receive on-the-job training
About a third of workers who say they need more training believe that getting on-the-job training would be the best way to gain the skills they need to get ahead, while fewer point to certification programs as the most promising path.
When the initiative is personal or employer
About four in ten employed adults (45%) say they have taken a class in the past year or received additional training to learn, maintain or improve their job skills. About half of these workers report that they did this at the behest of their employer, but a significant proportion also report that they sought additional training to earn more money, get a new job, or get a promotion.
What kind of skills do they think workers need in the new market
While the skills American workers rely on to do their jobs vary widely by education and industry, interpersonal, communication, and analytical skills are the most dominant across all fields. And the skills American workers are using in their jobs these days don’t necessarily match what most Americans see as cutting-edge job skills today. While an overwhelming majority of adults (85%) say having a detailed understanding of how to use computer technology is extremely or very important for a worker to be successful in today’s economy, far fewer employed adults say they need this skill set in your current job.
Ongoing training in the workplace
Many say that ongoing training and skill acquisition are essential in today’s workplace. Overall, 54% of US adults in the workforce say that to keep up with changes in the workplace, it will be essential for them to gain training and develop new skills throughout their working lives. A third say that while it is not essential, it will be important for them to continually update their skills. Young adults are more likely than their older counterparts to view skills and training as essential (61%), perhaps due to the longer career path ahead of them. Still, 56% of those ages 30-49 say ongoing training will be essential for them, as do about four in ten workers age 50 and older.
Gap between training and skills development
There is a significant educational gap in perceptions about the need for ongoing training and skills development. 63% of those with a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree say it will be essential for them to update their skills to keep up with the pace of change in the workplace. About 57% of those with a two-year college degree say this will be essential for them, as do a similar proportion of those with some college education but no degree (54%). Among those with a high school diploma or less, 45% say it will be essential for them to receive training and develop new skills throughout their career.
Adults working in certain STEM-related industries are among the most likely to say that ongoing training and skills development will be essential for them. Two-thirds of employed adults (66%) who work in computer programming and information technology say this will be essential for them. And about six in ten workers who are in the health care industry (62%) say the same. By contrast, about half of adults who work in hospitality (47%), manufacturing or agriculture (46%), or retail or wholesale (46%) see training and skills development as a essential part of their future working life.
Conclusions we can draw
– In the next three to five years, the formation and training processes in organizations will accelerate, since every day, based on unstoppable technological innovation, new work procedures, new business and administrative management modalities, as well as new concerns in what makes up the current economy of social consciousness, sustainable and at the same time, integrating and inclusive.
– For this process to be valid, organizations must make their material and human resource allocations much more effective for training and training processes, so agreements with business schools and also with highly specialized consultancies in certain contents (case of Fintech), in order to coordinate ad hoc programs designed especially for an industry sector, or even, in the case of large industrial or financial corporations, develop MBA and MBA programs specializing in finance, both with a high content of sustainability and social awareness, in which it is feasible to form groups with base employees, middle managers and directors of said organization, to which a number no greater than 5 to 8 external candidates may be added, to make up the quotas. This is of interest to both the business school and the company, because there will always be postgraduate students who stand out from the rest and who do not necessarily belong to the sector.