Success skillset for students' personal and professional development
Unlocking Success: Nurturing Students' Skillset for Personal and Professional Triumph
Step into the world of educational transformation at the inaugural World Higher Education Ranking Summit, where visionaries, pioneers, and luminaries from the realm of higher education converge. Set against a backdrop of innovation and forward-thinking, today's discussion delves into a subject crucial for students, businesses, and academia alike: "Success Skillset for Students' Personal and Professional Development."
As the summit unfolds, the spotlight turns to an exceptional individual dedicated to propelling student success, Dr. Scott Dell. With a passion for nurturing success skills, Dr. Dell's journey as an assistant professor at Francis Marion University has transformed the educational landscape. Drawing upon his expertise, he guides students beyond traditional boundaries, breaking limiting beliefs and fostering an environment primed for real-world excellence.
Dr. Scott Dell, a CPA and DBA, brings with him a wealth of experience and a rich tapestry of accomplishments. A leader in his field, he served for over a decade as an accounting program director in the Midwest before joining Francis Marion University in 2019. His innovative approach blends a diverse toolkit into the classroom, equipping students not only with technical knowledge but also with the soft skills that are vital for thriving in both academia and the professional sphere.
Acknowledgment of his remarkable contributions is evident through accolades like the Accounting Educator Award for 2018 from the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs. Dr. Dell's journey is a testament to the potent synergy between academic prowess, real-world entrepreneurial ventures, and military service.
Amidst the electrifying atmosphere of the summit, the conversation sparks with a poignant query: What is success? This question becomes the cornerstone of the discussion, unraveling the multifaceted dimensions of success and its significance in a rapidly evolving world.
With the stage set for an engaging dialogue, the summit holds the promise of unveiling key secrets behind the coveted success skill set. It's not just about academia; it's about forging a path that transcends boundaries, propelling students toward personal and professional triumph. From hard skills to soft skills, from technical mastery to holistic development, the conversation promises to inspire educators, students, and businesses alike.
As the summit progresses, the viewer is invited to embrace the transformative power of success skill sets, fostering a generation of individuals primed to thrive in an interconnected global landscape. The future envisions entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders who have honed not only their technical expertise but also the interpersonal skills that propel them to greatness.
In a world where education transcends traditional confines, Dr. Scott Dell's insights illuminate the path toward holistic excellence. The video encapsulates the essence of the summit, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of discovery, empowerment, and transformation.
As the summit unfolds, the spotlight turns to an exceptional individual dedicated to propelling student success, Dr. Scott Dell. With a passion for nurturing success skills, Dr. Dell's journey as an assistant professor at Francis Marion University has transformed the educational landscape. Drawing upon his expertise, he guides students beyond traditional boundaries, breaking limiting beliefs and fostering an environment primed for real-world excellence.
Dr. Scott Dell, a CPA and DBA, brings with him a wealth of experience and a rich tapestry of accomplishments. A leader in his field, he served for over a decade as an accounting program director in the Midwest before joining Francis Marion University in 2019. His innovative approach blends a diverse toolkit into the classroom, equipping students not only with technical knowledge but also with the soft skills that are vital for thriving in both academia and the professional sphere.
Acknowledgment of his remarkable contributions is evident through accolades like the Accounting Educator Award for 2018 from the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs. Dr. Dell's journey is a testament to the potent synergy between academic prowess, real-world entrepreneurial ventures, and military service.
Amidst the electrifying atmosphere of the summit, the conversation sparks with a poignant query: What is success? This question becomes the cornerstone of the discussion, unraveling the multifaceted dimensions of success and its significance in a rapidly evolving world.
With the stage set for an engaging dialogue, the summit holds the promise of unveiling key secrets behind the coveted success skill set. It's not just about academia; it's about forging a path that transcends boundaries, propelling students toward personal and professional triumph. From hard skills to soft skills, from technical mastery to holistic development, the conversation promises to inspire educators, students, and businesses alike.
As the summit progresses, the viewer is invited to embrace the transformative power of success skill sets, fostering a generation of individuals primed to thrive in an interconnected global landscape. The future envisions entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders who have honed not only their technical expertise but also the interpersonal skills that propel them to greatness.
In a world where education transcends traditional confines, Dr. Scott Dell's insights illuminate the path toward holistic excellence. The video encapsulates the essence of the summit, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of discovery, empowerment, and transformation.
Speakers Info
Dr. Scott Dell Assistant Professor of Accounting at Francis Marion University
Dr. Scott Del is more than just an academic; he's a dynamic force with a mission to empower individuals and businesses through knowledge and innovation. As a recovering CPA, lifelong LEARNER, enthusiastic TEACHER, experienced ENTREPRENEUR, motivating COACH, successful AUTHOR, and proud Navy VETERAN, Dr. Scott Del brings a wealth of experience to the table to help YOU thrive.
Session Script: Success skillset for students' personal and professional development
Introduction
Angelika
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to welcome you to the very first World Higher Education Ranking Summit that brings together the world's brightest minds in higher education, most prominent change maker’s innovators, and leaders in their fields. And today, we will discuss solutions that will drive your institution forward and help students across the globe. Today's topic is extremely important, not only for students but also for corporate. This is not only for academia but also for every business out there. Because today we are going to talk about success skill set for student's personal and professional development. And because of students' professional development, we will see the future that will be surrounded by actually entrepreneurs, and professionals that are thriving, and today we will unleash key elements of key secrets of success skill set.
I'm honored to be joined today by an extraordinary human being someone passionate about the promotion of a successful skill set and helping students in his community in his university to succeed to change these limiting beliefs and limiting mindsets and to be ready for the work. Today, we welcome Dr. Scott Dell. And Dr. Dell is a CPA DBA he joined the faculty of Francis Marion University in Florence in 2019, as an assistant professor, serving his previous institution in the Midwest whose 13 years as accounting program director, Dr. Dell has been able to contribute to his students' development by integrating a variety of tools into his classroom. I believe that today we will mention certain tools that helped students not only have these resources enhance their student's hard skills and technical knowledge but have also improved their soft skills and ability to succeed in academia and the workplace. Dr. Scott recently received the accounting Educator Award for 2018 from the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs. And he also holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from Marion University, and a DBA from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Scott brings real-world experience based on his previous entrepreneurial and military service in the classroom. First of all, welcome, Dr. Scott. And my first question as we are going to talk about success is, what success is?
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to welcome you to the very first World Higher Education Ranking Summit that brings together the world's brightest minds in higher education, most prominent change maker’s innovators, and leaders in their fields. And today, we will discuss solutions that will drive your institution forward and help students across the globe. Today's topic is extremely important, not only for students but also for corporate. This is not only for academia but also for every business out there. Because today we are going to talk about success skill set for student's personal and professional development. And because of students' professional development, we will see the future that will be surrounded by actually entrepreneurs, and professionals that are thriving, and today we will unleash key elements of key secrets of success skill set.
I'm honored to be joined today by an extraordinary human being someone passionate about the promotion of a successful skill set and helping students in his community in his university to succeed to change these limiting beliefs and limiting mindsets and to be ready for the work. Today, we welcome Dr. Scott Dell. And Dr. Dell is a CPA DBA he joined the faculty of Francis Marion University in Florence in 2019, as an assistant professor, serving his previous institution in the Midwest whose 13 years as accounting program director, Dr. Dell has been able to contribute to his students' development by integrating a variety of tools into his classroom. I believe that today we will mention certain tools that helped students not only have these resources enhance their student's hard skills and technical knowledge but have also improved their soft skills and ability to succeed in academia and the workplace. Dr. Scott recently received the accounting Educator Award for 2018 from the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs. And he also holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from Marion University, and a DBA from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Scott brings real-world experience based on his previous entrepreneurial and military service in the classroom. First of all, welcome, Dr. Scott. And my first question as we are going to talk about success is, what success is?
Success
Dr. Scott
Great question. Angelica. Excited to be here. And thank you for having me join. What is a success, success is in the eyes of the beholder, its individual. But when we start talking about things like career success, professional success, as well as personal success, there are a variety of things that can be used to measure that and help others appreciate that.
Angelika
And if we are talking about success for students, and successful graduates, how would you measure that? How would you describe that?
Great question. Angelica. Excited to be here. And thank you for having me join. What is a success, success is in the eyes of the beholder, its individual. But when we start talking about things like career success, professional success, as well as personal success, there are a variety of things that can be used to measure that and help others appreciate that.
Angelika
And if we are talking about success for students, and successful graduates, how would you measure that? How would you describe that?
Measuring student success
Dr. Scott
I'll tell you, students, success comes in many flavors. And yes, there's the academic side. And yes, the coursework and the grade point average to go with that. But there are also the life skills that students need to absorb, develop and appreciate that so there's a lot to be said for liberal arts education. It's been getting a bad rap as of late a lot of people saying I can be like six figures $100,000 Plus us as a welder and you can but long term, the average career changes that an individual goes through is at least five to seven. And I think that's even accelerating more, no job changes, career changes, and I'm living to proof of that as well. I've been through many career changes multiples although I do you maintain my CPA.
But don't ask me a tax question I'll call my accountant. I know taxes are not my thing. But it's being able to succeed in life in being able to pursue opportunities to have what I'll call the critical thinking skills, and the analytical skills to make decisions. Because once you get there, the if you're achieving certain levels, and then the next level, but as you grow, and as you succeed, hopefully, you're going to surpass the previous level as you attained. And as you gain wisdom, and I won't say just age, but wisdom overall, they're going to be all kinds of directions and all kinds of opportunities that one can take advantage of, if they have those skill sets available to them, that will help push them there. In preparation, they say, overnight success takes 20 years of preparation.
Angelika
That's true. And you know that unemployment rate has doubled since the pandemic. And the numbers are horrifying in 2022, for recent graduates. And what do you think is the maybe one maybe few deep tips for students, for recent graduates to break this glass ceiling, while they are trying to find a job trying to accomplish their mission trying to find purpose after graduation, and nothing happens? And it's very, as I know, many recent graduates, they suffer from severe depression; they do not know how to use the knowledge that they've gained in academia in the real world, what would be your advice here?
I'll tell you, students, success comes in many flavors. And yes, there's the academic side. And yes, the coursework and the grade point average to go with that. But there are also the life skills that students need to absorb, develop and appreciate that so there's a lot to be said for liberal arts education. It's been getting a bad rap as of late a lot of people saying I can be like six figures $100,000 Plus us as a welder and you can but long term, the average career changes that an individual goes through is at least five to seven. And I think that's even accelerating more, no job changes, career changes, and I'm living to proof of that as well. I've been through many career changes multiples although I do you maintain my CPA.
But don't ask me a tax question I'll call my accountant. I know taxes are not my thing. But it's being able to succeed in life in being able to pursue opportunities to have what I'll call the critical thinking skills, and the analytical skills to make decisions. Because once you get there, the if you're achieving certain levels, and then the next level, but as you grow, and as you succeed, hopefully, you're going to surpass the previous level as you attained. And as you gain wisdom, and I won't say just age, but wisdom overall, they're going to be all kinds of directions and all kinds of opportunities that one can take advantage of, if they have those skill sets available to them, that will help push them there. In preparation, they say, overnight success takes 20 years of preparation.
Angelika
That's true. And you know that unemployment rate has doubled since the pandemic. And the numbers are horrifying in 2022, for recent graduates. And what do you think is the maybe one maybe few deep tips for students, for recent graduates to break this glass ceiling, while they are trying to find a job trying to accomplish their mission trying to find purpose after graduation, and nothing happens? And it's very, as I know, many recent graduates, they suffer from severe depression; they do not know how to use the knowledge that they've gained in academia in the real world, what would be your advice here?
How recent graduates can implement their academic knowledge
Dr. Scott
I hate to stereotype, any group, any generation, or any other categorization. But I will say, and I can speak more for the US, although I've traveled internationally, a bunch and have talked to a number of institutions in multiple countries. But the students that are getting awards for everything. Third place, fourth place, fifth place, sixth place, here's a trophy. That's not life. And you mentioned depression. And that is a serious problem.
There are even military veterans that leave the service who are often depressed because they have certain skill sets, but they're not able to easily adapt them or realize they really can't adapt them to a work environment. You mentioned the unemployment rate doubling. And yeah, it was a direct result. COVID with COVID brought out some positives, as opposed. And I'll tell you unemployment is way down, under 4%. Now, in the States, the skill set that needs to be matched to the job candidates isn't there. And that's one of the challenges is basically in college you need to learn, you learn how to learn, and then you can adapt.
Now, if you've got a cheese business, yes, you can be taught the cheese business by the corporation that's in the cheese business. But being able to think critically being able to change, adapt, and succeed skills and the determination they call soft skills, which I don't like. Because it's success skills and nothing soft, or easy about them. They're pretty hard to attain somewhat. So, there's a bunch of cues that I can that I'll talk about a little while but having that intelligence and capability and the ability to interact in teams and groups, and have the ability to think things through and analyze. The answers aren't short, where we're getting too many sound bites and a 32nd TikTok. Or now they're two minutes or more. Or the short bites in the news aren't cutting it for any type of understanding or analysis.
Angelika
Which would you say that immediate gratification is also one of the problems here?
I hate to stereotype, any group, any generation, or any other categorization. But I will say, and I can speak more for the US, although I've traveled internationally, a bunch and have talked to a number of institutions in multiple countries. But the students that are getting awards for everything. Third place, fourth place, fifth place, sixth place, here's a trophy. That's not life. And you mentioned depression. And that is a serious problem.
There are even military veterans that leave the service who are often depressed because they have certain skill sets, but they're not able to easily adapt them or realize they really can't adapt them to a work environment. You mentioned the unemployment rate doubling. And yeah, it was a direct result. COVID with COVID brought out some positives, as opposed. And I'll tell you unemployment is way down, under 4%. Now, in the States, the skill set that needs to be matched to the job candidates isn't there. And that's one of the challenges is basically in college you need to learn, you learn how to learn, and then you can adapt.
Now, if you've got a cheese business, yes, you can be taught the cheese business by the corporation that's in the cheese business. But being able to think critically being able to change, adapt, and succeed skills and the determination they call soft skills, which I don't like. Because it's success skills and nothing soft, or easy about them. They're pretty hard to attain somewhat. So, there's a bunch of cues that I can that I'll talk about a little while but having that intelligence and capability and the ability to interact in teams and groups, and have the ability to think things through and analyze. The answers aren't short, where we're getting too many sound bites and a 32nd TikTok. Or now they're two minutes or more. Or the short bites in the news aren't cutting it for any type of understanding or analysis.
Angelika
Which would you say that immediate gratification is also one of the problems here?
The issues with immediate gratification
Dr. Scott
I would agree with it. And I'll again, I do hate to stereotype, but I know a lot of my students tend not to read, okay, it's really hard to pass a course and to study without reading. So, you do need to be able to sit back and not be distracted and be able to focus. But other parts of that are the I will say short attention span and those sound bites that go with that. Because we're talking five years out 10 years out, no one's talking about a long-term career. Two years out, still not talking long term. I mean, it might be January and you're worried about graduation, and you want to have a job. That's I'm glad to hear that concern. But that needs to be planned out much earlier. I'm a real advocate for internships. After all, over half of the folks that have internships on national average again in the US over half the folks that have internships will get their jobs for the internships because the company all already knows them.
Instead of going into a pool of three 400 people applying for a job, they're in a pool of three to five interns of which all may very well get hired if they're available. And the company likes them, and they like the company, and it's a good fit. And frankly, I usually recommend at least two internships for all my students. So, it's a really powerful experience. It's also great to find out what you like, and what you don't like I mentioned earlier, it taxes Well, I managed an h&r block office while I was in college, undergrad in Boston, and I found out then I didn't like taxes, which is a great thing to find out. Though. I was studying accounting, I loved accounting, I loved business, I've been entrepreneurial, and I’ve done a whole bunch of things. And Accounting has been powerful as an environment to understand and be able to succeed in business. But realizing I don't like taxes, great, not congratulate, do taxes for two or three years say, this is not what I want to do, and then go on to something else.
I was able to discover that early. So just as important as finding what you like, might even be more important to find out what you don't like for internship opportunities. And then from the hiring side, it's shown that employers want experience. Well, you're going to get the experience. Well, most of my students are working hard. They're working 20 30 40 hours a week, and tough to work 30-40 hours and be a full-time student as well. But they're doing it. But there are other priorities. Being able to succeed takes that ability to interact. And that's why athletes do well. That's why leaders who are engaged in clubs and activities on and off campus can do very well. Those a study abroad gets alternative perspectives can do very well. But coming back to internships, the internship opportunities are crucial to pursue.
Angelika
This is crucial for every student that is watching us right now. Dr. Scott, what would be your advice? How much internship should an average student take during the course of their education?
I would agree with it. And I'll again, I do hate to stereotype, but I know a lot of my students tend not to read, okay, it's really hard to pass a course and to study without reading. So, you do need to be able to sit back and not be distracted and be able to focus. But other parts of that are the I will say short attention span and those sound bites that go with that. Because we're talking five years out 10 years out, no one's talking about a long-term career. Two years out, still not talking long term. I mean, it might be January and you're worried about graduation, and you want to have a job. That's I'm glad to hear that concern. But that needs to be planned out much earlier. I'm a real advocate for internships. After all, over half of the folks that have internships on national average again in the US over half the folks that have internships will get their jobs for the internships because the company all already knows them.
Instead of going into a pool of three 400 people applying for a job, they're in a pool of three to five interns of which all may very well get hired if they're available. And the company likes them, and they like the company, and it's a good fit. And frankly, I usually recommend at least two internships for all my students. So, it's a really powerful experience. It's also great to find out what you like, and what you don't like I mentioned earlier, it taxes Well, I managed an h&r block office while I was in college, undergrad in Boston, and I found out then I didn't like taxes, which is a great thing to find out. Though. I was studying accounting, I loved accounting, I loved business, I've been entrepreneurial, and I’ve done a whole bunch of things. And Accounting has been powerful as an environment to understand and be able to succeed in business. But realizing I don't like taxes, great, not congratulate, do taxes for two or three years say, this is not what I want to do, and then go on to something else.
I was able to discover that early. So just as important as finding what you like, might even be more important to find out what you don't like for internship opportunities. And then from the hiring side, it's shown that employers want experience. Well, you're going to get the experience. Well, most of my students are working hard. They're working 20 30 40 hours a week, and tough to work 30-40 hours and be a full-time student as well. But they're doing it. But there are other priorities. Being able to succeed takes that ability to interact. And that's why athletes do well. That's why leaders who are engaged in clubs and activities on and off campus can do very well. Those a study abroad gets alternative perspectives can do very well. But coming back to internships, the internship opportunities are crucial to pursue.
Angelika
This is crucial for every student that is watching us right now. Dr. Scott, what would be your advice? How much internship should an average student take during the course of their education?
Internships
Dr. Scott
I would say, by the way, I'm talking about paid internships. And I like at least so I'll give you an example, one of my students, okay, accounting student, perfect internship experience, got in there with doing receivables, payables working right under the controller, and said, what, I love what I was doing. They offered me a job. I said, great. You're going to take it. I said no. Okay, tell me more. I said, because that position, they've been there seven, eight years; there'll be another 12-15 years, maybe before I can ascend to that level in that organization. Nice, the small company got great experience. But that's no, not where I want to be and where I want to work. I like them.
They like me, but I want to have some broader plans. I said, great. So how about your second internship? And he knew my score, and said, Yep, I'm on it. And that's, that's the direction he went. So there, there is a bunch of ways that students can attain those internships. And it is a matter of networking, over 90%, I'm sorry, over 80 plus percent, some say over 90 jobs, are found through networking. Say, wait a minute, I can sell 300 apps on LinkedIn, or I can go on indeed or Glass door, and monster and I can just man, like a mad dog in two hours, have 300 applications out the door.
I'm saying, and you can do that. And how many interviews are you going to get from that? Zip, why some companies that you really like, you can apply that way, by all means, but then you got to follow up. You got to find folks in those companies may be alums of your institution. And there are some really powerful tools on LinkedIn with alumni. As you can see their picture their bios and anyone who's graduated from your school that's on LinkedIn, you can request what's called an informational interview. And if you are familiar with informational interviews a little bit?
Angelika
No.
Dr. Scott
Okay, an informational interview, here's the process. You go in, you go down to your institution, you go down to alumni, and you pick a major, probably our major. And then you'll see, the bios, the pictures, the information of 50 100 200 alums. From that your field, you pick up the phone first request, saying I'd love to connect and by the way, all invitations on LinkedIn should be invitation should be personalized as part of that. But then you reach out and say, I'd love to chat for 15 minutes if you have some time. I'd like to find out more about your career and career path as a major marketing major accounting major psychology major, I'd love to find out more about how you got to where you are. It sounds fascinating. Sounds interesting. I do not know of any alum of any institution that was going to say no. You get in touch. Then you reach out. You have that phone conversation.
I hate to say generationally, but I know the phone is not the ideal conversation platform for a lot of folks, but it is an easy, direct way of getting to involve in talking to people. And in 15 minutes, you're going to find out, you're not asking for the job, you're not sending them your resume, you're asking them for your career path. While telling you if they like you, they will ask for your resume. Case in point, I had a student who listened to what I had to say, reached out, set up a 15-minute interview, and in those 15 minutes had a wonderful conversation, it was so wonderful, that it lasted for over an hour.
They were chatting away. And after that hour, the person, the alum that they were speaking to said, what, we got two internships that are coming on the docket, we haven't announced them yet. But you’d be perfect for one of those. Sure enough, that was a path. Now, he didn't ask for an internship. He didn't say I'm looking for a job, or I'm looking for an internship, he just wanted to understand the career path and get some understanding of where things are going and what it's like to work in the world, in the profession, in the area of interest.
That was powerful in an environment that is conducive to having that conversation. And I'll tell you, folks in these companies now getting bonuses because it's a real tight market, not enough students are applying to the jobs that are there. And not enough students are applying for scholarships. That's another story. Scholarships are going unclaimed, and jobs are going unfound, because the jobs are here, the number out there. And the number of students going to a career fair is lacking. And by the way, the best time to go to a career fair is not to look for a job. So you don't get overwhelmed. So you gain the experience. So the next year, the next semester, or whenever you go to a job fair, you're feeling more comfortable, and you're not going to be overwhelmed.
Angelika
That's just brilliant. Because I remember when I was a student, and I remember how hard it was to gain this knowledge, this information, we have lots of information, we have lots of sources of information. But it's very difficult for students to navigate through all this. And especially when there is so much pressure, when before your graduation, you must learn the career of your dream. And this is not the case, as you just mentioned, to understand the career, your dream to understand yourself, you have to open as many doors as possible, and to understand and to try into experiences and understand what doesn't work. And this is an extraordinary experience. Unfortunately, within my class graduation, so many students felt overwhelmed.
They were suffering from mental issues, and depression, because it came from this overwhelming feeling that they have to get everything figured out by graduation date. My question, actually, to you, Dr. Scott, as you've just mentioned, the importance of networking, the importance of listening, the importance of building relationships, within the community, outside your university within the community of people that can help a student or recent graduate navigate through this not an easy journey, even though giving the advice, or information and information is super important. And I believe that when we have figures just because we do have a lack of information. My question here is, how would you advise people who have never built? And I wouldn't say built relationships within the community but are not prepared for networking are very shy. How can they develop those skills that are so essential for success?
I would say, by the way, I'm talking about paid internships. And I like at least so I'll give you an example, one of my students, okay, accounting student, perfect internship experience, got in there with doing receivables, payables working right under the controller, and said, what, I love what I was doing. They offered me a job. I said, great. You're going to take it. I said no. Okay, tell me more. I said, because that position, they've been there seven, eight years; there'll be another 12-15 years, maybe before I can ascend to that level in that organization. Nice, the small company got great experience. But that's no, not where I want to be and where I want to work. I like them.
They like me, but I want to have some broader plans. I said, great. So how about your second internship? And he knew my score, and said, Yep, I'm on it. And that's, that's the direction he went. So there, there is a bunch of ways that students can attain those internships. And it is a matter of networking, over 90%, I'm sorry, over 80 plus percent, some say over 90 jobs, are found through networking. Say, wait a minute, I can sell 300 apps on LinkedIn, or I can go on indeed or Glass door, and monster and I can just man, like a mad dog in two hours, have 300 applications out the door.
I'm saying, and you can do that. And how many interviews are you going to get from that? Zip, why some companies that you really like, you can apply that way, by all means, but then you got to follow up. You got to find folks in those companies may be alums of your institution. And there are some really powerful tools on LinkedIn with alumni. As you can see their picture their bios and anyone who's graduated from your school that's on LinkedIn, you can request what's called an informational interview. And if you are familiar with informational interviews a little bit?
Angelika
No.
Dr. Scott
Okay, an informational interview, here's the process. You go in, you go down to your institution, you go down to alumni, and you pick a major, probably our major. And then you'll see, the bios, the pictures, the information of 50 100 200 alums. From that your field, you pick up the phone first request, saying I'd love to connect and by the way, all invitations on LinkedIn should be invitation should be personalized as part of that. But then you reach out and say, I'd love to chat for 15 minutes if you have some time. I'd like to find out more about your career and career path as a major marketing major accounting major psychology major, I'd love to find out more about how you got to where you are. It sounds fascinating. Sounds interesting. I do not know of any alum of any institution that was going to say no. You get in touch. Then you reach out. You have that phone conversation.
I hate to say generationally, but I know the phone is not the ideal conversation platform for a lot of folks, but it is an easy, direct way of getting to involve in talking to people. And in 15 minutes, you're going to find out, you're not asking for the job, you're not sending them your resume, you're asking them for your career path. While telling you if they like you, they will ask for your resume. Case in point, I had a student who listened to what I had to say, reached out, set up a 15-minute interview, and in those 15 minutes had a wonderful conversation, it was so wonderful, that it lasted for over an hour.
They were chatting away. And after that hour, the person, the alum that they were speaking to said, what, we got two internships that are coming on the docket, we haven't announced them yet. But you’d be perfect for one of those. Sure enough, that was a path. Now, he didn't ask for an internship. He didn't say I'm looking for a job, or I'm looking for an internship, he just wanted to understand the career path and get some understanding of where things are going and what it's like to work in the world, in the profession, in the area of interest.
That was powerful in an environment that is conducive to having that conversation. And I'll tell you, folks in these companies now getting bonuses because it's a real tight market, not enough students are applying to the jobs that are there. And not enough students are applying for scholarships. That's another story. Scholarships are going unclaimed, and jobs are going unfound, because the jobs are here, the number out there. And the number of students going to a career fair is lacking. And by the way, the best time to go to a career fair is not to look for a job. So you don't get overwhelmed. So you gain the experience. So the next year, the next semester, or whenever you go to a job fair, you're feeling more comfortable, and you're not going to be overwhelmed.
Angelika
That's just brilliant. Because I remember when I was a student, and I remember how hard it was to gain this knowledge, this information, we have lots of information, we have lots of sources of information. But it's very difficult for students to navigate through all this. And especially when there is so much pressure, when before your graduation, you must learn the career of your dream. And this is not the case, as you just mentioned, to understand the career, your dream to understand yourself, you have to open as many doors as possible, and to understand and to try into experiences and understand what doesn't work. And this is an extraordinary experience. Unfortunately, within my class graduation, so many students felt overwhelmed.
They were suffering from mental issues, and depression, because it came from this overwhelming feeling that they have to get everything figured out by graduation date. My question, actually, to you, Dr. Scott, as you've just mentioned, the importance of networking, the importance of listening, the importance of building relationships, within the community, outside your university within the community of people that can help a student or recent graduate navigate through this not an easy journey, even though giving the advice, or information and information is super important. And I believe that when we have figures just because we do have a lack of information. My question here is, how would you advise people who have never built? And I wouldn't say built relationships within the community but are not prepared for networking are very shy. How can they develop those skills that are so essential for success?
How to develop a success skill set
Dr. Scott
I don't hate the Nike adage of the Nike slogan “just do it” But let's make a plan. First of all, and by the way, I appreciate you sharing your experience. And you had a very good summary there of talking about the path and some of your classmate's experiences. The challenge is right getting out there and networking. But where do you start? Well, every semester, get to know one faculty member, stop by their office, and talk to them. Practice that communication skill, practice the art of the introduction and getting to know somebody. So as you were inquiring about the what the introvert can do, to become more engaged, to get more involved.
The real power is getting to know the folks around you. Networking is crucial. But I will say even when I was in college; I was somewhat introverted as well. Now there are plenty of extroverts that are confident they'll go talk to people, strangers in elevators, or wherever else are walking and talking. Right now my students before class, I've got a class, maybe 20-22 students, 20 of them will be on their phones before class. And two others will be on their laptops, not interacting, not communicating. I don't even call texting that kind of communication.
To be an effective communicator, you got to talk, you have to somewhat expose yourself positively and have a dialogue and a Formula Two ears, one mouth, you probably should be listening twice as much as talking and listening and appreciate it. A couple of tips to get more involved extroverted and engaged. First of all, every semester, get to know at least one of your professors. Stop by check. These are the guys that know the jobs. I've got two internships right now, there for the asking now. And yeah, who gets first dibs, the executives in my club, I'm going to accounting finance club that I'm an advisor for, and they hear about it first not they know I'm not showing preference, I'm just saying, Oh, by the way, I'm just talking to this top 100 CPA firm and looking for an intern this summer.
That happens to come up in conversation within 48 hours, I'm doing an email blast email to the department saying, by the way, these internships are available and accounting, management, finance, wherever it might be. So those are things that are communicated. But I also am in touch with my students that talk to me, they're going to hear about say, by the way, there's this leadership program coming up this summer, you might find it worthwhile because your leader, employers love experience, as we said before, but they also love leadership experiences, they love to see engage people. Now the challenge these days, I mentioned that 30 plus 40 hour work weeks that some of our students have one in four have kids, one in six, or one in seven, have learning challenges or other emotional challenges. So there we put some challenging times.
How do you bust out of that? Engage, get involved in activities. If I have two piles of resumes, and one has Oh, I was active in this club organization. I was a vice president; I was the secretary-treasurer or President, and this other candidate, none of the above. Who do you think going to get the interview? And then if so happens that other person makes it to the interview? What do you thinks’ going to get the offer, while the person is more engaged, has more skills, they practice and has more thought process along those lines that have been involved.
That's what makes team sports, really powerful. Other activities, student government, as well as any extracurricular activities you can get involved with. I was an advisor for the Model United Nations program. One of my students was in a half-hour interview, talked an hour and a quarter and Model United Nations, nothing about the job, nothing about the skills, they got the resume, they see, see what you've done. But they talked for an hour and a quarter about mother United Nations, the experiences she had the things she gained, what she learned and how it affected her. And she got the offer, didn't talk about her GPA, didn't talk about a great financial accounting class didn't talk about any of the other liberal arts programs.
As for the math skills, or Tableau or Power BI or Excel, they talked about modern United Nations, where she was in New York, and she was on the delegation, and she represented Morocco. And just some unique experiences that are interesting to talk about. I've reviewed 1000s of resumes, interviewed 1000s of folks, and I've had several businesses. Every time I look at a resume, I look for something different. I want something that jumped out at me, really you were you took this course from Stanford, will you do it out in California, and you can take a free Stanford course a free Wharton course, a free Harvard course, online, have it on your resume, and not have ever visited Cambridge, or Philadelphia, or California. Those are the kinds of things you can do to enhance your skill set and your receptivity. But you have to take the initiative. Because if you don't take the initiative, you're kind of sliding by. No employer wants someone sliding by. They want to support their employees. But they can only support you if you have an idea of what you want to get done. It's not a feed-me environment. It's we're in this together. Let's work together. How do we maximize your effectiveness, personal and professional growth development on your track? And is a track of lifelong learning to go with that?
Angelika
This is extraordinary. And not, difficult, but at the same time, once you try to apply it, there's so much fear. And I believe that you what you've just said, Just do it. Just embrace the fact that you need to get these things done as a student as a graduate. So, my next question would be about soft skills. We kind of mentioned them already. But I hate the name soft skills because they are not soft. They're hard. They're, these are the skills, of course, they do not require the technological part, and they do not require some measurable things. But these things are the ones that are the, maybe one of the most important for balancing for keeping sanity for keeping the as the personal success and professional success altogether and managing many things in life. What are those soft skills that are essential for success?
I don't hate the Nike adage of the Nike slogan “just do it” But let's make a plan. First of all, and by the way, I appreciate you sharing your experience. And you had a very good summary there of talking about the path and some of your classmate's experiences. The challenge is right getting out there and networking. But where do you start? Well, every semester, get to know one faculty member, stop by their office, and talk to them. Practice that communication skill, practice the art of the introduction and getting to know somebody. So as you were inquiring about the what the introvert can do, to become more engaged, to get more involved.
The real power is getting to know the folks around you. Networking is crucial. But I will say even when I was in college; I was somewhat introverted as well. Now there are plenty of extroverts that are confident they'll go talk to people, strangers in elevators, or wherever else are walking and talking. Right now my students before class, I've got a class, maybe 20-22 students, 20 of them will be on their phones before class. And two others will be on their laptops, not interacting, not communicating. I don't even call texting that kind of communication.
To be an effective communicator, you got to talk, you have to somewhat expose yourself positively and have a dialogue and a Formula Two ears, one mouth, you probably should be listening twice as much as talking and listening and appreciate it. A couple of tips to get more involved extroverted and engaged. First of all, every semester, get to know at least one of your professors. Stop by check. These are the guys that know the jobs. I've got two internships right now, there for the asking now. And yeah, who gets first dibs, the executives in my club, I'm going to accounting finance club that I'm an advisor for, and they hear about it first not they know I'm not showing preference, I'm just saying, Oh, by the way, I'm just talking to this top 100 CPA firm and looking for an intern this summer.
That happens to come up in conversation within 48 hours, I'm doing an email blast email to the department saying, by the way, these internships are available and accounting, management, finance, wherever it might be. So those are things that are communicated. But I also am in touch with my students that talk to me, they're going to hear about say, by the way, there's this leadership program coming up this summer, you might find it worthwhile because your leader, employers love experience, as we said before, but they also love leadership experiences, they love to see engage people. Now the challenge these days, I mentioned that 30 plus 40 hour work weeks that some of our students have one in four have kids, one in six, or one in seven, have learning challenges or other emotional challenges. So there we put some challenging times.
How do you bust out of that? Engage, get involved in activities. If I have two piles of resumes, and one has Oh, I was active in this club organization. I was a vice president; I was the secretary-treasurer or President, and this other candidate, none of the above. Who do you think going to get the interview? And then if so happens that other person makes it to the interview? What do you thinks’ going to get the offer, while the person is more engaged, has more skills, they practice and has more thought process along those lines that have been involved.
That's what makes team sports, really powerful. Other activities, student government, as well as any extracurricular activities you can get involved with. I was an advisor for the Model United Nations program. One of my students was in a half-hour interview, talked an hour and a quarter and Model United Nations, nothing about the job, nothing about the skills, they got the resume, they see, see what you've done. But they talked for an hour and a quarter about mother United Nations, the experiences she had the things she gained, what she learned and how it affected her. And she got the offer, didn't talk about her GPA, didn't talk about a great financial accounting class didn't talk about any of the other liberal arts programs.
As for the math skills, or Tableau or Power BI or Excel, they talked about modern United Nations, where she was in New York, and she was on the delegation, and she represented Morocco. And just some unique experiences that are interesting to talk about. I've reviewed 1000s of resumes, interviewed 1000s of folks, and I've had several businesses. Every time I look at a resume, I look for something different. I want something that jumped out at me, really you were you took this course from Stanford, will you do it out in California, and you can take a free Stanford course a free Wharton course, a free Harvard course, online, have it on your resume, and not have ever visited Cambridge, or Philadelphia, or California. Those are the kinds of things you can do to enhance your skill set and your receptivity. But you have to take the initiative. Because if you don't take the initiative, you're kind of sliding by. No employer wants someone sliding by. They want to support their employees. But they can only support you if you have an idea of what you want to get done. It's not a feed-me environment. It's we're in this together. Let's work together. How do we maximize your effectiveness, personal and professional growth development on your track? And is a track of lifelong learning to go with that?
Angelika
This is extraordinary. And not, difficult, but at the same time, once you try to apply it, there's so much fear. And I believe that you what you've just said, Just do it. Just embrace the fact that you need to get these things done as a student as a graduate. So, my next question would be about soft skills. We kind of mentioned them already. But I hate the name soft skills because they are not soft. They're hard. They're, these are the skills, of course, they do not require the technological part, and they do not require some measurable things. But these things are the ones that are the, maybe one of the most important for balancing for keeping sanity for keeping the as the personal success and professional success altogether and managing many things in life. What are those soft skills that are essential for success?
Soft skills that are essential for success
Dr. Scott
From here on out, I'll call them success skills, because they rarely are crucial to success. And you're right, there is nothing soft about them, they are pretty hard to attain. But they can be gained with experience. Let me briefly talk about the four queues that I have got that I've got. I am a fan. And we all know about IQ, I hope intelligent quotient. Alright, so that's, that's a base level. Yep. And you can have some very smart people doing some very dumb things. And some, I won't say so smart, but lower IQ being higher achievers.
IQ, I'll throw out the door for now. Then we have our EQ emotional quotient, which is the ability, that emotional intelligence to communicate, to listen and to talk, to hold the conversation, to be able to engage to lead others to motivate others. That's two other queues, we probably won't go into a lot, but there's a resilience what I called the AQ adversity quotient. When you geT kicked down, which you will, when you trip and fall, which you will, how fast you get back up. When you go to an interview, and you blow it. Which will happen, it happens to us all. And there are ways around that you can actually follow up and, and somewhat accommodate that and kind of reverse that sometimes not always, depending on your EQ. But you're able to go in and say I screwed up. I'll do better next time. But the trick is, you can have to screw up a few times. I believe there's no such thing as failure. I call those learning experiences. So I didn't fail. I learned from that. What did I learn?
Well, I need to be introspective and say, okay, learn not to do that, or say that or go down that path. I blew introduced myself. And I know what I did after I did it. And then I said, well, why did I do it? Okay? Don't do that again. So some and then, besides the resilience or the adversity quotient, there's also the CQ or cultural quotient, and cultural awareness, the DEI MB which is more than diversity, equity inclusion, but his end belonging is the latest trend that goes with that. There's the four cute, let's go back to the EQ and that emotional intelligence and those success skills. The success skills are developed. No one is born. Natural leader. Don't say of anybody never say never, very few are born as natural waiters, and very few are born as brilliant out-of-the-gate salespeople, or as brilliant managers, or effective communicators. These are skills that are developed. These are with experience, by the way, we're all in sales. Scott, you're a CPA, you're an accountant.
Well, I've sold cars. I've sold vacuum cleaners’ door to door, okay, I've been in direct sales, but I'm also going to the classroom I'm selling you at my student. Why should you learn financial accounting? And you're selling me? Why should give you an A? Or pass you at all? You're also selling on the interview, you're in sales. Congratulations. If you don't have those sales skills, you're going to pick them up. You're going to learn them somewhere. And how do you learn them?
Well, chances are, you're not being a quick older chef in the back room. And I started in high school. Yep, fast food flipping burgers. And I'm yeah, we're tired. Yep, the Navy did a bunch of things. But all those experiences helped me grow. Frankly, I used to get the question sky, you can change something in your past? What would it be? I knew the answer. I have three answers. I change. I've changed that. Now someone asks you that question. And just in the past few years, I've to think I've grown and said know what? I wouldn't change a thing. What do you mean? What do you mean wouldn't change a thing or didn't need to scrub? Of course, I screwed up. But again, those aren't failures. Those are learning experiences. And frankly, I wouldn't be talking to you right now.
Very likely if I pursued a different path based on changing some of those experiences, getting these positions that I got into, and I've only been in higher ed full time as an educator for 15 years As you mentioned, I just got my doctorate three years ago. I have got the path I've taken, I'm really happy with I'm able to help my family, my colleagues, and my students, and started two businesses during COVID and wrote a book during COVID. These are things that based on experience, had I not had those experiences, I probably wouldn't be here right now. And you too, at any level, you'll say your perspective and say, how do I engage, interact?
I'm going to talk to a proof once per semester, I'm going to reach out to the parents of a friend of mine because they are in the business I think I might want to get into, or I'm going to network through these informational interviews, I'm going to communicate, and I'm going to practice because the more you practice, then you will be able to present me right now. I've joined COVID I've been crazy. I've had a podcast, started. I've engaged in several interviews, and I feel a lot more comfortable doing it than when I first started. I have a friend in Japan. He's from Canada.
What's he doing, he's doing a 30-day push every day, he's doing a video recording of a topic area, the right guy shot as nails and able to practice that out and you can see the ball and see him blossom as here I'm talking and I'm nervous and, and all the filler words. And then it's a growth. And if we want to grow personally, or professionally, you need to I'll give you one other tip I'm a big fan of a group calledThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . If you want to learn public speaking which people fear death, less than if you're public speaking, get up in a crowd of 50 or 100 people let's talk to somebody I would fear more than death in my younger days. But this environment is very supportive, that you prepare you to speak you learn. It also helps with leadership skills and helps develop those success skills.
The communication ability I was talking to two number two guys at a major manufacturer in the last town that I lived in as Chief Operating Officer. And I was talking about Toastmasters because we started a Toastmasters chapter, my school was 130 students two thirds community, again, help with networking. And I said I was trying to start a Toastmasters chapter actually, I was looking for money. Okay, so I was in sales mode. I was trying to get some funding and some sponsorship. And we got to talk about Toastmasters.
No, I love Toastmasters. Really, what do you like about Toastmasters? I can always tell a person who's been in Toastmasters when they interview them. That's pretty amazing. How do you do that? He says, well, as they talk, they can think on their feet. They have things to say they communicate well. And they put it on their resume. I said, well, wait a minute, that's cheating. But who said and realistically, even if it wasn't on the resume, you can tell that they have a better methodology and communication much more effective. There's someone I could talk to. Because when did we first go on your first couple of interviews, you might just blow just out of nervousness. But the more interviews you have, you start saying okay, I'm getting practice on this. I'm getting those questions. I'm developing that rapport, the dialogue. By the way, an interview is a two-way street. It's not the interviewing asking questions and you just entering them. It's they're evaluating you, but you're evaluating them. And that's why there's got to be a dialogue.
Angelika
Dr. Scott, I think this is extremely important, not only for students but also for universities or members of faculties for professors. Because actually, the whole notion of failure is wrong. And as you've mentioned, what we see as a failure is a great learning experience. And if educational systems around the world will see failures as experiences and wouldn't put the pressure on the failure as it's been done. In the old school way.
There were so Students will feel not only students also stuff, everyone in the society will understand that there is nothing wrong in trying and failing because this is an experience. And the pressure will be not there, there will be excitement and adventure round, dry, round exploring round, actually going out there and changing environment and communicating with anyone. So this is extremely important. And what you do in your classroom is extraordinary, because you bring this new approach and new methodology to your institution, whereas your students are very lucky. After all, they are changing their limiting mindset. And they have this new mindset, whereas there's nothing.
I mean, yes, it's a cliché word, but impossible is nothing but it's up to them. It's and there's no pressure. And once we think of the pressure, that's where we, as students graduate stuff, where we are, that's where we succeed. And I love this because this notion of collaboration, not competition helps. Because who do we compete with?
From here on out, I'll call them success skills, because they rarely are crucial to success. And you're right, there is nothing soft about them, they are pretty hard to attain. But they can be gained with experience. Let me briefly talk about the four queues that I have got that I've got. I am a fan. And we all know about IQ, I hope intelligent quotient. Alright, so that's, that's a base level. Yep. And you can have some very smart people doing some very dumb things. And some, I won't say so smart, but lower IQ being higher achievers.
IQ, I'll throw out the door for now. Then we have our EQ emotional quotient, which is the ability, that emotional intelligence to communicate, to listen and to talk, to hold the conversation, to be able to engage to lead others to motivate others. That's two other queues, we probably won't go into a lot, but there's a resilience what I called the AQ adversity quotient. When you geT kicked down, which you will, when you trip and fall, which you will, how fast you get back up. When you go to an interview, and you blow it. Which will happen, it happens to us all. And there are ways around that you can actually follow up and, and somewhat accommodate that and kind of reverse that sometimes not always, depending on your EQ. But you're able to go in and say I screwed up. I'll do better next time. But the trick is, you can have to screw up a few times. I believe there's no such thing as failure. I call those learning experiences. So I didn't fail. I learned from that. What did I learn?
Well, I need to be introspective and say, okay, learn not to do that, or say that or go down that path. I blew introduced myself. And I know what I did after I did it. And then I said, well, why did I do it? Okay? Don't do that again. So some and then, besides the resilience or the adversity quotient, there's also the CQ or cultural quotient, and cultural awareness, the DEI MB which is more than diversity, equity inclusion, but his end belonging is the latest trend that goes with that. There's the four cute, let's go back to the EQ and that emotional intelligence and those success skills. The success skills are developed. No one is born. Natural leader. Don't say of anybody never say never, very few are born as natural waiters, and very few are born as brilliant out-of-the-gate salespeople, or as brilliant managers, or effective communicators. These are skills that are developed. These are with experience, by the way, we're all in sales. Scott, you're a CPA, you're an accountant.
Well, I've sold cars. I've sold vacuum cleaners’ door to door, okay, I've been in direct sales, but I'm also going to the classroom I'm selling you at my student. Why should you learn financial accounting? And you're selling me? Why should give you an A? Or pass you at all? You're also selling on the interview, you're in sales. Congratulations. If you don't have those sales skills, you're going to pick them up. You're going to learn them somewhere. And how do you learn them?
Well, chances are, you're not being a quick older chef in the back room. And I started in high school. Yep, fast food flipping burgers. And I'm yeah, we're tired. Yep, the Navy did a bunch of things. But all those experiences helped me grow. Frankly, I used to get the question sky, you can change something in your past? What would it be? I knew the answer. I have three answers. I change. I've changed that. Now someone asks you that question. And just in the past few years, I've to think I've grown and said know what? I wouldn't change a thing. What do you mean? What do you mean wouldn't change a thing or didn't need to scrub? Of course, I screwed up. But again, those aren't failures. Those are learning experiences. And frankly, I wouldn't be talking to you right now.
Very likely if I pursued a different path based on changing some of those experiences, getting these positions that I got into, and I've only been in higher ed full time as an educator for 15 years As you mentioned, I just got my doctorate three years ago. I have got the path I've taken, I'm really happy with I'm able to help my family, my colleagues, and my students, and started two businesses during COVID and wrote a book during COVID. These are things that based on experience, had I not had those experiences, I probably wouldn't be here right now. And you too, at any level, you'll say your perspective and say, how do I engage, interact?
I'm going to talk to a proof once per semester, I'm going to reach out to the parents of a friend of mine because they are in the business I think I might want to get into, or I'm going to network through these informational interviews, I'm going to communicate, and I'm going to practice because the more you practice, then you will be able to present me right now. I've joined COVID I've been crazy. I've had a podcast, started. I've engaged in several interviews, and I feel a lot more comfortable doing it than when I first started. I have a friend in Japan. He's from Canada.
What's he doing, he's doing a 30-day push every day, he's doing a video recording of a topic area, the right guy shot as nails and able to practice that out and you can see the ball and see him blossom as here I'm talking and I'm nervous and, and all the filler words. And then it's a growth. And if we want to grow personally, or professionally, you need to I'll give you one other tip I'm a big fan of a group called
The communication ability I was talking to two number two guys at a major manufacturer in the last town that I lived in as Chief Operating Officer. And I was talking about Toastmasters because we started a Toastmasters chapter, my school was 130 students two thirds community, again, help with networking. And I said I was trying to start a Toastmasters chapter actually, I was looking for money. Okay, so I was in sales mode. I was trying to get some funding and some sponsorship. And we got to talk about Toastmasters.
No, I love Toastmasters. Really, what do you like about Toastmasters? I can always tell a person who's been in Toastmasters when they interview them. That's pretty amazing. How do you do that? He says, well, as they talk, they can think on their feet. They have things to say they communicate well. And they put it on their resume. I said, well, wait a minute, that's cheating. But who said and realistically, even if it wasn't on the resume, you can tell that they have a better methodology and communication much more effective. There's someone I could talk to. Because when did we first go on your first couple of interviews, you might just blow just out of nervousness. But the more interviews you have, you start saying okay, I'm getting practice on this. I'm getting those questions. I'm developing that rapport, the dialogue. By the way, an interview is a two-way street. It's not the interviewing asking questions and you just entering them. It's they're evaluating you, but you're evaluating them. And that's why there's got to be a dialogue.
Angelika
Dr. Scott, I think this is extremely important, not only for students but also for universities or members of faculties for professors. Because actually, the whole notion of failure is wrong. And as you've mentioned, what we see as a failure is a great learning experience. And if educational systems around the world will see failures as experiences and wouldn't put the pressure on the failure as it's been done. In the old school way.
There were so Students will feel not only students also stuff, everyone in the society will understand that there is nothing wrong in trying and failing because this is an experience. And the pressure will be not there, there will be excitement and adventure round, dry, round exploring round, actually going out there and changing environment and communicating with anyone. So this is extremely important. And what you do in your classroom is extraordinary, because you bring this new approach and new methodology to your institution, whereas your students are very lucky. After all, they are changing their limiting mindset. And they have this new mindset, whereas there's nothing.
I mean, yes, it's a cliché word, but impossible is nothing but it's up to them. It's and there's no pressure. And once we think of the pressure, that's where we, as students graduate stuff, where we are, that's where we succeed. And I love this because this notion of collaboration, not competition helps. Because who do we compete with?
Notion of failure
Dr. Scott
The word and industry are competition will cooperate with your competitors. What do you mean, because it's not a fixed pie? People say a zero-sum game. No, the pie is expanding. I know many coaches, I know many solopreneurs entrepreneurs, small business folks, and large businesses that are collaborating with competitors, because they have a certain skill set, the competitor has a certain skill set, and they're that much more expansive, when they work together on those now, obviously, there's going to be competition. And that's healthy, even within companies internally, a lot of the computer companies, they put two or three teams at it and say, go create this, and they're competing, and then one will win. And by the way, there are winners and losers. But it's like, Are there losers? No, there's experience gained if you didn't succeed, and the path is never straight.
They the latest figures, I've been seeing 70 plus percent of Gen Z are going to be participating in the gig economy, meaning having their businesses now that might be while they're working for somebody else, and doing some in some entrepreneurship, or 100%, on their own entrepreneurial. But entrepreneurship is not a straight, straight, and narrow path, either. Its hills, valleys, and you got to go up and down. And you take a left turn or right turn, you got to know where you going to get to the summit, but it are going to be a meandering path most likely to get there and there'll be roadblocks, and there'll be setbacks.
That to our adversity quotient, or your resilience. How do you deal with those? Okay, I've had times when I couldn't meet payroll. I had a bank commit to me and said, yep, we got to cover. And then I was driving between my two offices or me to my offices. They said, I'm sorry, we're not going to help you with payroll, but you committed and it wasn't in writing, but you committed and they said, Nope, can't do. And it was pretty frustrating now got it covered. I was challenged and rose to the occasion. But if you fall off and say, Okay, I'm sorry, I was close, our doors were done. And that didn't happen. Fortunately.
Angelika
This is the key recipe for everyone who is watching and listening to us. This is such an exciting topic that I think that it's been just two minutes. But I think we've spoken quite a bit.
The word and industry are competition will cooperate with your competitors. What do you mean, because it's not a fixed pie? People say a zero-sum game. No, the pie is expanding. I know many coaches, I know many solopreneurs entrepreneurs, small business folks, and large businesses that are collaborating with competitors, because they have a certain skill set, the competitor has a certain skill set, and they're that much more expansive, when they work together on those now, obviously, there's going to be competition. And that's healthy, even within companies internally, a lot of the computer companies, they put two or three teams at it and say, go create this, and they're competing, and then one will win. And by the way, there are winners and losers. But it's like, Are there losers? No, there's experience gained if you didn't succeed, and the path is never straight.
They the latest figures, I've been seeing 70 plus percent of Gen Z are going to be participating in the gig economy, meaning having their businesses now that might be while they're working for somebody else, and doing some in some entrepreneurship, or 100%, on their own entrepreneurial. But entrepreneurship is not a straight, straight, and narrow path, either. Its hills, valleys, and you got to go up and down. And you take a left turn or right turn, you got to know where you going to get to the summit, but it are going to be a meandering path most likely to get there and there'll be roadblocks, and there'll be setbacks.
That to our adversity quotient, or your resilience. How do you deal with those? Okay, I've had times when I couldn't meet payroll. I had a bank commit to me and said, yep, we got to cover. And then I was driving between my two offices or me to my offices. They said, I'm sorry, we're not going to help you with payroll, but you committed and it wasn't in writing, but you committed and they said, Nope, can't do. And it was pretty frustrating now got it covered. I was challenged and rose to the occasion. But if you fall off and say, Okay, I'm sorry, I was close, our doors were done. And that didn't happen. Fortunately.
Angelika
This is the key recipe for everyone who is watching and listening to us. This is such an exciting topic that I think that it's been just two minutes. But I think we've spoken quite a bit.
Power of LinkedIn
Dr. Scott
I'll give a plug for LinkedIn. I'll tell you the power of LinkedIn is amazing. And I invite anybody out there to connect on LinkedIn, with Dr. Scott Dale. I mean, I'm a fan, I oversee several groups. And that was the book I wrote because it was just, it's such a powerful tool for my students, for fellow professionals for colleagues, you can glean a lot of information understanding because you're going interview wouldn't be nice to know how long the person you're talking to who's been there, what school they graduated from, what their career path has been, what schools they root for.
You don't make a bad joke and offend them. And what better way to show your due diligence in researching the people you're going to be talking to? And they'll say, oh, you did your homework, not only do you look at our website, but you actually and then back in the mind, they're saying, Boy, you got this person is doing to doing things and going places because they, they're there. They're following up, they're going down a track, they're learning things, and they're putting that extra effort. And that's what we're all looking for is extra initiative. Because if you just say I'm here, yeah, 80% of life is showing up. But then again, 20% of the people don't get a job. One to 5% will get the job. So that's the challenge. You want to be in the top one to 5%, not just the top 20%.
Angelika
That is very important that you've just mentioned that. And also, please do not forget to submit your question in the chat box, because the chat box here is used, for Dr. Scott to answer any question that you might have, as an academic student or recent graduate, and do not hesitate to submit your question now, because this is a unique opportunity to get insights from Dr. Scott. And as we were speaking about LinkedIn, I'd like to mention that universe is the platform that helps students connect to internships, review universities, and get help from fellow students that are already studying certain degrees, and certain subjects, and they can advise cross collaborate, network, and find opportunities for themselves. So for today's interview, I wanted to mention that, for me, when I was a graduate, couple of years ago, not so good, like four or five years ago, time flies, this, this topic was extremely essential, important, and I know the hunger and the pressure that students and recent graduates have.
I believe that this invaluable insight and real practical tips will help so many hesitant viewers that have lost faith in themselves. And that's been pressured way too much to win and succeed no matter what, no matter what. And Dr. Scott has been very kind to share the secrets behind success skill set.
I'll give a plug for LinkedIn. I'll tell you the power of LinkedIn is amazing. And I invite anybody out there to connect on LinkedIn, with Dr. Scott Dale. I mean, I'm a fan, I oversee several groups. And that was the book I wrote because it was just, it's such a powerful tool for my students, for fellow professionals for colleagues, you can glean a lot of information understanding because you're going interview wouldn't be nice to know how long the person you're talking to who's been there, what school they graduated from, what their career path has been, what schools they root for.
You don't make a bad joke and offend them. And what better way to show your due diligence in researching the people you're going to be talking to? And they'll say, oh, you did your homework, not only do you look at our website, but you actually and then back in the mind, they're saying, Boy, you got this person is doing to doing things and going places because they, they're there. They're following up, they're going down a track, they're learning things, and they're putting that extra effort. And that's what we're all looking for is extra initiative. Because if you just say I'm here, yeah, 80% of life is showing up. But then again, 20% of the people don't get a job. One to 5% will get the job. So that's the challenge. You want to be in the top one to 5%, not just the top 20%.
Angelika
That is very important that you've just mentioned that. And also, please do not forget to submit your question in the chat box, because the chat box here is used, for Dr. Scott to answer any question that you might have, as an academic student or recent graduate, and do not hesitate to submit your question now, because this is a unique opportunity to get insights from Dr. Scott. And as we were speaking about LinkedIn, I'd like to mention that universe is the platform that helps students connect to internships, review universities, and get help from fellow students that are already studying certain degrees, and certain subjects, and they can advise cross collaborate, network, and find opportunities for themselves. So for today's interview, I wanted to mention that, for me, when I was a graduate, couple of years ago, not so good, like four or five years ago, time flies, this, this topic was extremely essential, important, and I know the hunger and the pressure that students and recent graduates have.
I believe that this invaluable insight and real practical tips will help so many hesitant viewers that have lost faith in themselves. And that's been pressured way too much to win and succeed no matter what, no matter what. And Dr. Scott has been very kind to share the secrets behind success skill set.
Secrets behind success skill set
Dr. Scott
Anybody who's watching this can have the capability for success because you've lasted this long, and you've experienced and you've listened. Now it's time to act and execute. I thank the audience for blasting and still being here. Because yeah, there are a lot of skills that can be picked up. But obviously, you've shown you'd have the attention span and the ability to say waits a minute, this is my life. And with my life, I want to make the most of it. By all means execute, take advantage. Thank you for having me on board.
Angelika
Dr. Scott, this has been a real honor and pleasure and I know that this interview has generated so much excitement, motivation, and eagerness to act I believe that even I am, like I hyped about doing the next projects because your motivation is contagious. Thank you so much for your incredible advice and it was a great pleasure having you today at the World higher education ranking summit worse. Thank you, Dr. Scott.
Dr. Scott
Thank you, the honor is mine.
Anybody who's watching this can have the capability for success because you've lasted this long, and you've experienced and you've listened. Now it's time to act and execute. I thank the audience for blasting and still being here. Because yeah, there are a lot of skills that can be picked up. But obviously, you've shown you'd have the attention span and the ability to say waits a minute, this is my life. And with my life, I want to make the most of it. By all means execute, take advantage. Thank you for having me on board.
Angelika
Dr. Scott, this has been a real honor and pleasure and I know that this interview has generated so much excitement, motivation, and eagerness to act I believe that even I am, like I hyped about doing the next projects because your motivation is contagious. Thank you so much for your incredible advice and it was a great pleasure having you today at the World higher education ranking summit worse. Thank you, Dr. Scott.
Dr. Scott
Thank you, the honor is mine.