10 advice tips to the young University student about work

A young man who is studying for an Economics degree messaged me on Facebook to ask about consultancy and work in general.

I had quickly responded about getting a job and experience and so, but then was thinking more about the work advice I could give .

Yeah.. I am at that age where giving advice is the excuse for thinking what I could have done differently if I knew then what I know now and so on..

Dear Youth man...


1.  Don't take my advice
I might not be the best example of a successful consultant - in fact I don't like to use the word too much because it has different kinds of implications in terms of the money and so. I like some of the consultancy work which I have been given because there is an opportunity to stretch your boundaries. The difficulty though is when your recommendations are not followed through.

Two times this year, I have had to find responses for people who asked me .. "So whatever happened to... ?" and I feel foolish saying "Oh, I was not responsible for implementation.. just for the recommendations which were accepted"...



2. Learn to cook
If you don't know to cook, learn. Self-reliance is a good thing. Cooking allows you time to think about things and you can feel good in a short time about something you created. If you like to eat that is. But learning new skills is something which you will have to do more, if you are on your own, than if you are employed where your employers will decide when to train you. You said you like Econometrics.. so take some of the free online courses to develop the skills , even if you get a job and you have no time to do the courses.

You say you want to do a Masters.. that is good, there are scholarships around and do not be afraid of the 'time bond' associated with some of the scholarships, time flies and if you are in a good position, you could get great experience.


3.  Things/Work are not carved in stone

You said you don't want to be stuck in cubicle nation. I know when I was your age I assumed I would be stuck in cubicle nation, and be a company man and so on. That only lasted six years though. Money can be seductive and you have to know how much money you need to earn. Heck, if you did economics you should be able to manage that for yourself right?
Work can change. I find myself doing things which I never imagined doing. If you are lucky, you can get work which is connected with your passions. Otherwise, you would have to allocate time for the cubicle, and then use the after hours to pursue the passions.

Make sure you exercise and stay fit (I don't do this). It is easy to put on weight in the cubicles.


4. Fall in love with impossible people

Make sure you fall in love with impossible and unsuitable people so you can learn about yourself and be exposed to things which you never did before. You do not have to get married to them, not even have a relationship with them, but at least be close enough to learn from them especially if they are people who do not think like you and can offer perspectives on life. You do not have to agree with them but at least the impossible people you love will give you heart break, frustration and insights into other ways of thinking and seeing life.


5. Read and write

Yeah man, you have to read.. and keep reading, especially if you are self employed as your clients would might have diverse needs and you need to keep current. I urge you to blog as well, write because it will give people a chance to assess your knowledge and competence and I have found work because I have put things out there. The Greek Minister of Finance has his own blog which you might be interested in reading.   I know of this because the man rarely wears a suit and tie, and maybe that is why the Greeks are not getting through with their negotiations.

I don't know much about Economics - I only did one course in University - but I get a sense that the academics are closely linked to the real life issues so you should be open to how to be an academic outside of the University. Think Professor Clive Thomas and Dr Tarron Khemraj who write in the newspapers in Guyana. Some people might read them.



6. You can do anything you want..
If you want to form your own consultancy now, do it! You can do that and also find a job or whatever it is. I did not remember while talking to you that there are many people who do their own companies and businesses even while in University. They might not do much with them, but at least you know that you have it in your head to do so do it And if you are 22, you can do anything you want so go and do it. When you hit 42, the story will be different.



7. Connecting things..

You might know that fields of study and practice are interconnected in many ways. So explore your interests and find out how you can make them Econometrics linked. do you like Cricket? Write something about the economic cost to the Caribbean of the West Indies losing?  Or how to decide how to measure the contribution of weekend dominoes to the national GDP?

The World Bank for example has concerns about LGBT equality - so gay rights meats economics there in considerations like the Economic cost of discrimination.



8. Define success for yourself..

It is a crazy world out there which puts pressure on people to be successful. You can have deep and meaningful discussions about success, but for yourself , figure out what does success look like. How many things do you want to buy and own? How much power do you want?

I remember one of the top graduating students of my Uni class, six years later he paused his career because he was determined to be home every night to read to his sons before they slept while the rest of the class had no problem with 18 hour shifts and so. Another bright man who finished with a PhD quit the private sector and went back to teach and pursue his spirituality and owns less than he would have if he was in the private sector.

My definition of success these days is getting through each day one hour at a time and trying to get six hours of dreamless sleep a night.


9. Connecting with people..

I am still in shock .. that you had read my CV and you contacted me on Facebook , without having met me, and you had your direct question. That is damned good.. very brave. So keep doing that, and Facebook is good because you can tune out if people get long winded. If we had met at a function, it might not have been so easy to have let go of me so it is good to research the people you want to connect with and be prepared.

You might want to start by working with others first before doing your own thing.

10. Remember Number 1.
I put this in because I like the number 10.
Please make sure that you can explain and find reasons for every idea you have and every decision you make and that you can be accountable for them.

Best wishes ..