Tag: postgraduate

Tips To Help You Be Better At Networking

On August 18, 2020

In Career, Education, Finance, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate

Whether you’re running a business or trying to work your way up the corporate ladder, networking is something you’re likely going to have to engage with at some point in your career. Networking helps us meet other likeminded individuals that can help us strengthen our businesses and careers as well as learn more about success and failure. Of course, networking isn’t always easy. Most people aren’t fond of walking into a room and introducing themselves to a bunch of people they’ve never met, especially if they’re all intelligent and skilled business professionals. If you’re someone who struggles with networking or are going to your first networking event, here are a few tips to make things a little easier.

Be Informal

While you might have the urge to be as professional as possible, it’s important that you show potential customers and business partners the human side of you. If you be yourself, it’s more likely that a person will enjoy your company and then want to work with you. Of course, that isn’t to say you can’t talk about your career or business – sometimes people will decide to ask you about it and it’s perfectly acceptable to have that conversation. You just want to be sure you don’t come off too strong and that it isn’t all business, otherwise they may think you’re just trying to get a new customer.

Don’t Have A One Way Conversation

One of the most important aspects of networking is actually having a conversation – that means letting the other person talk while you listen intently, and then responding properly. While you may feel the urge to talk their ear off about you and your business, it’s important that conversations aren’t one way otherwise they may lose interest in you quickly. It’s also important that you don’t let them be the only one talking. Conversational skills are extremely important when it comes to networking, and if you’re shy then you won’t stand out.

Follow Up

If you feel that you’ve had a good time networking with someone, it’s important that the relationship doesn’t end when the conversation does. Be sure to ask them for their contact info. If they give it to you, it likely means that they also enjoyed your time together and chances are they’d be willing to get together again, which could lead to potential partnerships down the line. Everyone likes to connect differently, so make sure you’re available in various forms – phone numbers, emails, LinkedIn pages, Twitter – it’ll be different for everyone. Once you have this information, be sure to reach out the next time there’s a similar event to let them know that you’ll be there and that you should connect.

Tips For Making Online Grad School Easier

By Nicholas Fainlight

On July 12, 2020

In Career, Education, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate, Technology

Attending grad school is a wonderful opportunity for anyone looking to further their education and become more successful in life. You’ll find that many students choose to attend grad school online because many go later in life while they have full time jobs or are starting families. In today’s day and age with issues such as COVID-19 affecting the world in many ways, even more students are beginning to attend graduate school from the comfort of their homes. Attending school in any capacity from home can be stressful but it doesn’t need to be as difficult as you might think. Here are a few tips to help make attending online grad school a little easier.

Make Sure Your Computer Is Up To Date

If you’re going to be doing online graduate school classes it’s extremely important that you not only have a computer, but that you make sure it’s up to date and functioning properly. You’ll be dead in the water without a properly working computer and making sure it’s up to date will give you far less headaches. Nobody likes turning their computer on first thing in the morning and having to deal with surprise updates when they have to submit something or attend an online seminar. It’s also important to make sure your internet connection is up to snuff as well, otherwise the whole process may be a slog.

Establish Your Work Space

One of the most difficult aspects of taking online classes is doing your work from the comfort of your home. While that may sound nice, it can actually be more difficult than you might think. It’s easy to get too comfortable when at home and get distracted from your work. You’ll want to treat your online classes as if you’re physically going into the classroom. Try to continue doing any routines you might usually do when going into a physical classroom – if you shower every morning, make sure you do that now as well. Make sure your workspace is clean and avoid distractions such as television or social media websites.

Practice Self Discipline

This goes along with establishing your workspace, but having self discipline is of the utmost importance when doing any type of work or learning from home. It’s extremely easy to get distracted, whether it be by your favorite websites, chatting with friends or watching the television. You might be inclined to try and power through your lessons and get ahead of where your class is currently at, but it’s important to take things a step at a time. You’re going to have a lot of materials to digest and if you don’t let yourself absorb the material and truly understand it, you’ll end up struggling later down the road.

TED Talks Every College Student Should Hear

By Nicholas Fainlight

On May 26, 2020

In Finance, Investing, Nicholas Fainlight, postgraduate

Graduating from college is an exciting, uncertain time. For many grads, there is a world of uncertainty about achieving success in their desired field, even for those who have already secured employment. Today, there a number of ways to be inspired, from self-help books and mindfulness apps to inspirational public speakers. Perhaps the most well-renowned source of expert opinions comes from the TED organization.

TED talks stem from a conference focused on technology, engineering, and design. It has gradually evolved into short speeches written by professionals, for professionals. The aim of the original founders still holds true today – to spread inspiring, thoughtful messages about a variety of topics in a nonpartisan, nonpolitical way. Thousands of TED talks later, audiences around the world have access to a unique library full of insightful tips and tricks about navigating through life.

For college grads who have anxiety about entering our current job climate, there are many good speeches reminding them of the value of living in the moment. One example is Andy Puddicombe’s lessons about meditation and taking a break from everything for ten whole minutes a day. Sian Leah Beilock offers tips on getting out of our own heads when faced with a stressful situation. Remind ourselves that we are flawed human beings and let ourselves relax about the things we will instinctively know how to handle.

Many college students remain undecided about career aspirations, despite having chosen majors. It helps to be reminded that it’s ok to not have it all figured out just because you’ve graduated. Emilie Wapnick explains that it’s completely normal to have multiple interests, even ones that might be fleeting. Not many people have one true calling. She encourages people to seek out their interests, even if it veers away from any pre-set plan. Life is short and it’s important to not have regrets down the road.

For people who think that work means an unpleasant, daily grind, Scott Dinsmore reminds us all that work can be something that you love. While it may be true that not everyone is awarded the same freedom of choice, if you are lucky enough to find a job you truly enjoy, don’t turn it down because of other seemingly important societal reasons. As an added bonus, by doing what you love you have the power to inspire others as well.