Valuable advice imparted to WorldSkills Competition participants

Measure and decide what success means to you and then set professional and personal goals in order to ensure that you reach these goals.

 

This was one of the messages that Partner, Advisory at KPMG, Brenda Pope sent out to the young participants as she delivered the Sponsor’s Remarks at the Closing and Awards Ceremony for The WorldSkills Barbados Competition 2016 recently at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).

 

“It is critical that you define both personal and professional goals and define what success looks like to you. Does success equal money? Or does it mean more authority? Or greater opportunity to travel? Whatever it is, once you know what makes you tick, use it to motivate yourself. Goals – both short-term and long-term – must be believable and worth committing to.”

 

 She said that one thing to bear in mind when setting these goals is not to get so carried away with making money that you neglect the important things in life such as taking care of your health and spending time with your family.

 

 “Prioritize so you can always maintain balance in all areas of your life whether financial, emotional, spiritual as well as physical. At the twilight of life, don’t be one of those who say ‘I wish I had spent more time looking after my health’ or ‘I wish I had spent more time with my family.’”

 

 Regardless of whichever field you chose to enter, you must be honest and have integrity at all times, she said. “Be trustworthy so that people will respect you, like you and trust you. Make sure none of your actions prevent you from sleeping at night or cause you to be ashamed.”

 

 Having IT skills would also be an important qualification that all employers in any sector would expect their current and future employees to have and these skills do not just involve being an expert in social media, but also knowing how to use the traditional IT programmes such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

 

 The Partner, Advisory told the young people that seeking out and taking the advice of the adults around them would also help with their growth and one of the ways that they can do this is to find a mentor.

 

“Feedback is fundamental. Be open to feedback! None of us wants to hear about our mistakes, but it will be 10 times worse if we keep repeating the same mistake.  Ask for constructive feedback and remain silent when the person delivers it. Don’t be defensive and try to justify or explain why the person is wrong. Instead, thank the co-worker or friend for being honest and taking time to help you grow.”

 

 Pope also told them that if they do not succeed in getting a job, then rather than be disheartened, they should forge out their own career path by becoming an entrepreneur.