EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AGE OF ICT: MY HUMBLE ADVICE
Distinguished Colleagues in Nigeria,
It will interest you a great deal to stay connected to the people who are truly passionate about helping someone like you and me to grow intellectually and professionally. These amazing persons aren't necessarily found within your network of friends or family members all alone: They, understandably, could be your own teachers, senior colleagues or potential mentors in the academia, media, think-thanks, etcetera.
As you already knew, you can, for example, use Twitter, LinkedIn as well as Facebook to network with peers, individuals or even academics who — continually and inspiringly — share valuable tips and insightful information with everyone that cares to explore them effectively. Usually, what they share across various social media platforms and elsewhere include latest opportunities geared towards fully-funded scholarships, most-sought-after fellowships, leadership summits, on-site internships, mind-blowing webinars, and creative writing contests. Does that make any sense to you?
Dear colleagues and brethren, as a matter of productivity and personal development, use hashtags and keywords to search for what you, exactly, want. Google, they say, is your friend. Isn't it? Remember, unlike yesterday's world, today's world has since gone digital. Be gone digitally!
Above all, get your documents — such as transcripts, degree certificates & valid ID cards — ready. Additionally, create a simple but unique email address for yourself if, already, you haven't created one which is currently accessible with ease. For official purposes and formal correspondences, distance yourself from using:
• debo.babe4u[at]gmail.com
• lilxpower666[at]yahoo.co.uk
...& the likes of the latter as your exclusive email address. Instead, use your real name to create your email address. This could include a combination of your first name and last name, as seen in the following example:
• abubakar.chindo[at]xyz.com
• chinedu.kelvin[at]abc.com
Similarly, scan your relevant credentials in good, high quality, and save them on your mail, upload them to your Google Drive or get them stored somewhere — using any other suitable device at your disposal. Think, ideate and research more about what you really plan to study at the graduate school, where you want to be absorbed as an intern or the skills you can bring to the table should you find your dream job anytime soon... I know, brothers and sisters, that things are relatively hard. Aren't they? Against all odds, keep your hope alive. South Africa's Nelson Mandela rightly said, "It always seems impossible until it is done." In a nutshell, no condition is permanent. So, keep going forth and forth. Don't be discouraged by many life's hurdles and tussles. Such is life. This, too, shall pass!
Importantly, get the consent of your recommenders, recent employers or previous tutors before submitting any of their respective phone numbers and other contact details here and there. If you don't, it could go against you and nobody wants that to happen. Do you?
With the above-mentioned yet esteemed personalities, maintain a very good channel of communication. You don't, probably, have to call your mentors all the time. You may want to send them a few messages once in a while. For some, this act alone suffices. For others, it doesn't. Therefore, it is up to you to know what works best for your mentors...
Cumulatively, effective communication is as important as time management, or so, you know! Consequently, manage your time. Be considerate of your mentors who, despite their tight schedules, do find time to attend to you. You’re still with them because they never turned down your requests. Did they? So, as usual, value them. Don’t just rush to them whenever you need them to send a letter of recommendation, each, to X University, Y Group of Companies or Z Development Bank; be courteous to them, too.
Best regards,
