Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: The Good Grad; Published: 20 October 2017; Last Updated: 24 October 2017

The Good Grad 2.0

The art of war by Sun Tzu - Image supplied by Penguin Random House

The liberating effect of starting a business

Pumped up after completing a qualification, individuals excitedly run the gauntlet to find employment. The concept of working hard and getting paid to do a job that one enjoys is a utopian dream that the newly indoctrinated graduates strive for but only a fraction of achieving. Some work smart whilst others end up in the first of endless career changes. Often some have no choice but to bear the burden of paying off student loans or needed to support various financial responsibilities including family.

As careers shift as do life choices, many turn to the prospect of running their own businesses - seeking self-autonomy and control of one’s career and financial destiny. It is a large step into a risky environment but as the saying goes: the greater the risk the greater the reward!

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: The Good Grad; Published: 06 September 2017; Last Updated: 07 September 2017

The Good Grad 2.0

Artificial intelligence and Graduate Careers - The Good Grad 2.0 - Image source: Shutterstock, Inc Image Credit: © Josh McCann

The effect of artificial intelligence on the careers market.

We are moving very quickly into an era of machine learning, AI and quantum computing.

Imagine the world where robots and computers which don’t get tired, bored or emotional disturbed, carry out hours of work – leaving us to concentrate on activities like spending time, traveling, socializing and being with our loved ones. Well, that world is not too far away.

Granted, the adoption of such 'smart-machines' will need to be implemented on a controllable scale as things such as addressing issues of disease and social equality remain high on the world agenda – or so we hope, the benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) however is a no-brainer.

Read more: Rise of the machines

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: The Good Grad; Published: 25 July 2017; Last Updated: 10 August 2017

The Good Grad 2.0 feature

Invest like a superhero – or villain *Image source: Shutterstock, Inc Image Credit: © Lasse Behnke - lassedesignen.de

It is never too early to start investing towards the future - many a successful investor as a matter of fact, regret wasting their money on trivial things rather than investing earlier.

The great news nowadays is that you don’t even have to be a stock market whizz or portfolio management guru to do so successfully.

Investing today does not have to be limited to into large portfolios like in property, major shares or a mutual fund – although if you are Bruce Wayne or Lex Luthor, or just a real-life Elon Musk you’d tend to dabble in all and constantly look for new ways to invest.

For the average non-superhero or ‘non-trust fund baby’ looking to start out a career, or about to use some hard-earned savings to do a gap year before delving into the working world, it might pay off a little to make some of that money work for you.

OriginalSteps.com has a few tips on how.

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: The Good Grad; Published: 10 August 2017; Last Updated: 21 August 2017

A Good Grad 2.0 feature

The social age of Information *Image source: Shutterstock, Inc Image Credit: Pushkin

The social age of Information - it is beginning to resemble a Lewis Carroll novel!

It is quite hard to understand why anyone would bother to ask (sometimes silly) questions these days when answers lie within the tips of our fingers - literally.

Back in the day we used to have the ordained task of trekking to school or public libraries, or in some cases, rely on the (often egoistic) local nerd to help answer questions and grasp difficult concepts.

Most don’t realise it, but we carry information boxes via our smartphones and tablets daily. And while it is easy to get bombarded by misinformation and what a current western administration has coined as ´fake news´, it is important to be able to identify credible sources when conducting research or looking for quick answers.

A simple online search for a diagnosis for instance, can lead to you discovering that you only have three days to live if you land on the wrong pages – or worse yet uncover an evil ploy to live underground or in the ocean. Not all theories are far-fetched as soon we will be seeing flying cars or drones such as the EHANG 184 – which we have previously featured .

Details: Written by OriginalSteps; Category: The Good Grad; Published: 23 December 2014; Last Updated: 14 August 2017

It is kind of like head hunting but with a first-hand approach.
“You gotta give me one thing. I'm a scary judge of talent.” Al Pacino as Walter Burke in the 2003 action film The Recruit.
*The Recruit: © Touchstone Pictures/Spyglass Entertainment

The quote from Pacino highlights the concept used in the movie of picking talent within the environment of a university or college.

If setups like the NFL and NBA have scouts searching for talent at high schools, colleges and universities, why can’t the same approach be applied to seeking talent for businesses? We can fine tune it and call it searching for future CEO’s.

In principle, the standard graduate recruitment processes do work. Companies campaign or market themselves while future graduates apply to businesses for a placement or job opportunity. Students go through a battery of screenings, interviews and tests before hopefully being made a contractual offer.