| Dear Minister for Education and
Training Dr Andrew Refshauge, Managing director of NSW
TAFE, Jan McClelland, Institute director - Barry Peddle,
and Dean of Studies - Glyn Gardner, distinguished guests,
proud family members, and graduates:
It is a great honour for me to be here tonight at the
TAFE graduation ceremony. Thanks to Glyn for the invitation.
Benjamin Franklin once said:
“Take the coins out of your purse
and invest them in
your mind and your mind will fill your purse with coins”
As a person who invested 18 years in
formal education and more than 4 years delivering training
courses to business people and students, I could not
agree with this concept more.
As a graduate, each of you have already
experienced the hard work, invested the money, and dedicated
the time for your study over the last few years. Today,
you hold the results in your hands. You have achieved
your DREAMS. CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU, your teachers
and your family.
Now, what are you going to do with
your certificates?
At this moment, you might think that “Well, this
is the end of study and the mission is completed”.
Tomorrow – you will realise that having a certificate
is only the BEGINNING! The certificate you received
today is a golden-key that will help to open the career
doors for you. However, you need remember that you MUST
also Knock on the doors – the more you knock,
the more open doors will welcome you.
Employment in Australia and across
the world is very competitive. Especially IT related
jobs in the last few years. This is not to discourage
you but to make you aware that you need to play hard
and smart to win any game these days.
I suggest you do the following things to prepare for
your career:
- Do not sell yourself short. Be aware of your strengths
- not just academic records but also pay attention
to areas such as teamwork, interpersonal skills, communication
skills, problem solving, etc
- Decide whether you want to apply for a job or start
your own business
- Invest time and effort in your cover letter and
resume
- Study the FAQ. Most employers ask similar questions.
Why not prepare yourselves for those questions like:
Tell me more about yourself, What are your strengths
and
weaknesses, where do you see yourself in 3 years time,
etc?
- Compile a list of reasons why someone should employ
you or should use your services
- Follow up. Write a letter to thank the employer
for the interview. Send them a postcard. Give them
a call!
- Do not allocate all your time in the IT area. If
you want to become an IT consultant with an edge,
train yourself in personal networking, public speaking,
and communication skills. Business people want high
tech but high touch will go a long way
- Be a life long student. Having a degree or a certificate
is only the beginning. The certificate proves that
you are “trainable”
I have brought with me my company postcards
and I would like to give each of you a copy. The postcard
is a symbol of growing and achieving your goals. If
you find my information useful, go to the CleverLink’s
Website and look for the CleverTips.
I publish a short tip every Friday.
All the above are my suggestions for
long term strategy. A tip for you to do is “Go
and buy something for yourself tomorrow or on the weekend”
I do not know what you want, BUT you deserve it.
To achieve success – You must
celebrate VICTORIES!
Once again, Congratulations and best wishes for your
future career. You can become whatever you want to be.
If you believe you can, you can!
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 Adobe
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