Graduates should open up to networking

By Badru Walusansa

Makerere University has set the February 21-24 as dates for her 67th graduation. Over 10,000 students will graduate with different qualifications. However, what remains behind to ask is whether the graduates are well equipped to confront life challenges that normally arise after university education.

Apparently it is easier to find a graduate with skills in ICT, accounting and record management but without networking skills. This implies that whereas the knowledge skills are essential in our lives, networking skills too are equally important.

Networking facilitates information sharing, access to opportunities and creates unity among social groupings. Tasking graduates to network should therefore be the take home message during this year's graduation ceremonies.

Knowing that your networks determine your net worth, graduates must heavily invest in building constructive networks as they embark on their career trajectories.

Today's labour market is very dynamic and qualifications alone cannot guarantee one employment. There are other factors such as social networking that come into play for one to secure employment, at times.

This also applies to continuing university students, reading alone to have a first class or second upper degree doesn't entirely mean one will be successful than those with lower grades. A student with a lower grade could have been better at networking and thus end up getting a better paying job than one with a good degree and poor networking skills.

I know of three university graduates who decided to start up an IT consultancy firm last year. Their business has steadily grown and while I asked one of them, the magic behind the sporadic growth, he revealed that it is through networking that their firm has managed to secure her clientele.

Sometimes identifying like-minded persons is crucial in developing ones' career though it should not limit people from connecting with those outside their professional circles.

My university professor once cracked a joke that our class alone could make the next government in power with each one of us serving in a different portfolio. He, however, added that usually after university, people tend to lose contact with one another which at times limit on their exposure to prevailing opportunities.

On that note, we should somehow put the blame on our education system that puts much emphasis on teaching students to pass exams and leave out other compounding skills such as networking, communication and resource mobilisation which are more important for students to fit in real world.

The increasing use of social media presents profound opportunities for graduates to keep in touch. I have seen many Facebook and WhatsApp groups in which colleagues touch base and as well share opportunities; this is a good practice that graduates should continue doing.

People with well-built networking skills will need no time to connect with others, either at social events or business meetings. Of course this reminds me of an hypothetical question, "What if you met Bill Gates on a lift and you only got five minutes, what business proposal would you sale to him?"

Despite the variance in approaching that question, I am sure it can only be attempted by those open to networking.

The writer is a Commonwealth correspondent