There is a difference between life on campus and life in the workplace. Employers are always on the lookout for graduates who can quickly adjust to life in the industry—by attitude, dressing, work culture and who demonstrate some knowledge of the industry. It reduces the efforts required to train and onboard this set of graduates.

“During my internship in a consulting firm, I quickly become comfortable in corporate attire, preparing meeting agendas, and understanding developments in the industry by reading industry-focused publications.”

To become better acquainted with life in the industry, you can follow TV series such as Suits and House of Cards. Read more industry-focused publications such as Bloomberg, BusinessDay and NairaMetrics to become aware of industry developments.

Be confident to express your opinion in gatherings in class, project meetings, and extracurricular activities. Do not shy away from opportunities to represent your group, class or university at events where individual or group presentations may be required or to be the voice of others when selected to do so. 

This skill is in high demand in industries and career disciplines where knowledge of developments and competition can provide a competitive advantage. Top among these industries are:

• Consulting
• Banking/Insurance
• Business/Professional Services
• Healthcare 
• Hospitality

Top among these career disciplines are:

• Management & Business Administration
• Media & Communications
• Marketing, Sales & Services
• Policy & Development
• Legal Services

Movies

• A Few Good Men
• The Butler
• Suits (Series)
• Up in the Air
• Legally Blonde

Books

• What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles
• Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Magazines; The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg and The African Report
• News; Bloomberg, BusinessDay, NairaMetrics

Podcasts

• Career Talk: Learn, Grow, Thrive
• WorkLife With Adam Grant
• How to be Awesome at Your Job
• Planet Money
• Africa Report Talking Africa Podcast