The Chief Executive Officer of First Bank Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan over the weekend called on graduates of the University of Ibadan not to be afraid of failure but continue investing themselves and upscale their skills to be competitive in the global marketplace.
Others who joined Adeduntan in making the charge are the Chief Executive Officer of GIS Konsult Limited, David Afolayan; Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kayode Adebowale; and Chief Executive Officer of EZ37 Solutions Limited, Adaora Ayoade,
They made the call during the Career Fair 2023, anchored by EZ37 Solutions Limited, as part of activities marking the 2023 convocation and 75th Foundation Day ceremonies of the premier university.
Adeduntan urged the graduates to be deliberate in building networks and continuously investing in themselves, saying emotional, physical, social and intelligence quotients (Four Qs) and aptitude and attitude (two As) are pivotal to their attitude.
He said: “Seeing that you have taken the first and most important step towards shaping your future, the rest should be a journey to self-discovery for you. Don’t be afraid to try and more importantly, don’t be afraid to fail. Always remember Lupita Nyong’o’s words that ‘It’s only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you are not expressing the utmost of your human experience.
“It is important to identify your core skills, work values, ethics and especially where your passion lies. Carry out a SWOT analysis on yourselves to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and once you discover and define your authentic selves, channel all your energy to pursuing career paths that align with the future you envision for yourself.
“This career fair is perfectly timed, and I believe it will be a good opportunity for you to explore and connect. Coming from someone like me, who knows well the power of professional networking, take this as your cue to engage in meaningful conversations with people of similar interests and passions, ask questions where in doubt, and present your elevator pitch to individuals and organisations of your interests, you may just be a conversation away from your dream job.
“I also encourage you not to undermine the importance of internships and boot camps. They are gaining popularity in today’s world and the benefits cannot be overemphasised”.
