What sets a professional apart from a non-professional?
Is a first degree obtained by a young individual in any discipline today enough for him to penetrate into the job market and remain relevant in the uncertain economic conditions plaguing the world after the pandemic?
This is a difficult question that needs to be tackled immediately by youths and their parents or guardians.
It takes only a devastating happening like the pandemic to tear all our future plans asunder.
The pandemic has brought to the fore the frailties of organisations and also economies as these entities struggle to put things to their positions as they were before the pandemic. In 2024, we are a far cry from what we were before 2020, economically and financially.
So, where does that leave the most of us? Do we continue on the same path that we took before 2020 or do we change our perspectives and do something which is different to keep ourselves economically relevant in these turbulent economic times? In time, even economies will buckle under the pressure of slow economic growth if they choose to remain on the same path which they took economically before 2020.
It is not enough to think out of the box. Thinking is a very good exercise as it forces people to recognise their flaws and salvage their terrible economic situation quickly. If they allow themselves to drown economically, they won’t have much of a chance to think of better ways to improve themselves in the current challenging economic climate.
Young people today should take stock of their situation as the knowledge-based economy, a new economic structure, requires people to be on par with others around the world in terms of knowledge and soft skills. Gone are the days when people could just rely on little knowledge and on whom they know to succeed in their respective vocations. After the pandemic, most economies around the world are still reeling from its devastating effects. Most governments are finding it hard to come up with the right solutions to revive what has been lost economically since 2020.
Two young individuals with the same qualifications in the same discipline must compete in the economic arena of their country. One possesses the right knowledge and proper soft skills whereas the other only possesses a little knowledge and no soft skills. Both are pitted against each other to secure a well-paying job. The one who possesses the right knowledge and the proper soft skills, which includes proficiency in spoken and written English, makes a mark from the very beginning as he shows that he is able to learn independently and adapt quickly to the uncertain economic environment. Employers can rely on such an individual to make an impact on the performance of the organisation.
The English language is not just a language anymore. It is a passport for the young to remain relevant in the current uncertain economic conditions.