Market yourself into a career

I read a speech given my a Mr Wickremage I think his name was the Marketing Director of Ceylon Biscuits Group, who from humble beginnings worked his way to the top of the career ladder and along the way garnered some prestigious international marketing awards to boot.

There was a lot of telling advice for youth that I thought relevant enough to note here, and hopefully inspire some of you to take on a career in this field. Sales and Marketing are fields that were in great demand in the past. Many found that if they were able to join at the bottom, their competence and ability if proven, will definitely take them right to the top, and Mr Wickremage was one who believed, and achieved the goal set for himself.

It is a unique career path that helps you to move from different companies and rise up, by sheer performance. Sales and Marketing are skills, rarely learned at University. So they generally do not hire Graduates as the outlook and expectations of graduates are very different to the rough and tumble of a marketing personality. The latter however pays a lot more than what a graduate can earn, and that is purely by effort and hard work equals reward.

While sales and marketing are different avenues, they are closely related and often training is required in both as they are complimentary. I was surprised when it was noted that youth today shun this field and they find fewer applicants choosing this field by choice. It is an indication of the expectation of instant gratification of youth today.

A good salesman can sell insurance one day, and banking products the next. Spare parts maybe later, and then pharmaceuticals, before moving on to FMCG products. It is all part of the variety of sales, and in the US sales professionals sometimes earn more than the directors they work for as their remuneration is mainly in the form of commissions on sales they make.

There was one telling passage in his speech. It was that he said we must never tell youth today, that we started at the bottom and climbed the greasy pole over decades to get to the top. Young people cannot think as far as a decade. They want to know what they can achieve in the space of a year, and if we are able to fulfill those expectations, we will be able to work on a successful relationship in a job. Rarely do sales people at the start stay on in one company for more than 2 years. So it is important to sell it short term.

Commitment to a Cause

A young person is guided in his outlook by those he associates with most. They are usually his circle of friends. Often after leaving school, they go together to classes, vocational training or even for jobs where they like to be with known people.

Similarly whilst in employment, it is good to join a cause one is interested in and take it seriously as it is both good to take one’s mind of work, and also to interact with other people outside of one’s employment.

Youth take up a sport or an activity of personal interest like, singing, dancing travelling photography and the like. A well rounded individual has other interests outside of his main employment. Religion is also one of them, especially if it is followed in a deeper and more committed level to the majority of people who just follow their religion as a matter of reaction.

I put politics into this area too. If one has strong beliefs in how one can change the status quo and is not happy with the state of things, one can pursue a political agenda. Firstly get into a role in your area, where you can show leadership and be recognized in the party as one who shows promise.

In order to do all these activities one has to be committed and be prepared to sacrifice a combination of time, money and determination to succeed. This is rewarding but unlike instant gratification that is usually the order of the day, it takes some time to achieve the reward one expects.

In that role, the word ‘what is in it for me’ must always be at the tip of your tongue as otherwise you will not commit. Much of the above, results in a level of sacrifice, which is not rewarded by a pay check unlike a job. It is important therefore to realize it and allocate time and effort in order to achieve this goal. It is easier if there are more friends or colleagues to work with together which makes it easy to attend the various meetings or sessions or practices. Remember that the reward at the end is based purely on the effort put in. It is important that the leaders give leadership, to encourage the youth to achieve them, knowing full well that there is a responsibility to provide the prizes at the end of the road, if successful. That is why there are financial and other incentives once the goals are attained and the winners are recognized. Remember the greater the effort the greater the potential reward so it is important to keep it all in perspective. 

Are you Generation Z or A? Take your pick!

People born into a different period are classified as Baby boomers, Generation X and Y. I have yet to see the Z word used and I wonder if the A word is more appropriate. The reason being that for the first time in History this emerging generation will have fewer people in their respective age groups in most countries as compared with the age group before them.

That creates a whole new series of problems. Remember the one child policy in China. It has now been in place for nearly 30 years give or take few. The majority of those in China under 25 are only children. The Chinese allowed some of their minority communities to have more children! I am not sure of the exact reason, but they would not be a threat to the majority community.

So to put it mildly they have a problem. A generation of spoilt brats! They have been given everything by their doting parents. The Government has realized that there is a huge social problem arising from this policy.

They have an army of 500 scientists, therapists and child psychologists studying this problem, so that they could come up with a recommendation. It is likely that as a result of this policy and the apparent demographic shift that will suddenly create a declining population when the present 50 somethings die, they will SHORTLY decide to do away with this policy and allow at least two kids in a family.

So now you are talking even after the Chinese have planned a shift, what are we doing? Do we have a plan for our youth? No. So the youth seize the time, make your plans and inform our government what you want for your generation. Is it pensions? Is it to put your parents into homes? Is it to stop work and let your parents create the income stream for you now so when they move on you can sit on you back sides and live happily every after?

These are all moves to contemplate while you are waking up. It is the first time you can take all the decisions for yourself. No one need intervene. If you muck it up too, no one will come to help. In that scenario what action to take is up to you. So first arm yourself with the tools of thinking, of reasoning and of evaluating your options. Do not look to the elders to come up with that rationale as they are unable even to contemplate the changed circumstances that you find yourself in. Only then can you make this choice which will determine your future course of life and prosperity. Good Luck! 

Sri Lanka Youth – Rio+20

 

Rio 20+ is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, currently being held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (June 2012). Sri Lanka has sent the largest official delegation of all delegations in the world! That is the Govt. delegation taking advantage of using a Sri Lankan Airlines plane for which the monthly leasing cost exceeds over US$300,000, costing over $10,000 a day, just to keep the plane on the tarmac not counting maintenance charges. The example of a wastage and huge carbon footprint will not be lost on the world!

On top of that there is an NGO presence of various people and media personnel. It is a very important conference, but in the end the decisions taken by them, may or may not be acted upon by the various governments.

The Original Rio 1992, which is being commemorated this year came up with principles of sustainable development which have barely been touched upon. As far as Sri Lanka is concerned these 20 years have resulted in a level of environmental degradation that has been unprecedented and in the last 5 years it has increased at an exponential level.

The lead of politicians who are involved in this degradation, does not give a chance to either the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) or the Ministry of Environment to act on the powers vested in them.

I need not go through the individual items here. As far as the youth input here is concerned I take an extract which is self explanatory from Beyond Borders, a blog in the Sri Lankan blogosphere published today.

The statement that encapsulates several vital areas in sustainable development was drafted by over 30 youth-led and youth-focus local organizations that are involved in environmental conservation, management, climate change, sustainable development and advocacy for environmental issues. Bringing these organizations together and orchestrating Sri Lanka’s participation in the Rio Summit, is the Youth for a Greener Sri Lanka (YGSL) that was established earlier this year (March 2012). The statement is a position paper on which future projects will be based.

A large team of local environmentally conscious youths has formulated a multipronged action plan, addressing several key areas that are intrinsic in the development of a nation. Top of the list and under the umbrella of youth policy positions, the statement mentions society’s role in sustainable development. The activists believe that equality is essential, they explained “our aspiration is equality for all, and not the luxury of the 20 per cent of the world’s people who enjoy the exploitation of 80 per cent of its resources.”

Well-being and happiness as well as right mindfulness were also highlighted as the cornerstone to sustainable development. Society being at the heart of development, even with an extraordinary physical plan, it cannot fruition sans the right mindset of the people.

The economy is another key area that needs to be addressed, and therefore, the team included environmental sustainability and poverty reduction, and a Green Economy in the statement. YGSL explains, “A Green Economy should replace the current economic order of inequity, destruction and greed. A Green Economy should be an economic system that ensures social equity, protects the ecological balance and creates economic sufficiency. The core idea of a Green Economy should be to enforce sustainability, specifically the wellbeing of all people and respecting and preserving the biodiversity of Earth’s ecosystems.

On that note they believe it is necessary to establish an office for the ombudsperson — high commission for future generations. “We the youth representatives of Youth for a Greener Sri Lanka understand that there is a lacuna in current decision making processes and institutions of the world, especially as all of them fail to consider the long term effects of decisions made today. The proposal stated at paragraph 57 of the Zero Outcome document calling for the establishment of an Ombudsperson/High Commissioner for Future Generations is thus an opportunity to meet this short coming and by establishing such an office, we believe that both the aspirations of youth and future generations will be protected.”  From  www.beyond borders.wordpress.com  June 22^nd 2012.

The Above extracts from the blog entry are noble principles of expression of Sri Lankan Youth who I believe are more aware of the environmental issues than many adults, but do not see a positive way they can contribute and make a difference to the cause of sustainability.

I believe that along with these themes, we must set up a training program that is part of the school curriculum that covers the principles of sustainability over a one week period, which is uniformly taught by a roving team on say an environmental bus, run on renewable energy!! In this way there is consistency of the message and the attendees get a certificate of attendance and a pledge to protect the environment.

We must involve youth in an active program that they can see after being made aware of the issues from such so that they are fully armed with the rationale and basis that will carry them throughout their lives and who by living by example will teach everyone of the importance of sustainability as a method of spreading the message throughout the island in a practical manner. I have found that no amount of talking can substitute for an act of doing such as recycling waste as just one example of what we can do at home. In the latter case I believe Sri Lanka is seriously lacking in insight.

Don’t Complain – learn to get what you want in a subtle manner

I wish to concentrate on collective issues and not on personal matters. Young people are famous for believing they are entitled to something. I don’t know what it is that gives them this, but it may have something to do with the way they are brought up, and possibly parenting issues of this century. With an average household not having more than two children, parents seem to dote on their offspring who grow up spoilt, and worse, if one parent works overseas, they send money, thinking that it would compensate for the lack of love and affection.

Growing up in this environment, they are less able to fend for themselves, and have not been thrust into the wider world, at an earlier age, which many of their parents had to due to circumstances that were different.

Do not forget that in a generation our GNP per capita in US $ terms has grown tenfold since the 1977 opening up of the economy. No one remembers the queues for basic items then. It is a vastly different world that we live in today, with almost anything available, though at a price, which a whole new middle class seems to be able to afford.

They now grow up in a world of SMS dating, Internet and Mobile phones, none of which their parents were exposed to. This fast life almost gives them an arrogance that they are from a different era that permits them more freedoms than that afforded to their parents.

This results in wanting things that even their parents cannot reasonably without tremendous sacrifice give them, the latest craze being motorbikes as that is what draws the lasses. With the increase in duty adding another Rs 100K to the price of a new one, their requests must become reasonable and they must work for these basic needs and not expect to be handed them on a platter. What is hard earned in maintained, appreciated and used carefully and it is a generation that understands thrift that is needed once again, if we are to face some of the real pressures of life.

Growth brings in an added number of problems. We have more traffic congestion and deaths on the roads. We have more pollution of every sort. We have overcrowding and cheek by jowl existence and an urban shift from rural living. All these pressures add to short fuses, impatience and family disharmony amongst young people. So patience and subtlety are called for.

Leadership Training for University Entrants including Monks

The Government via the Ministry of Higher Education, has decreed that all University Entrants including Buddhist Monks who have also obtained entrance to the University, must undergo ‘Leadership Training’ prior to entrance. This was first instituted with much fanfare last year and was opposed by most student groups as being a means to perpetuate the current policy of containing freedom of thought by instilling values that are based on the governmental thinking rather than on reason and intelligence.

I blame the education system in Sri Lanka for not giving youth of Sri Lanka the tools to think, and all independent thought is suppressed even at the classroom level. Even school teachers shout down students who express an independent opinion, as being trouble makers!!

It is simply an extension of this system that the leadership training aims at achieving. One main aim was ostensibly to prevent University Students from joining the JVP led IUSF which is supposedly involved in the initiation rag to suppress any independence students may have into only their philosophy.

I do not believe three week training at an Army Camp can do that. In any case, whilst I subscribe to theory that inhumane humiliating initiation rights are wrong and must be banned, I do believe the students must in competition decide which student body represents their true interests. So if the leadership training is to instill Mahinda Chinthana policies on impressionable poorly educated youth, then it is plain wrong and an attempt at brainwashing.

Further I believe that training of any sort should not be conducted at Army camps that may have facilities but bear no relationship to the students learning process, and must be conducted by life skills advisers and NOT army personnel who are a further part of the mindless order takers who just repeat what is taught them, not being able to think for themselves.

It is important that if there is a conscious effort at instilling confidence and ability to think, it is done by life skills instructors. That philosophy however is anathema to the present regime as they will not be able to manipulate the minds of youth anymore.

Young people MUST understand that adults are forever in the business of wanting you to think their way not your way. You must reason and find your own path. It is how you do that which makes you strong and able to stand up for your rights. Let that be your primary goal.

In these circumstances when the 300 or so entrants to the University, who happen to be Buddhist monks, who may or may not go to Pirivena or Buddhist University education, have to undergo leadership training, it is to be held at either the Pali and Buddhist University at Homagama, or at the Buddhasrava Dhamma Faculty in Anuradhapura.

What was amusing was that the Secretary of the Minister of Higher Education has stated that the training would include ‘going in search of alms and meditation and day to day conduct’. For a servant of the state to make such utterances with a straight face itself, is a matter for amusement, not to be taken seriously. A monk worth his soul will learn from the elders at the Pirivena he is enrolled in to obtain his religious education about these aspects and does not require a three week leadership training course for that. It is more that they too require the basic life skills training that everyone else must undergo, due to the fact that all young people no matter what field they go into, must acquire basic knowledge.

It is even more important for Buddhist monks who are sheltered from day to day problems of living to be aware of the world around them, so that as part of their pastoral duties and ability to deliver sermons to the laity are fully aware of the conditions upon which they live and the daily trials and tribulations faced by the lesser mortals in our society.

If at all the life skills training is a vital part of the training of a Buddhist Samenera over the way to gather alms. After all the pinnapada route has changed somewhat from days of old, where traditionally every morning the village priest went in search of alms before he ate his midday meal. It hardly ever happens and the laity bring it to the temple instead, and there are many a story on what is prepared and how it is prepared. That is a whole different story not part of this topic.

It is important for young people to fight for what it rightfully theirs, in a way that does not prevent others from conducting their day to day activities, and inconvenience them. It is therefore necessary that students who enter University understand what it is they are entering, what is expected of them, and what they can expect from it, and not be fooled by the likes of Govt. or JVP unions to mislead them into entitlements they have not earned!!

Mixed Schools or Same Sex Schools is all about the ‘DIVIDE’

What divide is that? Have you not noticed that best in the league table of schools, the ones the Education Minister calls the 50 schools in the Country which out of  10,000the parents want to put their children into are ALL single sex schools.

I rest my case as far as the parents are concerned. I do not know whether this is because they just happen to be the main schools in Colombo together with the main schools in some of the larger cities in the Island, that have been endowed with a history of good teachers and facilities by both the Government, and by the original benefactors of the schools, be they individuals who built them or Religious Institutions which set them up. Either way they are some of the older established and recognized schools in the Country, many extremely large in size when compared with other schools in the country.

What do the students prefer? I for one a product of a single sex school, feel that it is better that way that there is no distraction at the early stages in life for anything other than studies or sports. Remember all sports anyway are divided by sex in all spheres including the international ones so that separation is the norm in that respect. It is also easier for the educators and those in charge to manage one sex. Just imagine on top of all the issues in schools they have to manage the interrelationships between males and females within the schools, that increases the responsibilities and therefore focus on education and discipline may compromise.

On the other hand the majority of secondary schools in the country are mixed, as well as the relatively recent international schools which also produce well rounded and socially capable youth who end up in the upper echelons of the private sector, many going overseas for higher studies.

The rural secondary students usually cannot even contemplate anything other than mixed schools as that is all they know. They usually have no choice. They go to the local schools at Montessori, which are mixed, as well as the Primary and Secondary which are both mixed schools. One outstanding feature in that set up is that of those who enter university from the mixed rural schools whose results due to the preference system are generally lower than the better urban schools, produce over 70% entrants who are female. This observation is generally not one that is known.

I offer a challenge with this statistic. It implies that Secondary, O level and A level system favors women, who either are more conscientious in their studies or are more mature age for age than their male counterparts, who are able at an earlier stage to set goals and keep to them. This resulting relative immaturity of male students is not addressed at the school level, and is just generalized as the boys being less interested in studies than girls.

That however if one looks at Royal vs Visakha the two leading and largest secondary schools in the country the same cannot be said. Is it because the elite of the country both in pupils and in teachers vie to get in to those schools? Or is it that they can focus without fear of sexist rivalry to concentrate on getting the results to get to the next stage?

A disturbing trait in rural areas is girls who are very young are married off or get married one way or another, when compared with urban areas.  Is this because they get familiar with the opposite sex at an early stage to form life long liaisons?  Is it to prevent a scandal? that pushes them into marriage which in a few years ends in divorce, or at the very least an unhappy marriage, where the spouse goes overseas to avoid the problem leaving a child or children in the care of others, that further results in social problems.

It is important to grapple with the issues and find a happy medium to solve this. This problem is NOT apparent at the Urban International Schools, as they are focused, through the sacrifice of paying parents on finishing Tertiary Education. Therefore they will not be pushed into or indulge in a relationships, the consequences of which are not unfamiliar.

The fact is the ills of our education system far exceed worrying about whether we should continue with mixed schools. There is no one advocating converting the single sex schools into mixed schools as both parents, students and faculty are generally content with their performance.

Given the fact that we have mixed schools and that the majority of the students in the this country have NO choice but to attend such schools, we in the overall plan for improving the quality of education in Sri Lanka must be mindful of this dimension and make allowances to make the mixed school model work to the best advantage of the pupil, using educational tools, that enhance scholarship, competition and focus on achieving standards that produce the future generation of citizens to contribute more fully to the economic productivity of the nation.