Skyline University Nigeria (SUN) on Saturday, 27th March 2021, organized a ‘Changing the Gear’ Workshop for students of Lebanon and French Schools. The Workshop with the theme, “Reinventing Yourself, Career Opportunities and Leadership” was developed to encourage students to learn about the latest information and new skills about career decisions, to provide a chance for students to interact with experts from varied disciplines, as a result of their interest in certain subject areas.
The event was organized by the university’s Director of Academic Support Services, Ms. Sarada Maganti and featured three faculty members of the university. The first presentation was made by Mr. Abubakar Sadiq, a Graduate Assistant of the Department of Chemistry who spoke on ‘Reinventing Yourself’. The second presentation was made by Ms. Jyoti Rajwar, a Lecturer in the Department of Microbiology, who spoke on ‘Career Choices’. The third presentation was on ‘Youth Leadership’ by Mr. Farid Illo, a Lecturer in the Department of International Relations.
In his presentation at the event, Mr. Sadiq stated that learning new skills and adapting to new situations, is key to both professional and personal success. “The ability to adjust, evolve, develop skills, and embrace change as we progress through life determines just how much we can achieve in life”. He added that “Reinventing yourself means diving into a new and improved version of yourself”.
Delivering his presentation, ‘Youth Leadership’, Mr. Farid stated that the ability to inspire and motivate others, to communicate effectively, to take initiative, to make plans and execute them is first developed in self-leadership, which is what youth leadership is all about. He stated that self-leadership becomes the purpose of youth leadership because it creates the opportunity for people to develop, to learn certain skills in communication, decision making, team building, etc.
Ms. Jyoti, outlined the difference between occupation, profession and career. She defined occupation as anything that is keeping one occupied. She stated that an occupation in which one is being paid is known as a profession. In her explanation of career, she said career is a profession where you have a growth plan. These different subjects according to her, are essential to gaining relevant skills and expertise important in the students’ journey to success.
Earlier, while giving her opening remarks, Ms. Maganti stated that the workshop is aimed to empower the visiting students with the necessary tools to enable them make the best career decisions. In her words, “at every stage of life, you can find the right career opportunities for your self-development and progress”. She appreciated the facilitators for a wonderful presentation as well as the students of the visiting school for making the event interactive.