Networks determine your net worth

Makerere University has set February 21-24 of for her 67th graduation. Over 10,000 students will graduate with different qualifications. However, what remains to ask is whether the graduates are well-equipped to confront life challenges after university education.
It is easier to find a graduate with skills in ICT, accounting and record management but without networking skills. This implies that whereas the knowledge skills are essential in our lives, networking skills too are equally important.

Networking facilitates information sharing, access to opportunities and creates unity among social groupings. Tasking graduates to network should therefore be the take home message during this year’s graduation ceremonies.
Knowing that your networks determine your net worth, graduates must heavily invest in building constructive networks.
Today’s labour market is very dynamic and qualifications alone cannot guarantee one employment. There are other factors such as social networking that come into play for one to secure employment.

This also applies to continuing university students, reading alone to have a first class or second upper degree doesn’t mean one will be successful than those with lower grades. I know of three university graduates that decided to start up an IT consultancy firm last year. Their business has steadily grown and while I asked one of them, the magic behind the sporadic growth, he revealed that its through networking that their firm has managed to secure her clientele.
Sometimes identifying like-minded persons is crucial in developing ones’ career though it should not limit people from connecting with those outside their professional circles.

My university professor once cracked a joke that our class alone could make the next government in power with each one of us serving in a different portfolio. He, however, added that usually after university, people tend to lose contact with one another which at times limit on their exposure to prevailing opportunities.
On that note, we should somehow put the blame on our education system that puts much emphasis on teaching students to pass exams and leave out other compounding skills such as networking, communication and resource mobilisation.
The increasing use of social media presents profound opportunities for graduates to keep in touch.

Badru Walu,
[email protected]