Read this before you set off to university!

To my dear mentees/customers from the past year at Gradvine,

We are proud of the results you have accomplished. You have taken a giant leap in your careers and the next few years of your life are going to be filled with learning, growth, transformation and excitement at the elite universities you have made it to. Things are going to be different, however, in an environment that is quite a contrast to what you’ve been used to and one that comes with set expectations which will become a norm. Here is the final bit of advice from the team before you head off on your respective journeys. This isn’t a complaint and is certainly not a general observation of every single candidate. We have had several candidates who already have the requisite qualities that made us want to build lasting connections (A sentiment you would want to create with the majority of your professional connections). However, there are certain aspects that you need to change to grow as a professional during university and beyond. Please treat this as a piece of advice and not criticism. Take it positively because we mean well. When you enter elite universities, you are a representative of your upbringing, your country and most importantly of your personal brand. Keep these points in mind and you will reach your true potential. 

Respect people’s time. If you have a call or meeting at 4:30, calling at 4:45 is NOT ok. Texting at 5 checking if the person is still free is certainly not. (We’ve seen this a lot.) We accommodated it, but rest assured no one else will. Be on time or early no matter what the occasion/agenda. Be it a project discussion or an appointment with career services.

Address people appropriately. You will be emailing and messaging a lot of people who you don’t know. Using their first name is absolutely fine. But please don’t call them “Bro” or “Bud” or “Man”. You might build a relationship with them that allows this in time but don’t do this during your first conversation. We’ve had too many conversations where the means of addressing a person was inappropriate and the time to make this simple correction is now. 

Give people context when you are asking something of them. Tell them who you are, what you do and why you think they can help you. Tell them you appreciate the fact that they are taking time out to answer you. Don’t simply pose a question and demand an answer. You aren’t entitled to anyone’s time. When you are polite, provide context and request a reply, people tend to oblige a lot more. I’ve seen this a lot on LinkedIn and the tone and context you set make a massive difference. 

Communicate confidently. Applications processes were stressful. You want to be sure and hence you had doubts. But some of the queries we received reflected a shocking lack of confidence and independence. You are on your own abroad and no one will spoon-feed you information anymore. If are unsure communicate the same to the authority in question and you will get an answer. For instance, we had multiple queries where we were asked to proof-read emails asking for the most basic information such as deadline dates. This should never be the case and you should be certain of your email writing skills at the very least before leaving. 

Network effectively. Networking doesn’t mean spamming your resume to people’s inboxes. You have to build relationships and a personal brand. Talk about what you are learning in class today. What excites you about an emerging technology or the latest big merger? Does a professor inspire you or have you collaborated with your team to overcome a major barrier during your Summer project? Keep putting out content that shows your evolution and minor triumphs. Engage with people and their posts and that is how you build connections. You never know who will notice you while you do this and your next referral could be from a person you engaged in this manner. 

Give back and help. When you are an applicant, you turn to a current student for advice. When you are a student at a top university you look to a graduate working at your dream company. Every person at every stage in his/her career can add value to those who aspire to reach the same stage. Take time out and give back to those who are genuine, polite and could do with your help. I’ve mentioned personal branding. Giving back can help you build a massive brand.