MISTAKES YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE
Business acumen is made up of a
number of qualities. Experience is vital. Wisdom is crucial. Business sense and
customer centric are game changers. And these resources are all available from connections
with successful BYU alumni.
You may have heard the phrase
referring to learning life's lessons from the "school of hard
knocks." Just as this term implies, it can be difficult learning through
trial and error and very expensive to deal with mistakes. But every storm cloud
has a silver lining; even difficult things have value. We really can't measure
the impact of the wisdom that comes from dealing with challenges in our lives.
Nor can one value the expertise of successfully handling serious problems.
I remember taking a racquetball
class as a freshman. My instructor was an old man—or at least that was my
perspective back then. His policy was that we would play him once at the
beginning of the semester and then again at the end of the semester, so he
could evaluate how much we had improved. He was a nice old guy, and I thought
my enthusiasm and dexterity could at least give him a run for his money. I was
right about one thing...there was a lot of running, but it wasn't him that was
doing it. It was me, dashing from one corner of the court to the next to
retrieve the balls he effortlessly placed there. I couldn't seem to get ahead.
My stamina didn't hold up. And it was obvious his talent far surpassed my
desire. He beat me soundly.
Whether it's playing racquetball
in college with an elderly instructor or feeling confident in the business
world, wisdom—when it matters—comes from experience, skill, good business
sense, and applying one's relationships. Mentoring, therefore, can help.
The Alumni Mentoring Partnership
is a semi-formal group of alumni organized within a company in a specific
region or location. BYU Alumni Career Services sponsors this group of alumni
who have agreed to mentor students and employment-seeking alumni by guiding
these unemployed individuals through the application, interview process and
networking within their companies. Ideally, these mentors can also provide
guidance for recently-hired or current employees during their time at the
company.
And relationships are where BYU
Alumni Career Services really shines.
There are lessons we don't want to
learn for ourselves. It's especially at times like these when blogs, knowhow,
and mentors come in handy. All of these resources are available through ACS and
can save ambitious individuals from having to learn lessons through the school
of hard knocks.
What knowledge have you acquired
that can save others the discomfort of learning these lessons for themselves?
We are interested in your
feedback. Share your insights below.
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