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A Visit to 5 of Patagonia’s Most Remote Schoolhouses

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A Visit to 5 of Patagonia’s Most Remote Schoolhouses

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with travel restrictions in place worldwide, we launched a new series — The World Through a Lens — in which photojournalists help transport you, virtually, to some of our planet’s most beautiful and intriguing places. This week, Andria Hautamaki shares a collection of images from rural Patagonia.

Known for its soaring, glacier-capped Andean peaks and its labyrinth of fjords, Magallanes — in southernmost Patagonia — is Chile’s largest but second least populated region. Daily existence here requires tenacity and resilience, and community life within the isolated villages is facilitated in part by an unlikely source: a network of rural schools.

Last year, more than 275,000 Chilean students attended one of the country’s rural schools. Half of these schools were led by a sole teacher who instructed multiple grade levels inside a single room. Many of the schools also include gymnasiums, libraries, cafeterias or computer rooms — resources that benefit the broader community.

After coordinating with local educational authorities and teachers, and with the blessing of the students’ parents and guardians, I spent over a month last year traveling to five such schools.

The areas I visited exemplify the diversity of lifestyle found in the remote corners of Chilean Patagonia. Some of the communities rely on ranching or peat extraction, some on fishing, some on tourism. Many of the schools themselves are off-the-grid, powered by a combination of diesel generators and wind or solar energy. When winter temperatures dip below freezing, gravity-fed water systems and water pipes can ice over for days or even weeks. Wood-burning stoves heat many of the classrooms.

Getting to these areas can be an arduous undertaking. Villa Puerto Edén, for example, a remote hamlet on Wellington Island, was a 27-hour trip from the mainland. Because of the staggered schedule of the ferry, I had to wait ten days to catch the next boat out.

Reaching Pampa Guanaco, a hamlet on the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, also required a ferry ride — in addition to a three-hour drive on a gravel road. At the end of my stay, when it came time to return to mainland Chile, the port had closed because of high winds. I was left stranded on a blustery shore, surrounded by white-capped waves. Several hours later, the wind let up just enough for the ferry to resume crossing the Strait of Magellan.

Classroom instruction in these rural communities is provided from preschool through eighth grade. After eighth grade, students must relocate during the school year to the closest city, which could be hours, or days away. There, they often live with either a parent or extended family, or even a host family, in order to attend high school.

Cynthia Almonacid Molinet, who is 36, teaches 11 students — representing six distinct grade levels — at a school in Cerro Guido.

The school sits on a livestock ranch in view of Torres del Paine National Park and is often surrounded by gauchos on horseback. Classroom instruction is sometimes interrupted by the pattering of hooves from passing flocks of woolly sheep.

One of the many advantages of the rural educational environment “is being able to study the parts of a plant and then being able to go out into the environment to find concrete examples in nature,” Ms. Almonacid said.

But working in small, isolated communities is also uniquely demanding. “Teachers who are in rural schools must enjoy living in extreme areas,” Ms. Almonacid said, adding that the management of multigrade classrooms — with students at a variety of levels and abilities — is a constant struggle.

The coronavirus pandemic has upended educational routines all around the globe, and many schools in Chile have pivoted to remote learning. But rural Chilean schools face particularly difficult challenges now, not the least of which is the lack of consistent internet and telecommunication networks.

“Not all students have access to the internet, a computer or a telephone,” Ms. Almonacid said. “And parents, due to limited schooling, find it difficult to help their children with their homework.”

Enrollment in schools here fluctuates from year to year — as students graduate, or as families come or go. But rural schools continue to serve aspiring marine biologists, artisan boat builders, bilingual tour guides and veterinarians. And despite the difficulties introduced by the coronavirus pandemic, these students’ professional dreams will continue to be kindled by daily contact with the natural world, coupled with the freedom to embrace curiosity and creative problem-solving.

The Future of Work and E-Learning

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The Future of Work and E-Learning

The future of work.  It’s being pushed out everywhere you turn. How COVID19 will speed up the future of work.  How COVID19 is changing the future of work. How the future of work is a digital one, which is the next industrial revolution.

You hear about companies applying the future of work, by allowing some of their employees to work from home.  I note some, because I have yet to find a company who allows their blue-collar workforce to work from home.  Work in a warehouse?  There isn’t a future of work for you, we need you on the floor.  Ready to adapt to the digital age of working? Sorry, you are a factory worker, digital age of the next industrial revolution doesn’t apply to you.

Rural economies will miss out on this future of work, because as it stands today, it isn’t applicable to these places.   Internet connectivity is usually non-existent, and the skills needed aren’t necessarily the same ones, okay, most of the time, just aren’t – the ones pushed by the corporate world.

When the future of work is talked about though, in the corporate world, where is the mentioning of learning?  The Future of Work’s transformation must be integrated with learning and training, and if FOW is in the new digital age, then that said learning and training, will come from e-learning (aka as online learning).

If we are to say that the success of Future of Work is based on skills development, which is another component associated with Future of Work, then all companies, regardless of size, location and so forth must say they are committed 100% to skills development, which even today, is not across the board. 

For example, if you are offering only compliance and regulatory content to your workforce, that is not a form of skills development. Rather it is a protective form to avoid being sued if something happens.  I can’t think of anyone who says, “By taking this compliance course,” I have acquired a new skill that will help me grow as a person and provide me with personal development.”  Nor have I heard of any prospective employer ask someone if their skills included taking compliance courses. 

Future of Work Points

You do not need to search for a data point to know that the Future of Work isn’t being utilized for blue collar workers. After all, how many of your employees for example, who are in blue-collar jobs have the same opportunities as those that worked in the office (pre-COVID)?  How many had the same learning content opportunities as though who were not working out in the field, or on the factory or warehouse floor?

How many leadership development courses/content was offered to your blue-collar workforce?  Better yet, how many of your employees were provided the same option to move from their factor job, for example, to say working in the office?  How many of those career paths that are pushed heavily with skills development as a cornerstone, are available to those in the warehouse, factory or similar?

Does the Future of Work apply to them as equals? 

From my perspective it does not.  Nor does it apply when a learning system or a skills development platform or coaching platform is utilized by the majority of companies.  I’ve never heard of someone at any of these vendors mention blue-collar when discussing job roles based on skills. 

Thus, how could we honestly say the Future of Work, this new digital industrial revolution applies to everyone?

I won’t even go into those individuals who do not have access to the internet, or can afford to do so. That is another issue that must be resolved.

Rather, let’s tap into this Future of Work, which again, to deliver will need the success of Online learning at all companies, businesses, even shall I say it – governments too.

I have seen a few articles mention the phrase “low skilled workers” and I can’t decide whether that phrase is better suited to use than say, ‘blue-collar’. 

Part Time or Full-Time Impact in job roles that are not associated

When you think of all those folks who work part-time or work in retail or hospitality in various roles, that will be impacted (and for the most part still are being impacted), due to COVID19 and thereafter, they will need continued skill development.  Would you place them under upskilling? Re-skilling?  Secondly, are they “low-skilled” or “mid-skilled” or “highly-skilled”?

With the Future of Work, those individuals are left out in the cold.  Disposable and not a word I take lightly, would seem to be the “hidden” word behind this digital age of the Future of Work – which is again, heavily pushed with in the office workforce.  

Where then is the Future of Learning to jump start this Future of Work?  Where is the entire plan for skill development within online learning?  What is the content that will be provided to all workforce for said skill development?  As of today, that content is skewed to office workforce, as mentioned earlier, not on the floor in a factory, warehouse, in the field and so forth.

Skills Development

Every time I see re-skilling coming out of a CEO’s mouth or some Government spokesperson I cringe.  Re-skilling is a nice soundbite, but it is rarely done.  Millions of people are out of work, where may I ask, are the re-skillling opportunities for them?  If they have the net and can access say a learning system, where are the entities – I’m talking to the Governments here – providing them free access to various content on new job roles and skills? I’m not talking about MOOCs here or how to learn to play the piano via GreatCourses Online or Masterclass. 

I’m talking about asynchronous based learning, with content providers who are known for creating exemplary courses (regardless of format) on various skills?  If I have an interest in learning how to code, but in my last role I was a cashier, where do I go to learn this?  Who will be willing to provide me this free access, this free option to do so?  Who will provide me the content – which needs to be asynchronous, interactive and engaging?

I can tell you today, it isn’t any government entity out there, definitely not in the U.S. or U.K. for that matter. 

Even in pre-COVID there were very few training centers set up by states or governments, where someone who has lost their job, could go in, and learn a variety of skills that are not low paying.   One that did exist was in Appalachia, which is an area in the U.S. with an extremely high rate of poverty, and with a vast workforce that worked in the mines.

It offered re-skilling and those who took up the opportunities, were offered courses such as coding.  Funding dried up, they couldn’t stay open with said funding, and it shuttered.

Re-skilling in the office workforce is questionable, even in today’s new business world. I would love to know how many companies who laid off their employees, continue to offer them free access to their learning system, to take any content they so choose, that is personal and professional development (assuming they have that) and/or job related. 

Upskilling for a Few

Skills development should be on-going and based on the interest of the learner, and yes equally on the employer, if said employer can guarantee that by taking those required courses for upskilling will lead to something.  Maybe a raise or more job responsibilities or for companies who offer the ability for people at the company to apply for internal jobs, in other departments to do so.  And have the same chance as anyone else.  The latter statement isn’t always the case.

I am a huge supporter of skills development because really what is being said, without it being said, is on-going learning and acquiring of knowledge.  Skills just sounds so better especially when mentioned with workforce.  But to acquire skills requires you to learn in a method you prefer, and in our case, it is e-learning – with options being courses, video content, audio content, e-books, etc. 

Upskilling is a nifty term, but I’d argue that not everyone gets the same opportunities.  It’s a pie in the sky term, IMO.  I am interested in AR but work in IT.  My manager assigns me content around IT.  I am not offered the availability of AR content, let alone anything else besides my job role. 

If I work in IT in networking for example, but would love to take some courses in programming, will I be able to do so?  My manager is the one making that decision, not me.  Would I consider it being upskilling if I am taking more courses in networking, because I work in networking?  Isn’t there a chance I may want to learn something other than only networking?  If I am interested, why can’t I?

Upsklling to me is a way to broaden the horizon.  To acquire new knowledge based on my interests, which will in turn increase retention, comprehension and synthesis, than something I have zero interest in. Upskilling at many companies though is used under the guise that by “up-skilling” this employee they are on the road to management or further opportunities at the company.  But is it?

If I am an executive assistant, am I being offered up-skilling, so that I may desire to switch to a different job role or place at the company?  Am I being provided on-going skills development, not just for my role, but to expand my skillsets on other interests?

I know that if I am selected for leadership development, then I will definitely be provided more up-skilling than say someone whom the manager seems as going nowhere in the company. 

All this may seem inconsequential or non-applicable in today’s business world, but let me say, unequivocally it is more relevant than ever before.

This is a part of the Future of Work. 

Learning Technology

The future of learning (online learning to be percise) is evolving.  Skill ratings were unheard of in the learning system space, five years ago.  Heck, Degreed were the first ones to offer skills ratings by the employee (end-user/learner).  They were the first to allow managers to change the ratings too.

Others have caught up, and some have surpassed, but skill development in the learning system space, can thank the LXP vendors (As a whole, because a lot did not) as the leaders in it.

It is worth noting that the term LXP is starting to change. More vendors in that space, now refer to themselves in some other manner, digital learning platform, learning platform. lifelong learning are just a few.  I could easily see someone tapping into the skills evolution moniker as part of their messaging, with Future of work not far behind it.

The concern though is that if you say that will it apply to customer training/education or B2C?  The jury in this case is still out, hence the push more on skills evolution, seems applicable.

VR technology is noted lately with skills development since the majority of the workforce (depending on your job role) is at home.  The problem though is you need to buy that darn headset, which if you are struggling to pay rent, or have food on the table, a $400 headset is not even remotely a priority, not should it be.

For the future of learning/training to succeed in skills development it will require two very important components

a. Content – OMG.  This is the #1 item here.  And not just content, good and above with interactivity and engagement front and center.  Reading a PDF or a taking a course that is all text with some pictures or a couple of hot spots, does not constitute interactivity.  Vendors who create real-world (as in TODAY, not six months ago) applications – real-life business environments experienced today are the ones that will lead the market in the long run. If your previous role was working in your cubicle on whatever in the office, and the content you see today, mimics that day in the office, it is no longer applicable – because you are no longer in the office.  Remote working content is one thing, but it is not skills development – not for a future job role, not for interest in acquiring new skills related or non-related to my role.

b. Adaptability of your learning system.  In 2019, I mentioned that 2020 would be the year of the hub, and guess what – it is.  But with COVID19, you must embrace adaptability of your system.  I and pretty much every reader knows this, is a huge fan of an ecosystem where everything comes with it (excluding HCM and/or performance for example), and If I am not using X, I just turn it off.  Then down the road, I can turn it on.  Maybe I was heavily using classroom management (for ILT), but was fortunate to have a system that has robust features for vILT.  With the virus, ILT is out the window, vILT is the norm, and so I was able to transition quickly without an issue.

What if however, I didn’t buy a system, that had vILT, because I was only doing classroom management?  What am I to do know? 

The future of work necessitates the need for the adaptability of your learning system or systems.  If you say, we offer customer training and employee training, and thus we need two systems – I say poppycock.  You buy a multi-tenant learning system with e-commerce (and plenty exist), and on the parent you go employee, child – customer or vice versa.  Cost savings? Huge.  Eliminates problems? YES.

Applies to the future of work?  Absolutely.

Bottom Line

I am not a naysayer of the Future of Work, rather I am a believer that it cannot be a phrase that can stand on its own, as the “all-is” when it must include e-learning (online learning) as a key piece.  Upskilling and re-skilling are nice sounding, but skills development is more suited.

Scratch that.

Skills Evolution.

E-Learning 24/7

Bonus – One on One with Karl Mehta, CEO of EdCast and Chris McCarthy, CEO of Degreed.

I am launching my new webinar series, One on One in just three weeks, with two outstanding sessions, with two leaders in the learning system industry.

August 18th, One on One with Karl Mehta, CEO of EdCast. We will be discussing the evolution of skills with the Future of Work, integration of learning systems with MS Teams and Office 365, and the new business environment.  100% FREE. 

August 25th, One on One with Chris McCarthy, CEO of Degreed.  We will be covering the Future of Work in the COVID19 world, tied to the digital journey of learning. Skills evolution and the future of e-learning will be also discussed.  100% FREE. 

 

 

 

More than 1.6 million learners around the world benefit from partner contributions in Coursera’s response to the pandemic

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More than 1.6 million learners around the world benefit from partner contributions in Coursera’s response to the pandemic
Photo courtesy of Gies College of Business at Illinois

By Betty Vandenbosch, Chief Content Officer, Coursera

COVID-19 continues to remain a global health crisis, disrupting on-campus learning, driving widespread unemployment, and leaving many searching for answers about the virus itself. Amid the uncertainty, I’m honored to be able to support Coursera’s partner community as it has come together to serve the world through learning as part of our Coronavirus Response Initiatives. 

In mid-March, just as the pandemic was beginning to affect university campuses around the world, we launched the Campus Response Initiative with our partners, providing every university in the world with free access to our course catalog through Coursera for Campus. Since launch, we’ve already activated more than 10,000 programs for colleges and universities, reaching more than 1.4 million students.  

To help governments recover from the unprecedented unemployment caused by COVID-19, we launched the Workforce Recovery Initiative in late April. The program enables governments worldwide to provide unemployed workers with free access to our course catalog, helping them develop the knowledge and skills needed to become re-employed quickly. We have already activated more than 220 programs for governments across 70+ countries and 25 US states.  Combined, these programs have benefited more than 200,000 learners. 

These initiatives would not have been possible without the leadership of our partners and their deep commitment to creating top-quality content to reach millions of learners. 

Many partners responded to the challenge with additional actions to support our community of learners during this time. Some highlights:

  • Just as the pandemic began to gain traction in February, Duke University shut down its Duke Kunshan campus in China and created a fully digital experience for nearly 600 students within just three weeks. They moved in-person instruction online and offered students free access to online learning through Coursera — ultimately inspiring our Campus Response Initiative. 
  • As communities in China began to shut down, the University of Michigan School of Information began offering three of its most popular data science Specializations for just $1 a month for learners in China. Since its launch on February 20, there have been nearly 14,000 enrollments from learners in China.
  • To help combat misinformation about the novel coronavirus, Imperial College London, one of the institutions leading the global response to COVID-19, launched a free course in February about the science behind the outbreak in record time. Science Matters: Let’s Talk About COVID-19 is taught directly by world-renowned experts and has been updated as the pandemic progresses and as new insights emerge. More than 125,000 learners have enrolled in the course. 
  • As governments formed plans to limit the spread of the virus, the need for public health training at scale became clear. On May 11, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with Bloomberg Philanthropies launched a free course on Coursera, COVID-19 Contact Tracing, to help states expand their contact tracing capacity by training thousands of contact tracers. The course has also been translated into Spanish and Portuguese to help international governments increase contact tracing efforts. Since May, more than 580,000 learners have enrolled in the course, and more than 240,000 have completed it. This week, Johns Hopkins and Bloomberg Philanthropies launched another free course, Measuring and Maximizing Impact of COVID-19 Contact Tracing, to help public health officials implement and measure the effectiveness of contact tracing programs.   
  • With shutdowns and increased demand for high-priority products, the supply chain has taken a hit during the pandemic, causing many businesses to scramble to maintain operations. In June, the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business introduced a new course, Managing Supply Chain Disruption During COVID-19, to help business professionals prepare for and manage possible disruptions. 
  • Historic job loss during COVID-19 has driven people to online learning to reskill and prepare for post-pandemic careers. To help job-seekers in this uncertain climate, Google recently announced three upcoming Professional Certificates on Coursera in the high-growth fields of Project Management, Data Analytics, and User Experience (UX) Design. They will also be providing 100,000 need-based scholarships to provide access to these programs for the people who are most affected by the current unemployment crisis.
  • Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are still working to understand COVID-19 and treat patients effectively. This month, Stanford University launched COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers to help provide healthcare professionals with a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill.

Our 200+ university and industry partners are central to Coursera’s mission of transforming lives through high-quality learning. While our work is far from over, I’m so proud of how our partners have gone above and beyond during this critical time by providing knowledge and resources to help tackle the pandemic and its impact on our way of life.

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Summer Reading Contest Week 7: What Got Your Attention in The Times This Week?

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Summer Reading Contest Week 7: What Got Your Attention in The Times This Week?

Welcome to the seventh week of our 11th Annual Summer Reading Contest!

This contest is open to students 13-19 from anywhere in the world. To participate, submit a response by 9 a.m. Eastern on July 31 that answers the questions “What got your attention in The Times this week? Why?”

If you are 13 or older and live in the United States, or 16 or older from anywhere else in the world, post your response in the comment section. If you are 13-15 and live in another country, see the bottom of this post for details on how to submit.

Responses must be 1500 characters or fewer.

What should you choose? Well, as you know from the rules we’ve posted, you can pick anything published on NYTimes.com in 2019 or 2020, including articles, essays, Op-Eds, videos, photos, podcasts or infographics.

So what did you read, watch or listen to this week?

We hope you’ll click around NYTimes.com and find your own great articles, features and multimedia. But we also know that not everyone who participates has a Times subscription. Because all links to Times content from the student features on our site are free, every week we’ll try to help by posting interesting pieces from a variety of sections.

50 Nights of Unrest in Portland

The Problem With ‘Anti-Racist’ Movie Lists

How to Reopen the Economy Without Killing Teachers and Parents

After 50 Years, Sanitation Workers Still Fight for Dignity

Should We Cancel Aristotle?

Op-Art | I Am Stuck Between Two Lives During This Pandemic

The Latest in School Segregation: Private Pandemic ‘Pods’

How to Actually Talk to Anti-Maskers

Where an American Passport Doesn’t Work: The World, and Irish Pubs

Whatever caught your eye, tell us about it.

Need more details? The contest rules are all here, and you can read the work of last year’s winners here. A quick overview, though:

  • You can choose from anything published in the print paper or on NYTimes.com in 2019 or 2020, including videos, podcasts, graphics and photographs. (In your response, please include the URL or headline of the piece you pick.)

  • We’ll post this question each Friday from today through Aug. 14, and you’ll have until the next Friday morning to respond with your picks. Then we’ll close that post and open a new one with the same question.

  • We’ll choose at least one favorite answer to feature on our site each week. Winners from this week will be announced on Aug. 11.

  • Feel free to participate each week, but we allow only one submission per person per week.

  • The contest is open to students ages 13 to 19 from anywhere in the world. If you are 16 or older from anywhere in the world, you can post your response in the comments section. If you are between the ages of 13 and 15 and live outside the United States, use the form below to submit your entry. All entries from the comments section and the form below will be judged together.

The Biggest Employment Industries in Nigeria

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The Biggest Employment Industries in Nigeria

In Nigeria, it’s possible to get a good salary in any sector but some industries offer lucrative salary and exceptional benefits more than others. So, which Nigerian industries are the best to work for? Which sector has the most job openings? How can a job seeker improve his or her chances of getting into one of these industries? These questions and many more will be answered in this article.

In this guide, you will discover what the biggest employing industries in Nigeria are, and what future job opportunities you can have in these industries if you study certain courses in the university or acquire certain skills. These industries are ranked based on workers’ reviews, corporate cultures, conducive workplaces, work-life balance, and excellent salary structures and benefits, among other factors.

Also, we’ve included links to some of our online courses alongside each industry for people who want to equip themselves with the right skills and certification.

Oil and Gas Industry

What is Oil and Gas?

Also known as the petroleum industry, the oil and gas industry involves the processes of exploring and, extracting hydrocarbons, and refining and selling them as petroleum products. Accounting for almost 70% of total revenue to the government, the oil and gas industry is one of the best and most sought-after employment sectors in Nigeria.

With more than 40 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa and many job seekers dream of launching and securing a career, not just landing a job in its oil and gas industry. Employers within this industry are willing to invest in transformative programs and evolve, as well as pushing the boundaries of innovation to make their workplaces better for their employees.

Choosing a career in the Oil and Gas Industry

The Nigerian oil and gas industry is a big sector that offers exciting career opportunities for both technical and non-technical professionals. Some of the diverse career paths that can be found in the petroleum industry include drilling engineering, energy engineering, petroleum engineering, geology, geochemistry, mud logging, petroleum economics, and much more. Some of the biggest players and employers of labor in the Nigerian oil and gas industry include Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, Total, and more.

Get acquainted with the petroleum industry and discover how you can start a career in the sector with these courses.

Explore Our Engineering Courses

Explore Geology Courses

 

Agriculture Industry

What is Agriculture?

Agriculture in Nigeria is the practice of cultivating the lands and rearing livestock for food and commercial purposes. According to a World Bank survey, the agriculture sector is the largest employer of labor and income-generating activity in Nigeria.

The majority of people in the Nigerian agriculture industry mainly produce and process cash crops such as cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, rubber, and more. They also raise animals like cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and fish for their commercial values.

Even though Nigeria is highly dependent on its oil and gas industry, agriculture still generates a significant portion of its revenue, providing 25% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and accounting for about 70% of its labor force. Agriculture is an important contributor to the lives of all Nigerians. It feeds them and helps grow the economy.

Choosing a Career in the Agriculture Industry

A career in agriculture and farm jobs in Nigeria are both fulfilling and very lucrative. Working conditions in the Nigerian agriculture industry can vary from being in a farm growing crops commercially to working as an agricultural engineer for equipment and machinery manufacturers. 

Gain a better understanding of the agriculture sector with these courses.

Explore Agriculture Courses

 

Banking Industry

What Is Banking?

Banking is the business activity of accepting deposits, issuing loans, and providing financial transactions to individuals and entities. Despite its economic challenges, Nigeria has a robust banking industry that contributes 2.5% of its GDP and currently employs more than 100,000 workers.

A major bank consolidation exercise was carried out by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2005 to position the Nigerian banking sector for socio-economic growth. The exercise, which saw the number of banks reduced from 100 to fewer than 30 has significantly improved the performance of the banking industry. Since the consolidation, bank staff strength has grown remarkably and a lot of financial institutions have improved the quality of their assets.

Choosing a Career in the Banking Industry

If you are interested in money management and have an understanding of financial transaction processes, then choosing a career in banking could be a smart move. Being one of the biggest employers of labor in the country, a lot of Nigerian graduates take up jobs in the banking sector. Most bankers in Nigeria have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Learn more about the world of banking with these courses.

Explore Finance and Accounting Courses

 

Healthcare Industry

What is Healthcare?

Healthcare is the practice of providing organised medical care to improve the well-being of individuals or a community. The healthcare sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in Nigeria. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria has one of the largest human resources for health in Africa. However, the health workforce density is estimated at 1 medical doctor per 2753 population, placing an overwhelming burden on the healthcare system.

A lot of Nigerians aspire to launch their successful careers in the lucrative healthcare sector. From blue-collar professional roles to administrative roles, to white-collar professionals like doctors and nurses, skilled talents are in high demand in the Nigerian healthcare sector.

Choosing a Career in the Healthcare Industry

The roles that are in demand in the Nigerian healthcare sector span a variety of fields. Regardless of where your professional strength lies, you can put your skills to good use in the healthcare sector. With about 74,000 doctors and just above 180,000 registered nurses, the Nigerian healthcare sector needs more professionals. Even though it takes long years of education and hard work to become a professional in the health sector, the rewards are well worth it.

Discover the world of healthcare and take the first steps towards starting your career with these courses.

Explore Healthcare and Medicine Courses

 

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry

What is ICT?

ICT involves using devices, networking infrastructure and components, software applications, and systems to interact digitally. ICT professionals support, design, and create electronic information systems using the Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other mediums. The ICT sector also remains one of the fastest-growing in Nigeria and professionals of all stripes are hired all the time. 

As an important non-oil economic growth driver, the ICT sector contributed 13.04% to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019. The digital world in Nigeria is an evolving sector that has empowered a lot of citizens economically and the industry regulators are putting more effort towards increasing broadband penetration to improve ICT’s contribution to the nation’s economic growth. Airtel, Globacom, 9mobile, and MTN are some of the top telecommunications companies in Nigeria.

Choosing a Career in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry

As digital technology continues to disrupt the traditional ways business of doing business in Nigeria, career opportunities abound in the sector for professionals in a wide variety of fields within the industry. Some of the top job titles that are most in-demand within the Nigerian ICT industry include software engineering, telecommunications engineering, network engineering, project management, sales representatives, customer care representatives, and more.

Discover how to write computer codes and learn other important skills, and take your first steps towards starting a career in the ICT world with these courses.

Explore Software Engineering Courses

Explore Project Management Courses

 

Entertainment Industry

What is Entertainment?

Entertainment involves creating activities that provide amusement and give pleasure. The entertainment industry in Nigeria has blossomed over the last few years and enjoyed impressive global recognition. The Nigerian Film Industry (Nollywood), the major player in the entertainment sector is globally recognised as the second largest film producer in the world. The entertainment Industry through the works of Nollywood is one of the key drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth, contributing about 1% to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually.

In 2013 actress and producer, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde was recognised as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, alongside Michele Obama, Beyonce, Kate Middleton, and the Chinese tennis star, Li Na. Also, Nigerian singer, Burna Boy earned himself a Grammy nomination in 2019 as a result of his great contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry. The multilingual nature of Nigeria is one of the reasons for the massive success of the entertainment industry as films are acted and produced in English, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and other local languages.

Choosing a Career in the Entertainment Industry

With more than 1 million people currently employed in it, the entertainment industry is rated the second largest employer of labor in Nigeria after agriculture. Most of the actors, producers, and directors earn payout and salaries that are much higher than the national average. Even though there are millions of people already working in the Nigerian entertainment industry, there are rooms for more. An innate creative ability and an outgoing personality can help you succeed in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Discover the world of entertainment and how you can start your career with these courses.

Explore Creative Arts Courses

 

Utility Industry

What is Utility?

The utility industry is the sector that provides basic services and maintains infrastructures for economic and social growth. The utility industry in Nigeria, which encompasses companies that generate and distribute electricity and water has exhibited moderate and largely steady growth in the last 6 years. The dominant force in the utility industry is the power sector, which currently generates just above 12,500 MW of electricity to power the nation’s economy.

Electricity demand in Nigeria has increased organically due to the increasing population and industrialisation. The current power generation capacity of Nigeria is much lower than what the population needs, living about 20 million households without electricity.

Choosing a Career in the Utility Industry

Even though the Nigerian power sector is underperforming, it currently employs thousands of people, making it one of the biggest employers of labor in Nigeria. There are various electricity generation and distribution companies that employ job seekers in Nigeria. The state water corporations also employ thousands of people. There are rooms for electrical engineers, technicians, human resource experts, accountants, and much more in this sector.

Take your first steps into the utility industry with these courses.

Electrical Engineering Course

Explore Human Resources Courses

 

Real Estate Industry

What is Real Estate?

Real estate is an entity consisting of lands and buildings. The real estate sector is the 5th biggest contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) and one of the largest employers of labor in the country. The real estate market contributed about 6.4% percent of the nation’s GDP in the second quarter of 2019. Over the years the real estate sector in Nigeria has struggled to maintain steady growth despite its immense potentials.

The industry contracted by 2.31% in 2019 but efforts are being made to maximise its full potential to the benefits of the nation. Despite the challenges in this sector, thousands of real estate companies spring up all over the country annually and they offer job channels for Nigeria’s teeming unemployed persons.

Choosing a Career in the Real Estate Industry

The Nigerian real estate market is expanding fast, and due to its versatility, there are many options for individuals to have great careers and businesses to make profits. The real estate sector offers different ways to make money and a wide variety of career paths including real estate management, property management, land acquisition, architecture, real estate legal services, construction, and more.

Discover the world of real estate with this course.

Real Estate Course

 

50 of the biggest social media questions answered

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50 of the biggest social media questions answered

Social media has come a long way over the last twenty years. From humble beginnings, it’s now something that plays a significant role in most of our lives. Given how prevalent it is, we’ve decided to look at some social media FAQs and their answers. 

Social media platforms are run by huge corporations that influence global trends and politics. With this power, questions are raised about our wellbeing, privacy, and how we’re marketed towards. We address these issues, as well as what the future of social media may hold.

General social media FAQs

Let’s start our list of social media FAQs with some of the general questions that people often ask. If you’re new to the world of social media, these can help you figure out exactly what it is, how individuals and companies use it, and how you can get involved:

What is social media?

Social media is quite a broad term, covering quite a few different topics. However, a simple explanation is that social media platforms are web-based tools that allow users to connect, interact, and create, share and consume content. Through apps on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and PCs, social media enables us to build online relationships and exchange media.

How long has social media been around?

There are various theories on this. In terms of pre-internet days, there is an argument that social media has been around for around 40 years. Yet if we’re taking it purely as a medium that exists online, then this number is more like 24 years. After all, the internet itself is only just about 30 years old.

What was the first social media platform?

Again, this isn’t an easy one to answer. Some suggest that the Usenet, a precursor to internet forums, kicked off social media in 1979. Others argue that the first true social media site as we understand it today was Six Degrees. This 1997 website allowed users to create a profile, make friends, and share messages. For current platforms, LinkedIn and Facebook, two of the oldest sites still around, launched in 2002 and 2004, respectively. 

How many people use social media? 

This is one of the most popular social media FAQs, and for good reason. According to figures from Statista, nearly 50% of the world’s population uses social media. Data from 2020 shows that 3.81 billion people use some form of social network. When you consider that there are just over 4.5 billion internet users, this is a staggeringly large proportion. 

What are the top 10 social media apps? 

As we explored in our post on the top 10 social media apps, this is a hard question to answer. There are so many metrics we could use, particularly given the ways different countries approach social media. However, based on the number of users worldwide, Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp make up the top three sites. 

What is social media used for?

Social media has gone beyond just connecting with friends. It’s now an industry in itself, used for all kinds of purposes. Social platforms are a key part of digital marketing, as they can be used to communicate brand news and messaging. People also use them for business networking. Even fields like healthcare can make use of social media.  

Which companies own social media platforms? 

Although there are many different platforms available, many of the most popular ones are owned by the same few companies. For example, Facebook also owns Instagram and WhatsApp (as well as Oculus VR and several other businesses). Google owns YouTube and previously had its own social network, Google+. Tencent, a Chinese company, owns QQ, Qzone, and WeChat, some of the biggest platforms in Asia. 

Should I join social media? 

Sadly, we can’t answer this for everyone. However, there are some questions to ask yourself before you decide. What is it you’re hoping to get from social media? What information do you want to share? Which site, if any, is right for you? 

Social media can help you connect with others, learn about new topics, find help on certain issues, and raise awareness for worthy causes. Yet it can take up your time, risk your privacy, and have consequences for your wellbeing. You need to find balance between all of these factors if you’re considering setting up an account. 

What info do I need to join social media? 

The exact requirements differ between the various platforms out there. However, for most, you can get started with a valid email address and some of your personal information. Most sites ask for your name and date of birth. Usually, you’ll also need to verify your email and create a password.

 

 

Online wellbeing FAQs

When it comes to social media FAQs, there are often many questions asked about how it can affect people’s wellbeing. As social networks continue to play a more significant role in our lives, we must address some of the impacts of this: 

Does social media negatively impact wellbeing? 

There are few social media FAQs as important as this one, and it’s a question that’s  often hotly debated in popular media. Past studies have shown that certain platforms can have adverse effects on our wellbeing. This includes our mental health as well as our sleep.  This only highlights the importance of our overall digital wellbeing. 

How does social media affect mental health? 

Again, there have been numerous studies about social media’s effects on mental health. Although there are negative impacts, such as the increased risk of anxiety, depression, negative body image, and cyberbullying, there are also some positives (as we’ll see). However, either way, it’s important for online users to understand and take care of their mental health. 

How are young people affected by social media? 

Given that around 70% of children in the UK aged 12 to 15 have a social media account, it’s not surprising that this group comes under particular scrutiny. Again, the data doesn’t paint a particularly positive picture. Feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and poor body image are all reported among young social media users. Clearly, we need to help young people and their mental health. 

What is cyberbullying? 

Cyberbullying is a term used to describe any form of bullying behaviour that takes place online. It could be via social media or messaging apps, gaming sites, or other mediums on which people communicate online. It’s a genuine problem that affects people of all ages, particularly as internet access gives 24/7 connectivity. 

What are the positives of using social media? 

So far, we’ve outlined a fairly bleak picture of social media use, but it’s far from all bad. It gives us a chance to connect and communicate with people from all over the world, allowing us to share knowledge and feel less lonely. It’s also a medium where we can learn, ask for help, and raise awareness of important causes. Using social media is also a digital skill that can help in many areas of life.  

What is fake news? 

One of the problems often associated with social media is that of fake news. It’s a term that’s become popular in recent years, with several high-profile scandals surrounding it. Essentially, fake news stories are those articles that are either deliberately fabricated to get people to believe something, or partially untrue to attract more views. Sensationalist headlines, clickbait titles, and false statements are all hallmarks of fake news. 

How long is too long on social media? 

According to 2019 data, the average usage for social media among internet users is around 144 minutes per day. But how much is too much? It’s hard to say precisely, as there are few comprehensive studies. However, some research suggests that limiting ourselves to just 30 minutes per day could lead to improvements in wellbeing. 

How can I improve my mental wellbeing? 

If social media is getting you down, there are plenty of ways you can boost your mental and physical wellbeing. Identifying negative thought patterns, practising mindfulness, and paying attention to your diet and nutrition can all help you feel better about things.

 

 

Social media marketing FAQs

Businesses of all kinds are developing their online presence. One of the key ways of doing this is by expanding their reach on social media. It’s a tool with countless possibilities, and companies try many different tactics to sell their products and services. Here are some social media FAQs about marketing:

What is a social media manager?

Among those thinking about a career in digital marketing, this is often among the most popular social media FAQs. Social media managers work to represent their companies across social media channels. They control the official accounts for the businesses they work for, run social media marketing campaigns, and interact with customers online. 

How do companies use social media? 

There are all kinds of ways that companies can take advantage of their social presence. It’s a platform where they can promote themselves and their products and services. Similarly, they can engage with customers and provide customer service, answer questions, and build relationships. As such, digital marketing is becoming essential to all kinds of businesses. 

What are social media analytics? 

One of the main areas that companies can use social media is by looking at analytics to understand how their customers behave online. They then use this data to inform decisions and marketing activities, analysing how effective their efforts are. 

How do you run a successful social media campaign? 

If you’re wondering exactly how businesses use these platforms, our course on social media marketing campaigns gives you an insight on how to run one. It covers everything you need to know, from the planning stages, to the launch, and finally how to analyse its effectiveness. 

Why do brands use social media? 

Given how many people around the world use social media, it’s little surprise that companies are jumping on the bandwagon. What’s more, organisations such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide specific tools to help businesses market towards their customers. They’re the ideal platforms for expanding brand recognition and reaching new customers. 

How can I get a job working in social media? 

Many digital marketing roles require some knowledge of social media. As such, you’ll want to start exploring how the various platforms are used, both in a practical sense and for marketing purposes. Hands-on experience is always desirable, as is knowledge of current digital workplace trends. 

Which platforms are best for social media marketing? 

The answer to this really depends on the brand and purpose. Obviously, the more users a platform has, the more potential there is to connect with new people. That’s why platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger are useful. For B2B companies, LinkedIn is the ideal place to be, while lifestyle brands can use Instagram to great effect.  

Can I avoid social media marketing? 

Given that a significant amount of social media companies’ revenue comes from advertising, it can be hard to avoid it. They collect data on you and then use it to try and sell you things. However, it’s possible to minimise these targeted ads you see from all companies. There are no quick fixes sadly, but you can read more about how to minimise targeted ads on Privacy International. 

How can I tell if something on social media is an ad? 

Companies usually have to pay to advertise on social media channels, and they’re pretty good at making their ads look like regular posts. However, there are guidelines in place meaning that such ads have to be clearly labelled as such. So, you see things like ‘sponsored content’ on a post in your timeline. Similarly, ‘influencers’ will often post videos/posts about products they’re paid to advertise, and they have to declare if this is the case.

 

 

Online privacy FAQs

So much of our lives are now internet-based. Whether it’s our education, shopping, entertainment, communication or socialisation, all can feature some kind of online element. As such, concerns have been raised about our privacy, data, and security. Here are some relevant social media FAQs on the subject:

Are social media platforms safe to use? 

This is another essential topic on our list of social media FAQs. The simple answer is, social media sites are safe to use if you use them safely. Most sites have security and privacy settings that allow you to control what others see about you. However, remember that most of your activity online leaves a digital footprint. You can learn some of the basics of cyber security to help keep you safe online.  

How do social media companies use my data? 

Most online businesses collect some data about you. Identifiable information such as your name, date of birth, location, and device ID is used with things like how you respond to content and what you purchase. This information is collected, bought, sold and traded across the internet and between companies. It’s then used to target you with adverts, segment you into user groups, send you offers, and alter their own practices. Data analytics is big business, and we’re all creating vast amounts of information each day. 

What are the laws about social media privacy?

There are several laws in the UK that relate to privacy, data, and social media. In the UK, the right to privacy is protected under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as article 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. There are also laws meaning your privacy is protected from the state and other individuals. However, there are exceptions to this rule when it comes to certain policing operations.  

How can I be safer online?

This is an important question that goes beyond just social media FAQs. There are many steps you can take to stay safe when using social media and the internet. You should learn about privacy settings on your social accounts, as well as limit the personal information you share online. Additionally, you can make sure your internet connection is secure, and that your PC has the necessary anti-virus software. 

What happens if my data is compromised? 

Social media sites are prime targets for hacks and data breaches. If your account is compromised, you’ll need to take action, including assessing what information they may have accessed and what other accounts use the same email and password. You should ramp up your account security, including using multifactor authentication. Additionally, you might want to learn more about the cyber security landscape. 

Can I hide my personal data online? 

In the UK, you have the ‘right to be forgotten’ when it comes to your online data. This means that you can ask Google to delist specific search results related to your name if they’re potentially harmful. You can also delete your online social accounts. One other place to take action to hide your data is to check data collection sites and old websites you used to use to request that they remove your info and old posts. 

Which social media platform is the safest? 

It’s a little difficult to determine what ‘safe’ looks like when it comes to social media. However, you want to look like options of peer-to-peer encryption for messages, multifactor authentication for logins, and the amount of data they require. Services such as Telegram are considered fairly safe based on these factors. Check out our courses on network security if you want to learn how your data is kept safe online. 

Where can I learn more about cyber security? 

You can find our range of online cyber security courses to learn more about this interesting and essential topic. We have courses that cover a wide range of topics, such as ethical hacking, encryption, and ethics in computing.

 

 

Social media account management FAQs

Once you have a social media account, it’s important to know how to manage it. Whether it’s deleting content or control what information you share, there are plenty of social media FAQs related to this area:

Who owns my social media account? 

When it comes to the content on your social media account, you own it. Most services have privacy policies and terms of service that outline things like your photos, videos, audio, and more remain your property. So, if you’re looking to create great online content and you use it for your personal account, you can rest assured that you own it. 

Can I delete my social media account? 

Most social media platforms allow you to deactivate or delete your account. You’ll usually have to log in to the service and jump through several hoops to do so. When it comes to deleting your online presence, you’ll find some are easier to remove than others. The website Background Checks gives a good indication of how difficult certain services are. 

What happens when I delete my social media account? 

Again, this depends a little on the social media service and the options you choose. Facebook and Twitter, for example, give you the chance to deactivate or delete your account entirely. With deactivation, you can reactivate it at a later date. Certain information will still appear on the sites, such as messages you sent. With deletion, it can take up to 30 days before all of your information is removed. 

Who can see what I post? 

With the emphasis on privacy we have nowadays, most social media platforms allow users to have some control over what they share. However, as a general rule, you should assume that if you reply or comment to a post, anyone who has access to that post can see it, even if you’re not directly connected. When you’re creating a professional online presence, it’s vital you bear this in mind. 

Can I control what information I share?

With the focus on digital media analytics that many companies have, we’re all encouraged to share as much of our data as possible. However, you can still change your privacy settings on all social media sites, giving you some control over what you share. Of course, you can also limit the things you post, and think carefully about the type of content you upload to the internet. 

Do I need a social media account? 

Social media seems pretty unavoidable these days. Not only does everyone seem to be on one platform or another, but many services encourage you to login using your social media account. Then consider how important sites like LinkedIn are for professional networking, and they seem essential. However, you can certainly get by without social media, and many people report that they feel happier and more connected without it. 

Can I see what information companies have on me? 

Yes, in the UK, there are laws in place meaning that you can request companies send you a copy of the information they hold about you. You have to request the data in writing, and companies must provide it within one month. The recent GDPR laws have made this process far easier. 

How can I spot a fake social media account? 

Fake accounts on social media can be used to spread misinformation as well as to try and compromise other peoples’ accounts. So, if you’ve received a connection request from someone you don’t know, you make a few checks to see if it’s real. Check through their timeline and their connection lists. Do you know people in common? Are they repeatedly posting the same information/links? These are two red flags for fraudulent accounts.

 

 

Social media FAQs about the future

Social media certainly seems like it’s here to stay. As we become ever more connected with concepts like the Internet of Things, what can we expect to see next? We look at some social media FAQs about what the future might hold. 

What’s the fastest-growing social media platform?

At the time of writing, TikTok, the video-sharing platform, is the fastest-growing social media platform. The app launched in September 2016 and reached half a billion users by mid-2018. At the time of writing, this number had reached roughly 800 million. 

What are some new social media sites?

Companies are always looking to be the next big name in social media, meaning there are plenty of new sites out there. Along with apps like TikTok, sites like Caffeine, a rival to Twitch, show a lot of potential. Steemit is another relatively new platform, offering users the chance to create content in exchange for cryptocurrency. 

How will social media change? 

All of the major platforms have changed and updated the way they work over the years. Although it’s hard to predict precisely what will happen, various sites have used data to make predictions. Most seem to agree that video content will continue to rise in popularity, as will niche social platforms. We’ll probably see more integration with technology, as well as more personalised content. 

What technology will use social media? 

It’s likely that we’ll see more links between social media and virtual, augmented and mixed reality. This technology is still in its infancy, yet we’ve already seen Facebook buy Oculus VR, a company that makes virtual reality headsets. They’re using this technology to further integrate social media accounts. 

How will data and privacy change? 

As we continue to produce and analyse ever more data, the risks to our privacy and information also grow. With the threat of AI-enhanced cyber-attacks and surveillance, hopefully, privacy laws will change to protect individuals and their right to control their own information. 

How has COVID-19 affected social media?

Although it’s hard to know the exact impacts COVID-19 has had on social media, a few trends are already apparent. The World Health Organisation announced an ‘infodemic’ running parallel to the pandemic. They’re referring to the uncertainty and anxiety that comes from the spread of misinformation, often spread on social media. 

Will social media sites close? 

Based on the trends we’ve seen over the year, it’s safe to assume that some social media sites will close in future. You only have to look at platforms such as Google+, Facebook’s Lasso, Vine, and other platforms that have all ceased to exist. Even Myspace, once the pioneer of social media, is nearly dead. 

How will social media impact the future? 

Of all the social media FAQs we’ve answered, this one is perhaps the hardest. No one can truly know how social media will continue to shape our society. Hopefully, it can help with things like sustainability and education. Similarly, if we are to expect more integration in our lives, hopefully, we have the data and privacy laws to keep us safe and in charge of our information.

 

Category Business and Management, Digital Skills

How to Be a Good Manager

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How to Be a Good Manager

Managers are crucial cogs in any business. They lead departments to success through an array of soft skills and talents. Without them, deadlines can be missed, quality can plummet, and business growth is scuppered.

But good managers aren’t just cogs in a machine. They are also tightrope walkers, trying to balance views and opinions from all directions. Yet, their ability to work with others and solve conflict didn’t come to them overnight. They developed key management skills over time. 

If you’re an aspiring manager or a current manager wanting to improve your managerial skills, our range of management and leadership skills courses will be perfect for you. From improving remote team productivity to interpersonal skills, we have all your managerial prerequisites covered!

Explore Our Management & Leadership Courses

What Makes a Good Manager?

A good manager needs to have a selection of hard and soft skills that will set enable them to deal with common scenarios they face each day. Managers are:

1) Leaders: a manager is someone who can lead a group, small or large, to a shared goal. Their leadership style will evolve depending on situations and the individuals within the team. But at all times, they retain the authority while welcoming everyone to play their part and have a say.

2) Motivators: they also motivate people to want to succeed and meet their individual objectives, as well as overall team targets. Without motivation, the team is not likely to produce quality work or innovation

3) Trusting and trustworthy: staff members need to be able to trust their manager and rely on them when needed. They need to trust that the project plans they have made are effective and efficient. They may also need to trust them with sensitive workplace issues or to judge staff conflict fairly. Likewise, a good manager trusts their staff and doesn’t micromanage their work.

4) Communicators (and Listeners!): the best managers are able to communicate effectively. This includes verbal communication and communicating through body language. And they remember that communication is just as much about active listening is it is about speaking

5) Committed: managers must show commitment to the team’s goals and the business as a whole. If they are not committed to business targets, they cannot expect their team members to be committed to delivering the best results either.

6) Supportive: managers support their staff when they are finding tasks difficult or fail to understand parts of processes. They also support them when they offer suggestions or discuss personal development during manager appraisal meeting.

7) Knowledgeable: managers must be knowledgeable on the tasks that their team are expected to deliver. They should be a source of information to help the team overcome project misunderstandings and issues related to individual goals.

8) Organised: not every great manager is organised, but those that are tend to provide clear project plans and transparent explanations to their team, which then mitigates mistakes.

9) Empathetic: empathy and emotional intelligence can set good managers apart from great ones. They can deal with workplace disputes and team conflicts better. And empathy is also valuable when discussing working performance in relation to an individual’s personal troubles outside of work.

 

 

How to Develop Must-Have Management Skills

The perfect manager probably doesn’t exist. Even experienced managers need to sharpen some of their tools and keep developing. Below are seven discussions on ways to enhance management skills for new managers and seasoned pros.

1) How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome can occur in any job but is frequently experienced by new managers. It occurs when someone feels like they do not have the skills or knowledge to perform their duties. They feel as though they got into their role by chance rather than their attributes.

The biggest problem with imposter syndrome is that it can hamper your confidence to deal with managerial situations, and you could even shy away from tasks altogether.

Some ways to deal with imposter syndrome include:

  • Awareness: become actively aware when you tell yourself that you are not good enough.
  • Change your thinking: remind yourself that nobody knows everything, and your career is always a learning curve (you can set real calendar reminders to do this!).
  • Talk to others: speak with other people about their imposter syndrome feelings. You’ll be surprised how many people have felt the same as you do now.
  • Seek support: most businesses will offer managerial support to new managers – and they should! Alternatively, choose to independently enrol on an imposter syndrome management course to learn specialist ways of dealing with these new experiences.

 

2) How to Switch from a Work Friend to a Manager

Imposter syndrome is not the only hurdle new managers must overcome when climbing the career ladder. 

Another problem is the new hierarchical difference between you and your colleagues. Work friends that were on par with you in the workplace may now find themselves answering to you. You may have even been given the job over them.

This shift in workplace dynamics can cause all sorts of issues from awkwardness to even feelings of loneliness at work. But there are ways to make the transition easier.

The most obvious is to have an early one-to-one discussion with your friend and tell them that you have a responsibility to the company and must strive to meet business goals. You should also tell them that you admire their work and value their friendship. Clearing the air this way may prevent any cold shoulders and distrust within the team. It also paves the way for you to give them instructions and deadlines without feeling strange about it.

What you should not do is give them favourable treatment because they were/are your close friend. This would go against your need to become a fair boss and could demotivate or anger other members of your team.

There are even specific friend-to-manager courses now designed to help you manage this exact situation.

 

3) How to Improve Team Engagement and Motivation

Your managerial success will be judged on your team’s output and results. Manager responsibilities will influence the end result in many ways, but one of the most crucial is through engaging and motivating your team.

So, how can you motivate your team during a project? You can:

  • Set realistic goals and provide clear project plans.
  • Do not punish failure but understand what went wrong and help people to not make the same mistakes.
  • Don’t micromanage as it often demotivates staff (e.g. don’t ask for too many updates or ask to be copied into every email).
  • Give everyone a chance to speak and offer suggestions.
  • Include your team in decisions and let them understand why decisions have been made higher up in the company – transparency has a big impact on motivation. 
  • Do not set meetings without good reason. These can frustrate staff who may be working towards a tight deadline. 
  • Provide valuable feedback with praise.
  • Reward good work and success.
  • Create a clean and safe working environment.
  • Schedule timely appraisals to discuss your team’s career development and aspirations.

 

4) How to Manage Conflict as a Manager

Unfortunately, dealing with conflict is a part of the manager’s job. And it is crucial to keep teams pulling in the same direction to get the best results. The best course of action is prevention, which can be achieved through:

  • Getting everyone’s input into projects.
  • Make sure team goals are clear.
  • Discourage gossiping when heard.
  • Learn about individual personalities and the different types of leadership skills which match those personalities. 
  • Never complain about your team members, especially to other colleagues.

Another way of preventing conflict in a modern globalised world is by harnessing an understanding of diversity in the workplace. By knowing more about cultures and creating inclusive environments as a manager, you can avoid potential conflicts before they arise.

If conflict does arise, you should aim to deal with it swiftly through:

  • One-to-one meetings with everyone involved to get individual perspectives.
  • List points of agreements and disagreement.
  • Create a conflict resolution plan that only focuses on events – and never personalities!
  • Follow through on an agreed plan with everyone.

 

 

5) How to Develop Communication Skills

In all of the skill sets described above, the solutions at hand revolve around you as the manager being able to communicate with the team effectively. This requires exceptional emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. 

So how can these skills – as the glue of all management skills – be developed?

  • Read books, articles or take dedicated courses on improving communication skills.
  • Always use simple language. Some of your staff may have imposter syndrome too and be worried about asking questions because you used an unfamiliar term.
  • Ask if your team has any clarification questions to make sure you have been understood.
  • Always give everyone eye contact, while briefly breaking eye contact every ten seconds or so.
  • Be an active listener and show you listened by asking your own follow-up questions.

Be aware of body language (yours and theirs). Avoid crossed arms and overly stern facial expressions.

 

6) How to Improve Your Decision Making as a Manager

By now, you’ll have probably realised that a day in the life of a manager is filled with decisions. 

Improving decision making skills is something that will happen over time in line with experiences and increased knowledge. But there are some unique ways that you can become more decisive and improve decision making:

 

7) Tips to Improve Public Speaking and Presenting

Some people land a management job because they are equipped with expert knowledge and tick many of the right managerial boxes. Sometimes they tick the communication box, but as soon as it comes to public speaking – everything changes.

Managers have to stand up and speak to large numbers on a weekly, if not daily, basis. And can be terrifying and one of the biggest causes of imposter syndrome discussed earlier. 

You will naturally get better at presenting and public speaking with practice. But managers need to get the basics right from the get-go to avoid staff losing confidence in them or doubting other aspects of their management.

Make sure you maintain trust and respect from your staff by:

  • Learning about body language
  • Researching presentation and public speaking tips
  • Take applicable self-development courses
  • Get other members of the team involved 
  • Practice presenting alone and record yourself to pick out habits and mannerisms
  • Remember that others want you to succeed too

 

But, Why Become a Manager Anyway?

There are many reasons to want to become a manager. Some people possess excellent skills that fit perfectly for a managerial position, such as the ability to communicate or motivate a group. But the desire to become a manager can be bigger than skills alone. 

After all, you can develop skills to become a manager, but the inherent desire to be one is something different. 

Many managers choose to become a leader because they get to be a part of other people’s personal development and growth. Witnessing such developments and playing a part can make you feel good, which affords high job satisfaction. 

There is, of course, the money factor. Managers get paid more for their work and that increases applications to managerial jobs. Just don’t list this as one of your reasons for applying if you ever get a management job interview.

 

Learn New Managerial Skills with Future Learn

Future Learn is a recognised and respected provider of educational courses that can catapult your career. We are especially proud of the selection of management and leadership coursed on offer. See them for yourself by tapping the button below.

 

Explore Our Management & Leadership Courses

Discover how it all works here at Future Learn – and let’s put you on a path to success, increased earnings and improved job satisfaction!

 

 

 

Coursera is Among the Top 10 on Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators List

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Coursera is Among the Top 10 on Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators List

By Jenny Talwar, Director of Talent at Coursera

Innovators wanted: join our team at a pivotal moment

Today, Fast Company ranked Coursera ninth on its Best Workplaces for Innovators list. The 2020 ranking features 100 companies that demonstrate a deep commitment to nurturing innovation at all levels.

“As much of the world recovers from health, economic, and social crises, we need innovation more than ever,” said Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “This new list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators celebrates organizations that have fostered innovative thinking by investing in technology, research and development, and their employees.”

We are honored to be among the top ten. This award recognizes events like Make-a-thon and Hypergrowth and celebrates the people behind them — including creators Jon Wong and Tom Kovats and the many Courserians who have participated over the years. These traditions foster a culture of innovation that defines Coursera’s approach to difficult challenges.

Amid the global health crisis and economic slowdown caused by COVID-19, our teams responded quickly to serve learners, partners, governments, and communities in meaningful ways. This includes our Coronavirus Response and Workforce Recovery initiatives, machine learning solutions like CourseMatch, infrastructure improvements to accommodate increased demand, and Coursera for University and College Students.

To further accelerate our mission, we also raised $130 million in a Series F round that closed this month, bringing the company’s cash balance to more than $300 million. This additional financing enables us to continue growing the company and our impact on the world. 
To help us address new and long-standing global challenges, we are hiring across our Product, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Services, Partnerships, Content Strategy, and People teams. To join us during an important time for Coursera and online learning, explore opportunities at about.coursera.org/careers.

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Summer Reading Contest Winner, Week 4: On ‘Many Latinos Couldn’t Stay Home. Now Virus Cases Are Soaring in Their Communities.’

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Summer Reading Contest Winner, Week 4: On ‘Many Latinos Couldn’t Stay Home. Now Virus Cases Are Soaring in Their Communities.’

Marcella Rodio, 16, from River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey chose an article headlined “Many Latinos Couldn’t Stay Home. Now Virus Cases Are Soaring in Their Communities” and wrote:

Learning that Latinos are making up a disproportionate and large number of coronavirus cases in the US, makes my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. It makes me afraid.

Latinos are fighters. We’re strong willed, determined, and hard workers. We constantly persevere through adversity and discrimination. I know that we as a community will somehow make it through this pandemic alright, but it still hurts to see us struggle. This article states that “sheltering in place never happened for many Latino families with members who work in industries that never shut down,” which is true at least, for my own family.

My dad owns a Dry Cleaners, a business that has been deemed essential in my state. His employees are like family to me. We’re connected through our heritage and through the language we share. It’s scary to say goodbye to my father each morning, knowing he and his employees are exposed and vulnerable to COVID-19, and that some of them don’t even have easy access to healthcare. It’s even more painful to help my father make hand sewed masks for everyone in his shop, because I want my dad home, safe with me instead.

Latino workers, like this article states, keep a “bare-bones economy running.” And despite that, I feel like we’re somehow forgotten. My dad and his employees don’t have the luxury to shelter in place. Who helps them? Quien nos ayuda?

In alphabetical order by the writer’s first name.

Amy Zhang Liu on “Disney World Draws Excitement and Incredulity as Reopening Nears”

Elizabeth Hirschfeld on “‘Gone With the Wind’ and Controversy: What You Need to Know”

Isabelle Qi on “Should We Be More Pessimistic?”

Juliette on “Reconsidering the Past, One Statue at a Time”

Marissa on “Why I’ve Stopped Telling People I’m Not Chinese”

Nina on “Aunt Jemima Is Gone. Can We Finally End All Racist Branding?”

Radha Zutshi Opubor on “I’ve Protested for Racial Justice. Do I Have to Post on Social Media?”

Rebecca on “Call a Thing a Thing”

Seyoung on “How an Island Oasis Became the Navy’s Coronavirus Epicenter”

Test Km Seminar

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Test Km Seminar

Introduction

     This assignment is going to shade more light on greatest dreams in my life. Apart from that, the assignment will also highlight the contribution that I want to make to my family and community. I will also talk about the best way to harness and distribute the revenue gotten from the natural resources in my country. Moreover, I’m going to dwell on the achievements, in terms of professionalism and economy that will give me the contentment which will enable me, to enjoy life with my family. Similarly, I’m going to talk about the abundance that I feel is prerequisite to the prosperous life. Lastly, the assignment will define abundance that is sustainable.

1. What is your greatest dream in life?

     When we talk about my greatest dream in life, honestly speaking as things stand now my greatest dream is to be able to finish my study very soon. Because, I feel that if I manage to finish my study sooner other than later, that is the kind of thing what will pave way for me to achieve those thing that I’m dreaming about life. Because, I know that when I finished my study and receive my certificate, I will start looking for a job that are available at labor market, so that is what my biggest dream in life, because I know that when I get my desired job, I will be able to fend for myself and other members of my life. And apart from that, getting the job that will enable me to settle down as a person who has reached certain level, whereby, I need to get life partner. So honestly speaking, I may have so many dreams at the moment, but I feel that my biggest priority now is to be successful in my academic pursued. Even though, finishing my study will just be the first step among the steps that I want go through in my academic pursuit. Because, I feel that finishing my first degree is just the beginning of my journey, towards success. Even after I finish my first degree, I will like to go for mastering degree and after mastering degree I will also like to go for PhD. I know that achieving my dream is not easy at all, but I will put all my effort in my pursuit of knowledge. Because, I believe that it’s the knowledge that will make my life better and more important. Because, I believe in the power of knowledge, and I believe that it’s the knowledge that will enable us to live the kind of life that is different from that of those who are not knowledgeable. And it also enables us to know more about the world than others who don’t in any way try to pursue education. So honestly it’s very important for me to finish my study. So that is why I decided at the moment to keep aside almost everything in order to ensure that, I concentrate all my attention in my study, so that at the end of the day, I will be able to achieve my goal. Because, after I finish my study I will like to do so many things. For example, it’s my ambition to become a civil engineer. Since we are talking about now, finishing my degree will enable me to be a reasonable engineer.

2. What would be your greatest contribution to your family and community?

     My greatest contribution to my family first, and community will come later. Honestly speaking, the kind of contribution that I want make towards the members of family is such that, I cannot describe, I feel strongly about it, because it’s the members of my family that have been supporting me right from when I was born up to this point. So honestly speaking, when I’m able to achieve my goal of becoming a civil engineer, I will do everything possible in order to ensure that I improve their living standard. Because, the way they have struggled with me and the kind of struggle that they made, in order to sponsor my study is something that I will never take lightly. So honestly speaking, I will do everything possible to ensure that I do something that will gladden their hearts or make them happy. Even though, I know that I may not be able to repay them were they did to me, but at least I will ensure that they don’t lack anything. When I get or rather or when I become a civil engineer. So this is my greatest contribution towards the members of my family.

     When it comes to my contribution to my community, honestly speaking, when I achieve my goal, I will ensure that I provide very important things, to the members of my community. Because, I live in a country whereby, there is lack of infrastructural development. Honestly speaking, the members of my community are suffering from various kinds of problems. For example, we don’t have enough water. Sometimes, the children in my community have to struggle before they are able to fetch water from either borehole or where so ever they can find good drinking water. So, ensuring that this problem of water shortage is eliminated is one of my biggest dreams. That is it’s something that I want to ensure that, my community don’t have any problem when it comes to water supply. Apart from water supply, I know that there are so many young people in my area, who want start studying and those who wants to further their high education. But unfortunately, due to the prevalence of poverty in my country, they are not able to do so. Honestly speaking, I want to do everything possible, in order to ensure that, I sponsor them, so that they can at least be able to achieve their dream of gaining their education. So it’s difficult for me to enumerate all the contribution that I want make, towards the members of my community. But as soon as I achieved my goal of becoming a civil engineer, then definitely I will do those things that I have just mentioned and many more.

3. What is the wisest way to use and share the wealth from the resources of the earth?

     Honestly speaking, in my country that is Nigeria, the revenue from natural resources that my country is blessed with, is not shared or reused properly. Because honestly speaking huge amount of money is gotten from sell of oil in my country, but even though the life of the people in my country is supposed to be improved significantly, but unfortunately that is not the case. Because our leaders are looting or diverting the money, instead of the money being used to improve the life of Nigerians, to provide Nigerians with infrastructure, with all those basic things they need in life; the basic things that any reasonable government is supposed to provide to its people. So instead the way politicians use the money in order to enrich themselves and members of their family, which is not acceptable. So the way I feel that the wealth gotten from oil in my country should be use is that:

1-    The wealth should be used, in order to ensure that qualitative education is provided.

2-    Health care delivery system and many other things are supposed to provide to the Nigerians.

3-    And apart from that, the wealth should be used to provide infrastructure to the Nigerians. Because, we have problem with our roads and electricity; the shortage of electricity is so immense that it hardly stayed for more than 8 hours per day. Moreover, it’s unfortunate situation that we don’t have portable water. So the wealth gotten from the sell of oil should be used in order to ensure that, all these things are provided to the common man in Nigeria. So with regard to how the wealth should be shared, I feels that the wealth driven from the sell of oil and other natural resources gotten in Nigeria, should be such that everybody should benefit from it, that is the wealth should be shared according to ones need. Even though, I don’t means that the money should be shared among the people, what I mean is that, people should have their needs satisfied, based on the enormity of their needs. So I thing that is what is supposed to be done.

4. What level of economic and professional achievement would give you deep contentment to enjoy life with your family?

     When we are talking about an economic achievement, that gives me contentment to enjoy life with my family, then I can say that as things stand now, life has change enormously. I think that having money is very important, because at the moment, it’s money that guarantees the best possible life that anybody can imagine. So I think that specifying the amount of economic achievements that will give me contentment to enjoy life is very difficult. So I can say that having a stable job or a stable business that brings in more money, is what will enable me to enjoy life together with my family. But since the value of money has been fallen now a day, I think that having a millions of naira with a stable source of income is an economic achievement that I’m dreaming in order to live a prosperous life with my own family. Therefore economic achievement is something that is difficult to be quantified, just what matters most is to have huge amount of money.

     And apart from economic achievement, the next thing in line is professional achievement. So when we are talking about professional achievement, the way I have decided that my life will be, is to be able to reach the apex or the pinnacle of my career as a civil engineer. So I want get that kind of expertise from the degree that I’m pursuing right now, to ensure that I become the engineer that stand out from the rest of the engineers, so that I will be able to achieve a lot. Sky is the limit to what I’m aspiring to achieve as an engineer. So as things stand now, I don’t know how much or rather it’s difficult for me to ascertain the kind of professional achievement that I will gain as an engineer. But I’m aiming for a higher rung of the ladder among the ranks of engineers. That is I want to be or rather rub shoulders with the best civil engineers in the world. I want to be a kind of civil engineers that will live behind a legacy, that will be remembered for a generation. Therefore, it’s only when I achieve that goal, that I will be able to live a kind of life that I’m dreaming together with my family. Being a civil engineer and that too at the top of the rung of the ladder of engineers, is not something that is easy to achieve. But I’m trying to put everything into the effort of achieving this goal. So I’m optimistic that with hard work and prayers, at the end of the day I will succeed in doing what I’m aiming to do right now.

5. What type of abundance is the best to live a prosperous life? Personal wealth? Personal power? Personal satisfaction? or Shared wealth and power in community? Harmonious respect and support with other people? Living life in balanced harmony with others and nature?

     As far as I concerned, among all those types of abundance, I will go for personal satisfaction. Because personal satisfaction is very important, because it enables a person to live a very happy life. Therefore a person can be happy, weather he has money or not. So I think that personal satisfaction is very important and it’s more important than personal wealth, personal power, shared wealth and power in community. Because all those things are likely to be exhausted but personal satisfaction is something that is innate, is something that a person has. It’s a kind of habit that a person cultivates. So it’s a quality that enables a person to live a kind of enjoyable life. So it’s a something that enables a person to survive at any situation. It’s something that enables a person to be responsible, to be contented with whatever he has. But look if a person has personal wealth, so there is likelihood that one day, the wealth will be gone because we have seen such examples.

6. How would you define a sustainable abundance that could be enjoyed from generation to generation?

     Defining sustainable abundance that could be enjoyed from one generation to another is something that is very difficult for me. But I will do everything possible in order to ensure that I define what I see as a sustainable abundance that could be enjoyed by the upcoming prosperity. This is a difficult question, so different people are likely to face a difference explanation, to this kind of question, but my check on this question is goes like this. So the kinds of sustainable abundance that can be enjoyed by the upcoming generation, especially in a country like mine where there is lack of sustainability, in terms of almost everything in my country. So having visionary leaders who have people in their minds is something that I’m hoping for. So it’s only when we have those kinds of leaders who are patriotic and sensitive to the needs of their peoples, that we could at least start hoping that, a sustainable abundance will be created. But as the things stand now, I can be pessimistic in this regard, but there is a saying that man proposes Allah disposes. So my outlook of life is likely to change in the future, with improvement in how things are done. But the way things are going right now doesn’t give much hope to common people like me who are struggling to pay tuition fees. Just to crown it all, people are struggling with how to meet basic needs. The question of sustainable abundance is something that most people in my country are putting at the back of their minds, because they know that achieving that sustainable abundance is something that is far away from being achieved. Because of the nonchalant attitude displayed by our leaders who are so insensitive, to the needs of their peoples that they can diverse the money, that is meant for the improvement of the life of fellow countrymen. Therefore, we are still optimistic; we have not given up of having things improved in the future. So we will like to see a situation whereby, there is a sustainable development, whereby the next generation will enjoy life more than us. Therefore, we will keep on hoping that, one day things are going to improve dramatically, from the way they are right now. It’s my urgent hope that, we are going  to have generation of leaders who are likely, to come up with infrastructural development or blueprint, that will provide infrastructural development that will be sustainable, to the extent that the future generation benefit from such infrastructures. And it’s also my hope that a powerful vision will be initiated which will be aiming for improvement of things in the future. Because, as things stand now, the future looks bleak. But with prayer and enlightenment of common men, to elect people who are responsible, I think that, the dream is achievable. That is the dream of having sustainable abundance that can be enjoyed by the generation that will come in the future.

Conclusion

From the aforementioned the following can be deduced:

–         That my greatest dream is to pursue my study, become a civil engineer and live a happy life.

–         My greatest contribution to the members of my family will be to improve their life, as for the members of my community; I will do everything possible to make them happy.

–         That the best way to use and shear revenue from the natural resources, is to provide infrastructure to people and ensure that they live a happy life.

–         That the abundance that brings about a prosperous life is the personal one.

–         Sustainable abundance involves; providing what will bring about everlasting benefit to the people.

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