My name is Saga, and I am the student ambassador for the Hub for Innovation and Enterprise at the University of Kent. I’m here to tell you about all the things the hub does for students, how you can get involved, and what skills you will gain.
How entrepreneurship can make you more employable
You develop a wider range of skills
Starting up your own business means that you’re in charge of making the executive decisions of essentially everything. Even if you’re just in the planning stages of a project or an enterprise, it will have you thinking about all areas of development, from finances through to creative planning and marketing. You don’t need to be an expert in all areas, but being an entrepreneur will encourage you to gain a basic understanding of all elements that goes into your business, and learn things that you might otherwise have left to other people.
It’s a proof of your ability to solve problems and deal with stress
Almost every job application, interview or cover letter will have you mention your ability to deal with stressful situations, or solve problems under pressure. Having entrepreneurial experience is a perfect proof of these abilities. As we all know, no project could be executed without facing at least one stressful or problematic situation needing fixing, so being an entrepreneur should provide you with many scenarios to describe as proof of your problem solving proficiency.
It’s an attractive item on your CV
An entrepreneur is someone who is innovative, forward thinking, active and efficient, to mention a few traits. In the fast changing environment that is our society today, qualities like these are becoming more and more appreciated by employers. It’s true that some interviewers have given feed back that say they won’t employ someone who wants to be “too independent”. However, these personally traits, such as “taking initiative” or “questioning old structures” are appearing in more and more job descriptions. Even if you are not looking to make your entrepreneurial endeavour your main occupation, being able to say that you have experience of entrepreneurship will definitely look good on your CV, and it will make you stand out in the crowd of job searchers.
You will improve your confidence
When people ask you what you do, saying that you’re an entrepreneur will impress most. But more than looking good in the eyes of others, knowing yourself that you have set up, or contributed to setting up a business, or a project, will not only give you that variation of skills but also boost your confidence. Entrepreneurship it might sound complicated, risky or like it’s not for everyone. But, imagine the sense of pride you will feel if you overcame those obstacles and did something outside your comfort zone. Furthermore, entrepreneurship does place you in many situations which, in them selves, will improve your confidence, such as giving presentations, convincing customers, or simply daring to share an idea you’ve had, and receive constructive criticism and questions on it.
Connect with me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagar%C3%A5dh/ and check out how you can get involved in enterprise and business start-up activities at the Hub for Innovation and Enterprise https://www.kent.ac.uk/enterprise/hub/